All posts tagged: Apathy

Ludhiana: Dhoka Mohalla residents allege civic apathy, stage protest over drainage woes

Ludhiana: Dhoka Mohalla residents allege civic apathy, stage protest over drainage woes

Published by Parlour News

Pushed to the brink by foul smell and unhygienic conditions that have persisted for over 10 days, residents of Dhoka Mohalla staged a two-hour protest outside the municipal corporation’s Zone D office on Monday, accusing civic authorities of ignoring a chronic drainage problem. Residents of Dhoka Mohalla protest outside MC’s Zone D office in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT) Residents alleged that dirty water accumulation and a persistent foul smell had made daily life unbearable in the locality. While such conditions were earlier witnessed largely during the rainy season, they said the problem had now intensified even in dry weather, pointing to a chronic drainage failure that authorities had failed to resolve despite repeated complaints. Congress councillors joined the residents in the protest and blocked the main entrance of the Zone D office, disrupting official functioning for nearly two hours. Several citizens who had come to the civic office forroutine work were forced to return without their grievances being addressed due to the blockade. The protesters claimed the drainage issue had plagued the area for …

Vivek Agnihotri blames PR, selfies, and apathy for ‘killing’ Bollywood

Vivek Agnihotri blames PR, selfies, and apathy for ‘killing’ Bollywood

Published by Webster

Director Vivek Agnihotri, who recently delivered the massive box-office debacle ‘The Bengal Files’, is reflecting on the collective failure of Bollywood as an industry. On Sunday, the director took to his Instagram, and shared a carousel post of AI-generated art. The template of the AI-creative was the film poster from a bygone era. In the pictures, he spoke about what has “killed” Bollywood. The post read, “Who is killing Bollywood? Cinema isn’t dying, it’s being murdered. Cast: Paid PR, paparazzi, spotting, wedding dances, brand endorsements, Insta posts”. He then treaded into the territory of artificial intelligence and mulled over how Bollywood is handling the technology that AI offers. He wrote, “AI VS BOLLYWOOD? OTTs/studios are testing Al-generated Ramayana, mahabharat, Al films. Teenagers are hosting Al film festivals. While Bollywood makes selfies”. He further mentioned that Bollywood stars are busy posting fake box-office numbers, walking airport ramps, and dancing at paid award shows. He then gave a contrasting account of how Hollywood tackled the AI crisis vis-a-vis Bollywood. He went on, “When Hollywood writers faced this, …

Abundance and apathy: A tale of two polling booths in Delhi | Latest News India

Abundance and apathy: A tale of two polling booths in Delhi | Latest News India

Published by Parlour News

Akbarpur Majra: A village that votes like no other Abundance and apathy: A tale of two polling booths in Delhi Just beyond the Yamuna, where Delhi meets Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, lies Akbarpur Majra — a village that feels like it belongs to another era. The morning air carries the scent of mustard blossoms, the roads wind through yellow fields, and the only sounds breaking the morning silence are the distant hum of tractors and the chatter of elders gathered at the chaupal over hookah. The place is reminiscent of how Hindi cinema imagines an idyllic rural setting – but this is modern-day Delhi. And a part of it that votes with an enthusiasm, setting an example for the more urbanised sections of the city. In the previous Delhi assembly elections in 2020, this village on the city’s outskirts recorded a 87.37% voter turnout — over 24 percentage points higher than the citywide average. And as elections approach, the village is preparing to do it again. Locals say a sense of close-knit community, familial relationships, …

Human-wildlife conflict: Opposition stages walkout in Kerala Assembly accusing LDF govt of ‘apathy’ towards high-range communities

Human-wildlife conflict: Opposition stages walkout in Kerala Assembly accusing LDF govt of ‘apathy’ towards high-range communities

Published by Parlour News

The Forest Minister’s stand on legislation gains relevance in the context of the recent Cabinet decision to drop a move to introduce the contentious Kerala Forest Amendment (Bill), 2024 in the Assembly following protests. (image for representation) | Photo Credit: JOMON PAMPAVALLEY The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) staged a walkout in the Kerala Assembly on Thursday (January 23, 2025) accusing the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of “indifference” towards high-range communities confronted with rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict, even as Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran stressed the need for overhauling existing Central and State laws governing forests and wildlife. Mr. Saseendran said Central and State forest laws needed amendments that prove useful to the people. At the same time, the government would initiate measures in this regard only with the public consent and keeping in mind the welfare of the farming community, he said. He further said wild animals were exiting forest areas with wounds, pointing to the involvement of an “apolitical organisation.” Mr. Saseendran’s stand on legislation gains relevance in the context of the recent …

Paralympic Star Nitesh Kumar Cites BAI Apathy, Wants Badminton To Be Placed Under PCI

