CITIZEN JOURNALISM

I hit the campaign trail this morning to see for myself what voters feel. Earlier this week, the idea popped in my head that I should step beyond the smug cocktail circuit to revisit the grassroots election campaign. I have not done this for over a decade, and I feel that I have to observe first hand these elections that have thrown up so many vexatious questions that no party is able to answer. I am also curious to see if campaigning has changed now – what with a new breed of candidates, and more questioning constituents. AAP volunteers at…

The essential characteristic of the world of the Blind or visually impaired is darkness in varied degrees. How well do we, the sighted, comprehend this world? What is it like to dance, sing, laugh, eat and cry in the dark? Prevention of Blindness Week, observed during the first week of April, highlights the key needs and efforts to address the challenges confronting visual impairment in the country. Activities as part of Prevention of Blindness Week The Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and The Eye Foundation’s planned activities during the forthcoming week, however, promise a lot more and are a cause…

I have been working closely with the door-to-door collection in our ward, with the residents on the one hand, the garbage collectors and the BBMP officials on the other hand. There is one question that always comes up within a few minutes of interaction. Who do we call, if the auto guy does not turn up for collection? If a house in our street is not segregating? if somebody is found dumping? If the sweeper is burning leaves? If the black spot near my house is not cleared? A dump in Malleshwaram Pic: Ramesh Sreekantan A simple enough question —…

These days, news reports in Bengaluru regularly talk of some good work done by or statements from the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka. He is getting excellent coverage for right reasons. He has been strict and vigilant about malpractices in light of electoral code of conduct. He is acting boldly, befitting his position. I admire this. In Bangalore alone 8.08 lakh new voters were enrolled in about 45 days, since February 1. This is laudable. On National Voters Day (25 Jan 2014) President of India honoured him for achieving the highest Elector to Population ratio. When we bask in these…

We are now descending into Bangalore International Airport, temperature 20 degrees, clear skies. Music to my ears. I step out of the plane and watch as the crowd rushes to claim their baggage. Each one trying to catch up with the person ahead of them. I join them in their little race. l look at the transparent door ahead of me, the only thing separating you and me now. Miles and miles now reduced to a few metres and a transparent door. I realise how much I’ve missed you. That I crave you like a bird craves the sky, like…

Lakes in Bengaluru invoke the same awe as does the Ganga at Varanasi or the Yamuna in Delhi. Indeed lakes are very special to the city of Bangalore. Without any river passing by, lakes were the natural source of water for the plateau, now called Bangalore. Lakes have been the lifeline of the city and its surroundings till recently. Credible accounts exist as to how the Sankey Tank served as a source of drinking water till quite recently. The dependence on the lakes started easing in the sixties, thanks to bountiful supply from the Cauvery.   Bangalore has grown exponentially…

630 am, the sun rises, and suddenly there is activity. A gaunt man in a white shirt and dhoti emerges from a dilapidated colonial bungalow and sets up a tea stall outside the Coconut Grove restaurant, and soon there is a swarm of customers huddled together in the morning cold. Security guards, street sweepers, sanitation workers, newspaper delivery men suddenly materialize. V and X desperately need a chai. They blend in, making small talk with this motley group – there is a certain warmth among the customers of a roadside tea-stall in the morning quiet, and V and X were…

Pic: WCG Avenue trees have provided unconditional shade and shelter, not only to fauna and avi-fauna, but also to human beings from time immemorial. We have depended on these old pillars of nature who've existed for centuries. Today we might not feel the need for them, because we have air-conditioned environments inside cities; but they continue to give so much to the living world around.   To ensure that we are reminded of the presence and importance of trees, the Wildlife Conservation Group (WCG), a local group interested in conservation, is organising a Tree Documentation event on March 8th and…

Pic: Huda Jaffer Drum beats and illuminating LED bulbs powered by the sun... do they have anything in common? Naah, nothing! Ponder over it for a minute. How are drums made? The typical response would be that the workers gather raw materials, add their labour and voila, the drums are ready.  Here we have workers who actually make drums under light bulbs powered by solar panels. Isn’t that exciting? Eco-friendly drums! A 500 year old craft In Thannisandra, a locality of Bengaluru, there is a small community of Mirasis living under the roof of tarpaulin tents. The Mirasis are a…

Students of St Mark's Public School at the Road Safety Campaign. Pic: Ravikala Baliga Children crusade for road safety Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) children believe that ‘Change begins with each one of us’!  The Game Changers Civic Club of St. Marks Public School is one among the many member school clubs of the CMCA who stand by this belief.  Students of this club are a bunch of enthusiastic teenagers, who yearn to bring about a positive change in themselves, and inspire and transform citizens of their community and the city. Towards this endeavour to make a difference, the…