Latest news with #LazarJankovic
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
From Novak Djokovic's homeland to Gurgaon's streets: One man is on a garbage cleanup mission
Armed with a rake, gloves, trash bags, and wearing gumboots, this 32-year-old man neatly clears and collects trash that he finds on the streets of Gurgaon's Sector 55. But he's not a local on a civic mission — he's Lazar Jankovic, a Serbian national. 'India is too beautiful to be this dirty,' he tells The Indian Express. 'Main bas chahta hu ki log apne ghar aur dukaan ke saamne ke 2 metre saaf rakhe (I just want people to keep two metres in front of their homes and/or shops clean).' Lazar has embarked on a campaign he calls 'a journey to clean India'. Beginning with Sector 55 five days ago, he started a week-long drive on August 8 called 'Ek Din Ek Gully (One Day, One Street)'', which will last till Independence Day. On day 2 of the drive, several people joined him. On Day 4, he filmed a video, starting with two lines from a popular Punjabi track, 'Ki banu duniya da, sache badshah Waheguru jaane (What will happen to the world, only the Almighty knows).' Asked what prompted the campaign, he says, 'It was when I saw a man in a suit just jump past garbage outside his house and enter his SUV… it would have taken just two minutes to pick it up.' ''As long as it's outside my house, it's not my problem' — this is the attitude of most people in India… Stop pointing fingers and take action, and you will see the difference,' he asserts. Lazar arrived in India in 2018 for modeling assignments and to practice yoga. After spending a few years in Bengaluru, he moved to Gurgaon last year. Since August 2024, he's been tackling the Millennium City's trash, albeit on a small scale. He also takes up modelling gigs across NCR. In one of his videos, he asks influencers in India to make content on cleaning the country ahead of Independence Day, ending his request with a 'Jai Hind'. 'Influencers here tend not to post about cleanliness,' he explains. Meanwhile, residents have largely welcomed Lazar's cleanup efforts, sharing his work on society WhatsApp groups. But some raise concerns about the long-term impact. 'Within 24 hours, the trash bags (that Lazar keeps by the side of the road in areas that don't have dustbins) are torn open by stray dogs and cows, and the garbage piles up again,' says Vinita Sinha, RWA president of Sushant Lok A and A1 blocks. Sinha says her observations come from daily morning walks through the streets he's cleaned. 'He should have a more organised set-up, rather than just making symbolic videos.' But Lazar insists he's not in it for the views. 'Even if I cleaned the streets every day for the rest of my life, they still wouldn't be garbage-free,' he says. 'I love India — I want to relax on Goa's beaches or meditate in the Himalayas without seeing trash and bottles scattered around.' He's quick to clarify that he's not looking for volunteers — but for people to stop littering. 'India loves seeing people as heroes or villains. I am just a Serbian guy doing my bit; the real change has to come from you all.' He plans on getting married and staying here at least six months a year, calling it his 'home'. On Thursday, he was in Delhi for an awareness drive — and wasn't spared by the downpour. 'My cab was stuck on the road for hours, and when I finally switched to a bike, I kept getting splashed by passing buses,' he says. Finally, he has a message for NRIs who offer to fund his cleaning drives: 'Ghar aa ja pardesi (Come home, immigrant).'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
Serb picks up broom & bucket for a clean sweep of streets from Bengaluru to Gurgaon
PUNE: A lone cow stares at a tall man in shorts and dusty sneakers dragging a stick broom across a litter-strewn lane in Gurgaon's Sector 55 in a video. Passersby smirk, some laugh, some tell him to stop wasting his time, while one or two join him. "India ko saaf rakhna hai," he calls out in accented Hindi, sweeping food packets, plastic cups, and other litter into a bucket. Lazar Jankovic, a 32-year-old Serb, arrived in India in 2018 on a modelling contract but stayed for love of the country and his Sikkimese fiancee. Its beauty and culture drew him in, but the indifference to garbage unsettled him. He then picked up a broom and a bucket and began cleaning up roads. He started 'Ek Din Ek Gully', an initiative where he collects garbage scattered across roads and urges passersby to follow better civic sense. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Gold Rates Today in Pune | Silver Rates Today in Pune Jankovic graduated from The Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies in Belgrade-Zemun, and prepared for a decade to work in forensics, alongside years of training in kickboxing and Krav Maga. He decided to impulsively take up a last-minute modelling assignment that brought him to Bengaluru in 2018. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brother Donates Kidney To Save Sister's Life. One Year Later, He Says, I Wish I Never Did It, When This Happens Daily Sport X Undo "Even as a child, I wanted to visit India, but never got the chance. I accompanied my friend for an audition in Serbia where the casting director offered me an assignment, and I jumped at the opportunity to come to India. My friends and family were shocked by my decision, but my mother was supportive," Jankovic said. He found India beautiful and the culture amazing, but littering and litterbugs bothered him. "I was shocked to see well-to-do residents stepping over piles of waste to get into their cars. I thought if nobody was going to act, I should," Jankovic added. In Bengaluru, he shifted homes four times, and cleaned up the surroundings everywhere he lived. He didn't make any videos then but started recording last year. "I didn't get much traction. I then learned how to post on social media and the videos now reach larger audiences. Some videos of me cleaning up a lane near my place in Gurgaon started trending. I have received hundreds of calls and messages from people who want to volunteer," Jankovic said. He also carried out self-funded cleanups in every city he visited in India, from Bengaluru to across Tamil Nadu, and the ghats of Rishikesh. But he reserves his praise for Sikkim for its people's attitude towards cleanliness. "The rest of India must learn from them," Jankovic said. His street work hasn't always been met with enthusiasm. "The only support I got during my first cleanup was from a cow who followed me around. Locals laughed at me. I couldn't converse with them, so I learnt Hindi through Kishore Kumar songs and Shah Rukh Khan movies," Jankovic said. In some videos, he is seen urging civic sense to people in Tamil. He is pushing for practical measures like designated dumping spots on every street to make waste collection easier. "My motto is to take charge of just two metres outside your own homes. If residents from every building kept their immediate area clean, it would change everything," he said. Earlier in August, Jankovic cleaned the premises of a temple in Gurgaon and spoke to the priests about using waste bins. "Volunteers joined the drive, we collected four-five bags of waste. A person stepped up and called a tractor to take it to the dumping ground and even instructed the driver not to dump it anywhere else," Jankovic said. In September, he will be in Mumbai and Pune to organise cleanup drives. He will visit Indore later to learn from their waste-management system. Jankovic is keen on yoga and is pursuing a certification. "Yoga is a discipline. So is civic responsibility. Both are about respect for your body and your surroundings," he added. He is clear that he is in India for the long haul. "I love this country. I'm going to marry into it. Throughout history, people have come here to take something away. It's time to give back," he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
One gully a day: Serbian man takes up Gurgaon's cleanup cause
Gurgaon: A city, known for its gleaming skyscrapers and bustling malls, hides a less glamorous reality beneath its polished exterior. Open drains, heaps of plastic waste, and littered streets paint a stark contrast to this modern facade. While authorities drag their feet, 32-year-old Lazar Jankovic, a Serbian national staying in Sector 55, has taken it upon himself to clean the city — one gully at a time. Jankovic's journey to India began in 2018 with a modelling contract. He spent six years in Bengaluru, before moving to Gurgaon in 2024. The inspiration for his clean-up drive was the result of self-realisation. "I saw how beautiful this place is and how polluted it is at the same time. What bothered me is that everybody's pretending it's not there." This led to the birth of 'Ek Din–Ek Gully' — one day, one street. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon | Gold Rates Today in Gurgaon | Silver Rates Today in Gurgaon Jankovic leads a minimalist life, dedicating his days to yoga and cleaning. Equipped with a rake, gumboots, and trash bags, he tackles at least one park, road, or open space daily, often working alone. He refuses any payment, instead urging, "contribute by cleaning, not by giving me money."His efforts have sparked small ripples of change. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kasaragod Users Prefers Toothsi Aligners Toothsi by MakeO Book Now Undo In Sector 55, residents have formed WhatsApp groups to organise community clean-ups. The garbage he collects or cleans daily ranges from gutka spit and food wrappers to medical syringes and soiled diapers. "It makes me literally puke," he admits. Jankovic's mission extends beyond Gurgaon. In Vellingiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, he cleaned 200kg of garbage near the temple base before trekking six hours to the summit. In Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, he cleared cigarette butts, gutka packets, and syringes from the Ganga ghats during evening aarti, covering nearly a kilometre with help from his girlfriend while curious onlookers watched. Not everyone welcomes his work. Some have asked him to delete videos, fearing they might offend authorities."I really don't care. I'm not here to play politics. I'm just doing what anyone should," he says. Despite this, his work has gained traction online. In just four days, he has amassed over 12,000 followers on X, with messages thanking him for doing what many had given up on. Jankovic, who plans to marry his girlfriend from Sikkim and make India his permanent home, rejects the idea of being called a hero. For him, daily clean-ups are a civic duty. "Stop asking me why I'm cleaning," he says. "Start asking yourself — why aren't you?" Online, his videos have sparked both praise and uncomfortable self-reflection. "Once again we're letting ourselves be taught how to live a decent life by a foreigner. Can we not stop littering? It doesn't take that much effort," wrote Prasanna. Some dubbed it a wake-up call. "When outsiders step up for our streets, it's inspiring… yet it should make us ask: What are we doing for our own home?" tweeted Gadhia. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