Published by Webster

Frustrated with the lack of recognition and administrative wrangling within the Badminton Association of India (BAI), Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar has called for para badminton to be transferred under the aegis of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for the sport’s betterment and progress. The 29-year-old from Haryana, who secured a historic gold medal in the SL3 class at the Paris Paralympics, said para shuttlers needed to be treated on par with their able-bodied counterparts. “We have won 21 medals at the Asian Para Games, around 14-15 medals at the World Championships, and 5 medals at the Paralympics, but we don’t receive basic appreciation from BAI,” Kumar told PTI. “This isn’t a new issue; it’s a recurring problem. Their attention remains solely on able-bodied athletes, with minimal effort to promote para badminton.” Kumar also expressed his dissatisfaction on social media after BAI congratulated the para shuttlers on their Paris performance via Twitter. “Despite the occasional social media appreciation from @BAI_Media, we, the athletes, are highly dissatisfied with BAI’s lack of interest in para badminton. …

Metros continue with `urban apathy`: EC over low voter turn out in urban cities

Published by Webster

The Election Commission on Monday lamented the low turn in urban constituencies in various cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Lucknow. The poll body said said that these cities have continued the trend of “urban apathy” as noticed in the 2019 parliamentary polls. However, it noted that in Mumbai, celebrities and common citizens alike, waited patiently for their turn to cast their vote. Celebrities from various walks of life have partnered with the Commission to motivate voters to exercise their franchise in the elections, it said.Various such motivational videos were uploaded on their social media platforms. On Sunday too, the Commission had pointed out that Mumbai, Thane and Lucknow have shown apathy towards voting in the past and asked these city dwellers to turnout in higher numbers. The poll authority had noted that in the past, these cities have “suffered” from urban apathy in voting. “The Commission specially calls upon these city dwellers to erase the stigma by turning out in higher numbers,” it said. On May 3 too, while referring to voter turnout …

Free Poha-Jalebi To Movie Ticket Discounts: How Cities Struggling With ‘Urban Apathy’ Are Luring Voters To Polling Booths

Published by Webster

Cities are offering various incentives to increase voter turnout. (Image: Shutterstock) Urban apathy in several cities remained a cause for concern towards voter turnout during election season and therefore, the local administrations along with others are coming up with initiatives to lead people towards polling stations India successfully completed three of the seven phases of polling for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Tuesday, however, the trend of low voter turnout seemed to continue. In efforts to raise awareness regarding the importance of the vote, the Election Commission along with local administrations and others are coming up with unique initiatives to increase the turnout of voters in the remaining four phases, scheduled to take place on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The poll body recorded a voter turnout of 66.14 percent in Phase 1 and 66.71 percent in Phase 2. Meanwhile, the approximate voter turnout figures for polling in Phase 3 Lok Sabha elections 2024 stands at 65.68 percent. While the electoral participation turned out to be one of the best …

When civic apathy brings Bengaluru to a halt

Published by Webster

In the week leading up to Christmas, a newly inaugurated mall on the service road of Ballari Road in north Bengaluru — Phoenix Mall of Asia — was constantly in the news for the massive traffic jams outside the humongous structure. But on Christmas Eve, the situation turned into a nightmare. While the mall has a parking capacity for 2,324 cars and two-wheelers, vehicles of the people who had come to the mall — an estimated four times the capacity — piled up on the road outside with nowhere to go. Soon after, Police Commissioner B. Dayananda requested the city’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to withdraw the partial occupancy certificate (OC) provided to the mall, citing a plethora of reasons, including insufficient parking facility. The BBMP said that since the building bylaws and zonal regulations were followed by the mall, the withdrawal of the OC was unlikely. While the all-too-common traffic jams in the burgeoning IT capital have moved on from being “news” to becoming a matter of jokes and memes …

Court Acquits 2 of Rioting Charges, Deprecates Prosecution for ‘total Apathy’ to Victims’ Agony

Published by Webster

A Delhi court has acquitted two accused in a 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, saying the possibility of the only eyewitness being a “fictitious person” cannot be ruled out. The court also said the FIR was registered and a “semblance of investigation” carried out by arresting the accused and arranging some witnesses with “utter disregard” as to how such evidence shall stand in the court, and with “total apathy to the agony of the victims”. The court was hearing a case against Ajay and Gaurav Panchal, who were accused of being members of a riotous unlawful assembly, armed with deadly weapons, who, taking advantage of the widespread protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, indulged in vandalism, violence, criminal trespass and destruction of property. According to the prosecution, the two accused were part of the mob that vandalised and committed theft in a clothing shop in Meet Nagar in northeast Delhi on February 25, 2020. “I am of the considered opinion that the prosecution has failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt… Accordingly, accused persons …

Govt apathy to repeated warnings root cause of Joshimath crisis, says Bhatt

Published by Webster

Govt apathy to repeated warnings root cause of Joshimath crisis: Chandi Prasad Bhatt Geological factors apart, the failure of successive governments to act on the warnings by experts about possible hazards in Joshimath and adjoining areas has emerged as a major reason behind the land subsidence crisis that has now gripped the town, environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt said on Monday. “Yet another effort has been made by the state government for a scientific study with the help of satellite imagery of the crisis in the sinking town,” Bhatt, who is associated with the Chipko Movement, said. However, a detailed zonation mapping of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, warning of the lurking dangers in Joshimath, had been submitted to the state government more than two decades ago, he said. The study carried out using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) by around twelve leading scientific organisations of the country including the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) had been submitted to the state government way back in 2001, he said. The mapping of the …