CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Padme Float at the mirror pool at NGMA The first phase of Neralu, the three-day Urban Tree Festival, concluded at NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art) Bengaluru, on Sunday Fenruary 8th. Citizens of all ages participated enthusiastically in tree walks, listened to talks by naturalists and artists, and appreciated the movies, performances and street plays. At Neralu, children experienced the world of trees through animated storytelling sessions, tree journaling, and sketching workshops. The tree walk conducted for young adults from Samarthanam Trust for The Disabled emphasised the different ways in which trees can be perceived. Other highlights of the Tree…

In India, thousands of men and women are affected by sexual violence every year. In 2014, a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund revealed that 77 percent of young girls between 15 and 19 years of age were affected by rape, forced sexual intercourse, and physical abuse by partners. In Bengaluru alone, there has been an alarming increase in the number of cases of child sexual assault.  DURGA (Dare to Understand behaviour, Respond appropriately and Guard ourselves Ably) is a unique citizen’s initiative to help young women and girls harness important life skills to deter crime. By creating…

After close to four years of doing Mallathahalli to Bellandur in Bengaluru, and enduring much travails with BMTC’s 500K, my commute changed, for the worse. The workplace shifted to Mahadevapura and there was a whole new paradigm of traffic jams and pile-ups to deal with. I put my money on the bus route 333T, a Volvo service which runs from the BDA complex in Nagarabhavi to ITPL, cutting through the heart of the city, via Okalipuram, Majestic, Old Airport Road and then Marathahalli Bridge. I would get down at the bridge and hitch my way towards Mahadevapura in the perennial…

This post is my vent on the rotten experience we LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) consumers, in Bangalore, had to face due to Center’s decision of deciding to transfer our LPG subsidy to our bank accounts directly. This meant that our Aadhar number had to be linked to the LPG account and to the bank. Here, I have to mention this to Mr Nilekani: whatever might have been the noble intentions behind the Aadhar card, it was not done properly. We spent a lot of our precious time to get the card done, when it was introduced. We had to make…

In my earlier article dated August 19th, I had advocated the creation of a halt station on existing railway tracks, i.e. optimal use of resources, in turn saving our tax money. I would like to applaud Whitefield Rising for taking up this initiative and raising funds for the halt station. I was earlier requested to do a preliminary analysis by visiting sites at these locations, analyse feasibility and share my insights.  We should certainly go ahead with setting up halt stations between the junctions from Byappanhalli to IOL, Soukhya Spa (i.e. KIADB Phase II where there are warehouses). Often we just…

A gentleman inside a ladies toilet! Pic: Anisha Nair When was the last time you thought you had died and then managed to resuscitate your being? I experienced this painful process very recently. Here we were going from one place to another, and typically, the way it normally happens—without warning—my bladder started to constrict. This meant that I had to go and I had to go now! This also meant that I couldn't go anywhere and everywhere I pleased, the reason being that I'm not an Indian dog, neither am I an Indian man. I can't simply pull over to…

I am a teacher. I should teach all my subjects with equal vigor and ensure that all my students understand what I am trying to convey. I try my level best to be honest. However, one subject that always poses a challenge to me is - environmental studies. Yes, it is the easiest of all the subjects, but do try teaching ecosystem and different types of pollution to the undergraduate students in technical streams, you will end up with a room full of dozers! My first challenge hence was undoubtedly to see that students do not doze away while I…

“Grandma, I am here to tell you why you should be separating wet waste from dry waste. Do you know how many problems we are creating by not segregating?” And on it went from the mouth of a really animated Kavya, a 9th standard Doddanekundi Government School student. Government school students encouraging their neighbors to segregate waste. Pic: Yamini Chandrasekaran She was one among the 36 boys and girls who wandered around Doddanekundi village (in Bengaluru) on a Saturday morning (January 24th) urging shop keepers and fruit vendors, and all their neighbors to take care of their “Kasa” or garbage,…

A Jacaranda tree in bloom. Pic: Deepa Mohan The second edition of Neralu, a citizen-led Urban Tree Festival is being organised on February 7th, 8th and 14th February 2015 at multiple venues across Bengaluru. In the month of February, the city’s trees burst into spectacular blooms, and the play of colors continues through the year. Neralu, which translates to ‘shade’ in Kannada, has been planned to coincide with the blooming season in the city. It will bring citizens together to celebrate the garden city’s glorious natural heritage. Bound by a common love for trees Naturalists, ecologists, artists, technologists, storytellers, homemakers,…

  Neralu invites all schools to engage in an exciting project to explore the world of trees and connect with nature. These trees, stand tall as our silent neighbours, and bear within them endless stories to share. From measuring trees to painting a wall with trees, this could be a fun and informal way of learning about our city’s rich natural heritage.   We encourage each and every school in the city to register, pick a suitable activity from the list provided, execute it with the help of students, teachers and parents; document it, and share it back with us.…