CITIZEN JOURNALISM

When I grew up in my home state, Ajmer, Rajasthan, I used to go to my grandparent’s place, a small town in Rajasthan, during summer vacations in the 1990s. This place was self- sufficient at waste disposal as I would think most of India was at that time. There were no plastic bags, plastic bottles, single use plastic cups, cutlery etc. Whatever little waste that was generated in the kitchen was diligently put in a street sink— a big stone bowl where people can throw their kitchen wet waste for cattle to eat or drink from. The cows would come…

Voting in the largest democracy in the world holds great responsibility. The moment you press a button on the ballot, you become a part of those who choose to take the onus of moving their country forward. This election will be my first as a voter. In a democracy every citizen has a say in the governance of the nation. But 1.44 billion people cannot all be directly a part of the government. So we choose a few people, who will represent us and our interests— expecting them to meet the needs of the many. As a child, my knowledge about…

As election fever peaks in India, public attention is typically focussed on top leaders and the race for power in high profile urban constituencies. At Citizen Matters, our election coverage has been designed to cut through unnecessary noise and empower readers with whatever they need to make informed electoral decisions. To that end, we encourage reportage on real issues within constituencies and the roles and performance of elected representatives and candidates. Earlier this year, Oorvani Foundation had collaborated with Youth ki Awaaz to host a Civic Journalism Training Programme, where young aspiring citizen journalists attended discussions and workshops on governance,…

On a road as busy as the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), there are many challenges residents and commuters face because of bad road infrastructure — some of these include the increased risk of accidents and traffic hold-ups that come with potholes. On discovering and using the ‘Namma Saalai’ app to fix potholes on the OMR, we, at the Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA) decided to bring awareness about the app. We not only posted about it on our X (Twitter) account, @fomrra, but also encouraged and educated several RWAs to use the app and benefit from it. The above stretch, a…

Bardhaman town, renowned for its Bengali sweets like mihidana and sitabhog, is also famous for its rich tapestry of folk culture and heritage sites. The town has immense potential for tourism. But the question arises, how much of it has been explored?   This article aims to shed light on Bardhaman's historical sites, the initiatives to promote tourism while addressing the civic issues hindering its progress, and highlight the need to balance tourism with sustainable development.  Heritage sites of Bardhaman Sher Afghan’s tomb  Located beside Pir Beharam, close to Rajbati, lies the  tomb of Sher Afghan, the resting place of the last…

With the Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, citizen groups of Mumbai North East Parliamentary constituency in Govandi have been organising awareness camps for voters. These efforts are for those in the area, who feel disconnected from voting, or feel that they do not know enough. They have been organised by groups, which have established themselves in the area through years of social service related activities, including Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum, Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society, Al-Khidmat vyapari Associations and many more. By conducting election awareness programs and voting camps, these organisations aim to increase voter turnout, empower citizens…

In December 2021, the Tamil Nadu government introduced the Nam Kudiyiruppu Nam Poruppu scheme for residents living in low-income, government housing and resettlement sites managed by the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB). In this scheme, residents form associations to oversee the maintenance of these sites, with the intention of transferring ownership of their living spaces back to them. This move is significant, especially for the resettlement sites, considering the minimal consultation and abrupt evictions relocated families have faced during the process. What the scheme entails The scheme also aims to improve the quality of living in these sites.…

If you have travelled on the new Airport Road to or from Bengaluru, you would see the quarried hill in Bettahalasur, a village near the outskirts of the city that looms large on the westward horizon. Abutting this quarry is the old village of Hunasamaranahalli, now part of Bengaluru’s peri-urban area. In a narrow lane in Hunasamaranahalli, there is an open well. This is its story. At a time of an acute water crisis, this story holds many lessons for us in Bengaluru. From quarry to community: The story of an open well A couple of years ago, Hunsmaranahalli and…

Murshidabad was once the capital of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa and was known as the abode of Nawabs. But the present reality is different — one of the minority-dominated districts of West Bengal, it is now labelled ‘backward.’ The district does not even have a full-fledged university.  The district lags in socio-economic terms due to the lack of employment opportunities. One part of Murshidabad relies on agriculture, while the other depends on migrant labour. Consequently, many workers in the district are forced to migrate to other States for sustenance. Murshidabad has the highest percentage of workers from Bengal, who are…

The way the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was conducted in Tamil Nadu, especially in Chennai, has laid bare the lacunae in the system. For residents, who were not able to cast their votes despite having valid Voter ID cards, it seemed nothing short of a sham. Every time before the elections, the electoral rolls are updated by Election Commission of India (ECI) officials. Instead of deputing people who are working full-time within the ECI, the work is outsourced to government employees drawn from schools, colleges or other agencies. These ECI staff, who come from distant locations,…