CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Shikshana, a non-profit organisation based out of Bangalore, is working towards improving the quality of education in government primary schools by participatory intervention. The representatives talk to the school administration, teachers and students about their opinion on how to make the learning effective. In some schools students are encouraged to perform through incentives. File pic: Padmalatha Ravi This approach is completely alien in a setting where schemes are made at the power centers and the benefits trickle down. ‘I've been working for twenty two years, and this is the first time someone has come asking for what I think', remarks…

First it was Aindrita Ray, who was crying on television accusing a veteran director of slapping her and touching her inappropriately. Then it was a seasoned and veteran actress Ramya, weeping on small screen to get her money from a producer who had not paid her dues. Then it was another super actress, Pooja Gandhi who threatened to take a producer to court and complained about harassment and threats to her life from another person in the industry. And more recently Nikitha Thukral, although was not seen crying in public, must have shed plenty of tears in private after receiving…

At Kalyana Mantapas and community halls around the city, Bengalis concluded Durga Puja celebrations on Oct 6th, Bijoya Dashami. A Brookefields event on Oct 5th attracted around 300-400 people. It was organised by the East Bangalore Cultural Association. Aarati preparations at the Brookefields event Oct 3rd. Pic: Rudreshwar SenAshtami, Oct 4th at Jayamahal. Pic: Rudreshwar SenAt the Brookefields event on Dashami. Pic: Rudreshwar SenBrookefields Idol. Pic: Rudreshwar SenNilanjana and Alakananda, Whitefield area Bengalis, after Sindoor Khela at Brookfields on Oct 6th. Pic: Rudreshwar SenSindoor Khela at Brookefields, near Whitfield. Pic: Rudreshwar SenThese saris are particularly meant for this occasion. Pic:…

"Next question, so why are we celebrating a Spanish festival in the first place? To foster bilateral relations with Spain? Definitely not; because it is loads of tangy fun. The whole idea of the Tomatina festival has been popularised by the Bollywood movie 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'. Haven't you watched it? The next thing you know you'll be asked to leave the country! Go catch it first thing this evening. The movie of course was immensely popular but even more fame was garnered by the sequence of the tomato festival where the three main leads of the movie; Hrithik Roshan,…

The waiting was over! .. after three long years, I boarded the British Airways flight, back home to Namma Bengaluru.  My thoughts now raced to the urban transformation that would welcome me home. Three years is not a long time to expect sea-changes in one's neighbourhood.  But, from what I had heard, I expected to view a few more concrete, ornamental, apartment blocks amidst some marvellous temple towers in modern day Malleswaram.I began to visualise my home city as a ‘motor-driven', ‘rock-king' place, heralding the 21st century charm as well.On the very second day I landed, I couldn't wait, but…

In an unprecedented decision on September 12th, the Principal Division Bench of the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka constituted by Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice H G Ramesh directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to stop construction of the controversial link road (approximately 4 kms. long) through the biodiversity rich, ecologically sensitive and verdant forest campus of the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra - University of Agricultural Sciences, in north Bangalore. Citizen resentment peaked in 2009 before the battle spilled over into the courts. Citizens protesting outside GKVK campus on Bellary Road in 2009. File pic: Save GKVK…

In the midst of Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement, an event of significant importance went unnoticed by citizens of Bangalore. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) presented the much delayed annual budget for the fiscal year 2011-12. A cursory look at the budget suggests that BBMP is in as much a mess as Satyam Computers was at the time of confession of fraud by its founder. Little wonder even after three weeks of release of the budget, it cannot be found on Palike website. Ramalinga Raju the founder CEO of Satyam Computers booked fictitious revenue to inflate profits of his company.…

"Be the change you want to see in the world" - M K Gandhi A friend of mine, talking about corruption once said, "India is like this only, we just have to flow with the tide... who has the time to spend... it's just not worth it". Another friend, a senior manager in a reputed company, talking as if corruption was a commodity, once said, "This is the going rate... what's wrong in paying?". Attempts to refute these statements and questions were resulting in long debates and at the end of it, strained relationships... so I breathed deeply and let…

"It can be presented as a speeding arrow reaching its target or as an intimate conversation between spouses." That's how R Visweswaran, veena maestro from Mysore describes naya or the rakthi raga Begada in his talk, "Classification of ragas as Ghana, Naya and Deshya ragas." He was speaking at  Shabda  an unusual performing arts event held recently at the Bangalore Gayana Samaja in Chamarajapet, recently. Shabda came into being when three carnatic musicians T M Krishna, H K Venkatram and R K Shriram Kumar met at the Music Academy canteen last December in Chennai. While T M Krishna and R…

Is it already six months since I began my iBrowse book club in the Catholic Club (CC)? The months seem to have flown by and there are a lot more readers coming in to enjoy a discussion and listen in to the guest author of the month! Author Gita Aramvudan with her books. Pic Courtesy: Marianne de Nazareth It all began really by default. Schonali Rebello began a book club called 'On the Same Page' and I joined along with other friends. Since the club did not have a fixed venue to meet in and was having the meetings in…