Caricatures show Agra’s civic plight

AGRA - Cartoonists in Agra Sunday drew the attention of the people towards civic issues by displaying humorous caricatures at the annual cartoon exhibition.

“Our cartoonists drew caricatures that will be put up on hoardings at the main road crossings. The idea is to educate and make people aware of the intensity of urban problems,” Manohar Gidwani, president of the Agra Cartoon Forum, told IANS.

Municipal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, after opening the exhibition, said: “The involvement of artists will create the necessary level of sensitivity and awareness. It would supplement our efforts to clean up the city and resolve some of the most ticklish problems that bring a bad name to the city of monuments.”

More than 100 cartoons were put up on display by half a dozen cartoonists.

“It is unfortunate that newspapers are not publishing cartoons these days. Who can forget the chuckle and good humour generated by the likes of R.K. Laxman and Abu Abraham? A society that can laugh at its own follies and idiosyncrasies is indeed a strong and healthy society,” eminent homeopath R.S. Pareek said.

Shishir Bhagat, president of the Wake Up Agra group, said: “Agra folks badly lack a degree of civic consciousness. This new campaign may perhaps bring about a transformation.”

Abhinay Prasad, president of Aadhar welfare society, said: “Issues like proper disposal of litter, lack of community hygiene, defecating in the open, violation of traffic norms, and damaging public property need to be addressed.”