Articles by Pushpa Achanta

An Act that entrusts commoners with the authority to question the government and its actions. The only legislation that stipulates a response time of 30 days (48 hours in the case of human rights violations). A fairly inclusive law that was created with the involvement of social workers, ordinary people, non-governmental, community based and grassroots organizations.We learnt this and more during an invigorating session on the "Introduction to Right to Information Act" that lasted three hours and a half (an hour longer than originally planned) and left us hungry for more. Organized by the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) in…

Trees being felled or the remains of cut trees have sadly become an increasingly common sight in the garden city of Bangalore nowadays. Some of us have questioned, protested or expressed our indignation in various ways at these appalling and often baseless actions by the government. A few have tried to compensate this loss by planting trees elsewhere after ensuring feasibility. Such indiscriminate tree felling that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) 'authorities' have undertaken irked Vikram Simha, a well known Right to Information (RTI) activist in Bangalore with the Mahiti Hakku Adhyan Kendra (MHAK) and a lover of trees.…

Children in are particularly vulnerable to abuse, violations and trauma. Such situations need expert help. Though the police department could help, particularly in cases of abandoned, exploited, trafficked or runaway children; but many prefer not to approach it right away. Here's a guide with details of the various organizations and agencies in Bangalore for children at risk or those needing temporary or prolonged support. At present, it does not include details of services for differently-abled kids or adoption. Street Children at the Cubbon Park, Bangalore Pic: Pushpa Achanta. Although, the law in India defines children as those aged 14 years…

On Gandhi Jayanti, as I was walking past the United Theological College (UTC) on Millers Road, I was delighted to see a banner regarding its centenary celebrations still displayed. Although I was aware that this renowned institution turned a hundred in July 2010, I was unable to participate in any of the relevant events. Curious to know what was on that afternoon, I entered the green and serene campus. The helpful security guard and a staff member directed me to the large group of Mizo youth (our siblings from the state of Mizoram) chatting and playing merrily. Learning that there…

Where is the world's highest motorable road? And the nectar of seabuckthorn (better known as Leh berry)? In Leh, Ladakh, obviously! As many of us know, recently, terrible landslides and flash floods devastated this exotic part of India. Some of us have heard, seen and read heart rending accounts of the resulting death and destruction. And probably want to reach out to the people there. Feeling the same, a group of five friends in Bangalore, namely, Manjari Ranasaria, Christina Daniels,  Lakshmi Karanth, Swathi Chaturvedi and Mayur Jain pondered about various ways to do that. Not wanting to ask people for…

A childhood's memories Of looking and waiting For something exciting From the grove of coconut trees A busy woodpecker An agile tree climber Two young boys Who made little noise If we missed these We simply counted the trees What rekindled these memories Was Visthar's coconut trees! Situated in an eco-friendly campus in Dodda Gubbi off the Hennur Road in east Bangalore, Visthar is a treasure trove of nature's bounty that drives one to reflect inwards while celebrating life. A veritable hub of socio-cultural and environmental consciousness this organization turned twenty one recently. Famous for hosting annual festivals and events that…

We usually notice them at construction sites of private or commercial buildings or public infrastructure projects. They often speak different dialects of Telugu, Oriya, Hindi or a mix of these or other languages. And their kids (sometimes only partly clad) play in the sand or water lying around. A few of them live in tin shacks, thatched huts or tarpaulin tents nearby. Or in similar accomodation by the roadside elsewhere, commuting in open trucks or by walk to their place of work. These people are among those categorized as the unorganized sector. And are typically daily or weekly wage labourers…

UNITES Professionals is perhaps the first and only registered union for employees in the IT (Information Technology) and ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services or Business Process Outsourcing) industry in India. The organization is working on better work environment and setting standards in the industry Karthik Shekhar (L). Courtesy: Karthik Shekhar. With its headquarters in Bangalore, UNITES Professionals has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata. Pushpa Achanta interviewed Karthik Shekhar, the General Secretary of UNITES Professionals over email. Tell us more about UNITES? UNITES Professionals strives to create a distinct and cogent link between employers and employees…

On 30th May 2009, a coalition of various Civil Society Organizations (CSO's) in Bangalore launched a Right to Information (RTI) clinic between 2.00 PM and 4.00 PM in Cubbon Park (opposite the Bangalore Press Club entrance). Held at the same time and location on the last Saturday every successive month, this initiative will complete a year on May-29-2010. The primary objective of these free entry sessions is to share success stories in using the RTI Act for public benefit. Nearly four hundred persons have approached the CSO's through the clinics and elsewhere. This is encouraging everyone involved to continue spreading…

In what may perhaps rank as the first budget proposal of its kind, Citizen's Voluntary Initiative of the City (CIVIC) in association Jago  submitted a Participatory Budget Proposal of Sagayapuram (ward number 60) to B  Palaniammal, the councillor of the ward, in an event held on Friday, May 7th.The budget proposal is for the year 2010-11 The meet was held at  Alphonsus High School Hall on Davis Road from 4.30 to 6.30 pm. Jago is a seven year old coalition of Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWA’s) and Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) in Bangalore East.“This activity must be replicated in each ward…