Blogs

We have a lot of issues in our neighborhood that can be solved by good governance. We have learnt that the only way to make improvements is by steadily increasing accountability of those in power. Active, engaged, informed, and vigilant citizens who vote determine who gets in power and what the outcome is. We remain non partisan and will not tell you who to vote for. Having helped thousands in Mahadevpura get on the voter rolls this year, we now share a summary of the  very successful "Meet Your MP Candidates" event held on April 14, 2019.  Who are they and what did they say? Click here to read…

There are two unconnected areas where I see unethical and unchecked profiteering going on; I came across one because of having to buy two sets of books, notebooks and other school materials for my grandchildren, and the other, when I made a rare visit to a mall with friends. Schools should practice what they preach, and recycle books from one set of students to the next set who follow them. But instead of doing this, they make a package deal of books, notebooks and art and craft material, which it is mandatory for parents to buy. I think the total…

The Graphite India #AirPollution campaign - NGT upholds KSPCB CLOSURE order from 2012!  Following the Supreme Court order, where Graphite India was recognized as a polluter under the Polluter Pays Principal, the complainants continued their case in the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The hearing was on Monday, Jan 28th, 2019. The four judge bench listened to the complainants' side of the story, poured over the Appellate Authority ruling from 2013, and fully overturned it! The Principal Bench of NGT called the majority opinion of the appellate court ‘presumptuous’, and instead accepted the dissenting judgment, which pinned pollution on Graphite India. Dissenting Judge Lawrence…

Does your maid experience any violence at home? Maybe it is not violence but just abuse? Or alcoholism ? Is your co-worker struggling to make sense of her spiraling marriage? Is your neighbor feeling unwanted, disrespected or manipulated? We finally have an answer after years of not being able to effectively help women reaching out to us having experienced violence of some sort. The term violence seems to suggest physical harm - but emotional and mental harm are equally harmful and people need to be helped. It is to address this very issue that we have begun helping an increasing…

Community Awareness and Outreach March was the month of many firsts for Bembala. Bembala’s community outreach initiative “Bol Sakhi” organized its first event with nearly 30 Pournakarmikas (street sweepers) and an awareness talk with the parents at the Samriddhi Trust Bridge School. We also had our first pop up at Indus International School -Bangalore (IISB) Bol Sakhi was a heartwarming gathering where the volunteer survivors shared their own stories, which highlighted different forms of abuse creating awareness. This forged a connect that women’s experiences of violence cuts across all socio-economic barriers and encouraged the ladies to empathize and share their thoughts on abuse…

It is that time of season again when we get to take a Report Card on the performance of our MP candidate and select one from those now standing for election based on who we feel would best represent us in the Lok Sabha. A total of 34 candidates have filed for nomination for the MP election for Bangalore Central - You can see the list here. Million Voter Rising team supported by all citizen groups across Mahadevapura, has been working the past three years to create awareness about the issues, and assist all eligible citizens to become registered voters. We now cordially…

The Erin Brokovich like story of the common man taking on a Graphite Electrode producing factory that polluted. This is the incredible story of a 40 year old, Rs 9000 crore, private graphite polluting factory in Mahadevpura A 10 year legal battle for residents of Ferns Paradise 1 student project A large citizens campaign A Supreme Court judgement A win for citizens with the factory shut down! Read More here for the full story. There is a big learning from this journey. If you are keen to take on a challenge, read more to understand what worked. Media Mentions: 1. Times of India - Battle for Whitefield 2. The Hindu - NGT…

On the butterfly group that I belong to, one member told us about the Bear Rescue Centre (BRC) at Bannerghatta, and asked for volunteers.It was then decided that several of us would visit the Centre and then decide on who would be able to volunteer. Since the Centre personnel wanted only 15 participants in each group, two groups of 15 members each were constituted. One group visited on Saturday, the 16th of March, and the other on Saturday, the 23rd of March. I was with the second group, and my anticipation was not disappointed. The visit to the Centre, which…