Nagpur: The much trumpeted mega event organised by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) pertaining to mass awareness on fighting the dreaded AIDS turned out to a mega flop. All efforts of NMC to create a world record of sorts proved to be a damp squib as the show received cold response from youths who were supposed to participate in the programme in lakhs.
The local body had aimed at participation of 1.5 lakh youths in the AIDS Awareness campaign being held at historic Kasturchand Park. However, the registration counters witnessed just over 13000 participants much to the chagrin of organisers. The figure stood nowhere near the 1.5 lakh figure the NMC was expecting to gather in the mega event.
That the NMC was left red-faced could be gauged from the fact that the two officials of Guinness Book of World Records, who had come to city to witness the record-breaking event, had to return disappointed and disgusted as well.
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Convener of the the programme, Dayashankar Tiwari accepted the moral responsibility for the flop show but blamed it on NMC for its failure to publicise the event in a befitting manner in view of target of 1.5 lakh participation. Tiwari also tried to put the voluntary organisations working for AIDS control saying the figure of 1.5 lakh was aimed at after due deliberations with them. “Moreover, the PIL filed against the mass awareness campaign and chanting of Hanuman Chalisa also affected the participation,” said Tiwari with embarassment writ large on his face.
The only solace the organisers drew from the programme is that it went off peacefully and without any hindrance. NMC spent Rs 16 lakh for the “mega” event and the “empty” Kasturchand Park.
