Articles by Manasi Paresh Kumar

A large number of civic and social organizations of Bengaluru are coming together to organize a unique ‘Beku Beda Santhe’ on October 15th, 2017 to commemorate the first anniversary of the Human Chain for the #steelflyoverbeda. That campaign saw a  saw massive outpouring of citizens, democratically expressing their demand. The #SteelFlyoverBeda movement inspired citizens to come together and exercise their right to actively participate in governance. The “Beku Beda Santhe” will serve as a platform for citizens from across Bengaluru to express what they want for their area and city (ಬೆೇಕು) and what they do not want for their area…

It seems an unlikely possibility at this time for Bengaluru to have a powerful and accountable Mayor who actually has a say in the way our city is run. This democratic innovation in local governance which has paid rich dividends around the world however hasn't caught the imagination of the public at large in our city. Blame it on political calculation or public aversion to voting in one more election (should we go down the path of having a directly elected Mayor), a change in this direction would herald a major change in the way power is decentralized in the…