City: Chennai

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V. Balakrishnan IPS, popularly known as 'Balky', is one of Chennai city's top cops. A student of Mass Communication, he understands the power of communication and the role of media thoroughly and uses the might of social media to keep the people appraised of what goes on in his precinct. Women's safety is a subject close to his heart and he sat down for a chat with Citizen Matters one afternoon, discussing various aspects of it. Q. Is the city becoming more unsafe for women? Actually, if you look at the statistics, there is no actual increase in crime against…

Does it not bother you that Chennai is the 'accident capital' of India? And according to some reports, we have the second highest number of road accidents in the WORLD, after the Brazilian city of Fortaleza! In the year 2015 alone, official records indicate that over 850 people died in traffic accidents. This is likely to be lower than the real figure, since several instances are not reported to the police, and also does not include instances where the person was injured and succumbed to it subsequently. The list of disturbing statistics is almost endless. Over 40% of the casualties are…

How Chennai’s famous Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha Took Roots When a few disturbed individuals met around a couple of years back, it started a chain of events that seemed like Lego blocks falling in place. When I use the word 'disturbed', I mean disturbed by many happenings around us. All of us just could not fathom how some people could be termed superior or inferior to others. And just as much, how certain arts could be termed superior or inferior to others. We decided to do something about it. And that was the birth of the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha.…

My Experience volunteering for Vegam 2016 It's been two weeks, but the excitement and the spirit of volunteering for Vegam hasn't faded. July 16th was a big day for all the 1180 differently abled students, who participated in a Sports Event or Athletic Meet held successfully at the grand Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. "Vegam" is an annual athletic Meet for differently-abled children organised by Chennai Social Service (CSS), a volunteering organization working for the socially backward people over the last 10 years. Apart from this event, Red Drops, Nalanda, Environmental Care, Aravanaippu and V-Scribe are some of the initiatives from CSS.…

Lessons I Learnt While Dealing with my Father’s Cancer Treatment Six months ago, my father was diagnosed with grade 3 squamous cell carcinoma - that’s the fancier name for oral cancer.  Since that day, life has not been the same for me and my family.  When they say there is life before cancer diagnosis and a life after, you better believe it. There are bunch of things I learnt, while my father was being treated for it – think of this as a ready-reckoner to take care of a cancer patient. I will pray to God that you won’t ever…

New campaign eyes a Hepatitis C-free Chennai It is not one of those killers that are widely discussed or feared by the masses, but an estimated 80,000 people in Chennai currently live with the insidious Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), one of the leading causes of liver cancer. What is even more alarming is that a majority do not even know that they have it. The good news, however, is that it may not be long before the city witnesses a new programme in action, that could well set an example for the world in how to effectively rid geographies of…

WOMEN’S SAFETY – A LONG WAY OFF? I was walking home from the grocery store in my neighbourhood of R.A Puram the other day, when the driver of a passing rickshaw stuck out his tongue and made an obscene gesture at me. I was stunned. For less than a second though, after which I started laughing, highly amused. I suppose I should have been offended. But it happens so often that I have learnt to ignore it and laugh at it, indirectly allowing it to persist, not just with me but with scores of other women in the city. I…

Of Dog Owners, Dog Lovers and Dog Poop – an ANGRY citizen I like dogs. I like people. I am a really nice person. Sweet tempered and non confrontational – This is a fact even if it sounds like I am boasting. But I have been pushed to say this - I don’t like people who like dogs but don’t like people. I wish they would live on another planet. You can make these “types” out from their actions. When you visit them, they will say, ”Timmy won't do anything to you, he will just come and smell you, lick…

For over 10 weeks now, Friday after Friday, volunteers from CTC and other organisations, have been tirelessly cleaning up the Adyar river, inside the Theosophical Society grounds. While it is distressing to see the amount of garbage they have cleared from this verdant expanse, arguably Chennai's lungs, the commitment and enthusiasm of the volunteers is amazing! Here are some images from the clean up over the weeks.