…to question why
she needs permission
to answer nature
…to wonder aloud
why ‘adults’ often
discuss kids’ issues
without consulting them
…to inform ‘leaders’
that their needs
are critical too
…to remind elders
that they maybe
citizens of tomorrow
but are around now!
Inspired by what I saw and heard from and about the young during the Civil Society Summit 2010, a commemoration and re-examination of 60 years of the Indian Republic and its constitution, held in Bangalore from 24th-26th January.
As cities grow rapidly, traffic, buildings, and loss of green cover inevitably follow. In 1974, the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) covered 1,189 sq. km; by 2022, it had expanded to 5,904 sq. km, bringing with it challenges of governance. Gaps in governance are foremost on the minds of the 28.3 lakh Chennai voters set to elect their Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on April 23rd. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government made 505 promises in 2021, of which it claims to have met 80%. But as residents and citizen groups come up with their manifestos ahead of the April…
On December 20, 2025, families in Kogilu Layout, Yelahanka, awoke to the sound of bulldozers and their homes being razed. Vessels, bedding, school bags, medicines, and documents lay scattered around or broken. While official figures state that 167 structures were removed, residents and petitioners report higher numbers. Beside the rubble, families assembled tarpaulin shelters. Residents say that for several days, makeshift solutions for water, toilets, and electricity were arranged and civil society groups provided temporary relief. Residents and civil-society groups also allege that there was no written notice before the pre-dawn demolitions. In the aftermath, it is unclear where people slept…
Beautiful Poem, one that I resonate with. I am a teacher in a primary school, and the first thing that happens whenever I enter a classroom is that at least ten students ask me for permission to go drink water / toilet. Reason? Other teachers refuse permission!
Some teachers believe that they are jailors and that school is a prison. No wonder all of us have so much educational trauma.
One of the most attractive and fulfilling chapters of the QMP programme I am into these days, deals with the educational trauma.
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