Blogs

Yesterday I saw this group of men, in a tea-shop, playing this traditional "Ludo"-like game, which is called "Gatta": The game can go on all day, pausing while the players transact their business.  And later in the day, found this little boy running his tyre-hoop along the road...It's niee to see the pastimes that date to a time without electricity...without which we city-dwellers can't seem to survive even for five minutes!⊕

A driver takes a break from his hectic work life. Maybe driving in Bangalore's traffic got to him.  Pic by Ravi Kaushik. ⊕

Citizens living within city limits often castigate BBMP and other local authorities for long delayed public works and amenities. The JP Nagar underpass is a classic case of BBMP's inability to fix what has gone wrong and reach the finish line.But it needs to go on record that India's transportation giant, Indian Railways, arguably with far greater resources and expertise at its disposal, has recently been responsible for a disastrous project in Northeast Bangalore.In response to a gridlocked railway level crossing at the Whitefield Railway Station in Kadugodi, the Railways responded in 2006 with an overbridge contract. The Railways runs…

Recently staged at the JP Nagar-based Ranga Shankara, Naariyal Paani is a production of the group Our Theatre. Directed by Sandeep Shikhar, the play is basically like a monologue where the character narrates his love story to the audience. He is interrupted by two characters - a tabla player and a guitarist. The tabla player, enacted by Santosh Satavailli, represents the protagonist's physical presence. The guitarist, on the other hand, represents the rest of the universe. Vivek Vijayakumaran plays the protagonist. His constant rubbing-hand-against-thigh act was fun to watch. For me, however, it was guitarist Anupam Roy who stole the…

Early last week, I heard of the consultation with children and other stakeholders to frame guidelines on play spaces in Bangalore's parks that BBMP had approached Kilikili to help develop. I was glad that this event included kids but expected adults to hog the limelight. So, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the latter, namely, Kavita Ratna and Roshni Nuggehalli from the Concerned for Working Children, Prarthana Unkalkar of iVolunteer Bengaluru, Usha Bala from the Association of People with Disability, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy and Kanika Mittal of Kilikili, Joy Srinivasan from Makkala Jagriti, Amrutha, a consultant for children with autistim and other…

"[SIC]"AtRanga Shankara , J.P.NagarJan 14th, Thu & Jan15th, Fri (7:30 PM) Telebooking : 9880036611 / 9845017975 (Rs 150/Ticket)Online Booking : www.indianstage.inTicket Outlets : Ranga Shankara & K.C Das, St. Mark's RdABOUT THE PLAY : sic (adv.): thus, so.[sic] takes place primarily in the doorways and shared hallway of three neighbouring apartments. Meet Theo, the desperate & edgy amusement park ride theme music composer, the struggling and ever-broke writer Babette, and Frank, the queer, happy-go-lucky aspiring auctioneer. See them humorously trudge through the haunting morass of everyday drudgery and the biting emptiness of big city life. Watch, as the three of…

When I went to the IISc (Indian Institute of Science) campus, I was meeting a couple of cyclists there, so, while walking with me, Pradeep B V pointed out a red-and-yellow cycle that was sailing past us."That's the initiative of the IISc campus, one which our cycling community particularly likes," he said. He explained that every year, outgoing students dump the cycles that they use while here...and the present students had the great idea of painting them yellow-and-red, and allowing anyone to use them on the campus!If you see a red-and-yellow cycle anywhere in the IISc grounds, you can use…

There are many ways to get away from the bustle of Bangalore city. One of the greenest options is to spend a quiet afternoon at Bannerghatta amongst the birds and beasts.   ⊕

During the October RTI clinic at Cubbon Park, I met Jacob P (name changed to protect identity), a private sector employee who participated in the September edition for the first time. After that, he has never missed a clinic and has been updating me on the status of his applications regularly. "The commitment and enthusiasm of some of the RTI activists I met during the clinic inspired me to use the Act in public interest. I have told one of my friends about what I saw and heard and hope to bring him along next time", said Jacob. In October…

As we begin the New Year with our 25th issue, it's time to celebrate as well as reflect. The journey thus far has been enjoyable and rewarding. We have received praise from Bangaloreans, as well as those elsewhere.  With recognition by Mint Business newspaper in 2008 and BBC in 2009, we have been accepted by citizens as well as other media as a credible source of pathbreaking local journalism.Nevertheless challenges remain. As we endeavour to inform, interest, and involve, we too encounter apathy and stonewalling.  Unhelpful government officials, unprofessional ministers and MLAs and even unethical community groups are part of…