GENRE: Explainers

On October 16, 2015, I came across a newspaper photo that left me aghast — women performing Chhath Puja in the frothing Yamuna River. Chhath Puja is an important festival for Hindus in Uttar Pradesh, beginning and ending with a dip in a water body. This festival is known to be one of the most eco-friendly celebrations among Hindus, involving rituals performed in natural settings, using natural materials, and respecting the environment. However, the sight of the river submerged in toxicity starkly contrasted with the nurtured love and respect for divinity in its natural form. The river languished in a…

In a recent incident, a 56-year-old woman died when the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted a drive to evict street vendors from a ‘no-hawking zone’ at the NSC Bose Road junction. According to news reports, the woman, M Krishnaveni, was trying to protect her wares during the eviction drive. This incident has sparked widespread concern and reignited discussions on designating vending and non-vending zones fairly. A series of such developments in Chennai have impacted both residents and street vendors. While residents raise issues like reduced walkability and increased garbage, vendors argue they need a proper space to sell their wares.…

While most apartment associations strive to manage their societies with the utmost care, accidents related to swimming pools or electrical safety can still occur. Unfortunately, there have been some tragic incidents due to electrocution, which included the loss of two children, one of whom succumbed to an accident in a swimming pool and the other whilst playing in the park. There was also another death of a man, who died while working in an apartment sump. These incidents underscore the critical importance of implementing stringent safety measures and conducting regular maintenance to prevent such tragedies. “In apartments, lifts are well…

A community swimming pool is one of the most pleasurable and easiest avenues of relaxation for most urban apartment dwellers today. And yet a number of very unfortunate incidents in the recent past have created grave concerns and stress around its use, maintenance and management. From Gurgaon to Hyderabad and of course, in Namma Bengaluru, several shocking incidents leading to fatalities in swimming pools have given a huge jolt to residents and management committee members. The biggest jolt, perhaps, came in the recent instance, where following the tragic swimming pool death of a nine-year-old child in one of Bengaluru’s apartments,…

Recent incidents of stray dog attacks have raised concerns about the safety of the elderly and children. On August 28th, a 76-year-old woman allegedly died in a ferocious stray dog attack in Jalahalli.  In another incident last month, a 40-year-old woman in Banaswadi was bitten by a stray dog. The video of this incident went viral on social media. As reported in the media, BBMP East Zone Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry) Mallapa Bhajantri said that they received information about the dog bite from another resident of Banaswadi, but have no details about the injured woman.  The Assistant Director also…

Recently, a social media post revealed the shocking experience of a woman, who found a mobile phone hidden in the waste bin in the washroom of one of the Bengaluru outlets of a popular cafe chain. The phone camera was reportedly pointed towards the toilet seat and was recording video. The cafe states that the staffer who planted the phone was terminated and legal action was initiated against him. In another, more recent incident, a hidden camera was found in the women’s washroom of a college in Andhra Pradesh. The videos recorded via it were allegedly circulated among male students…

In May this year, the 'deepfake' controversy took a grim turn and hit closer home, when AI-generated morphed photos of a class 9 student from a prominent public school in Bengaluru, was circulated on an Instagram account. The parents lodged a complaint with the cyber crime cell. This incident raised concerns about the growing threat and damaging effects of deepfakes, particularly revenge porn, on young adults. "Even as there were fears about deepfakes being used to subvert elections, it didn't pan out that way. Of greater concern is that 95-96% of deepfakes are used for pornography," says Jaspreet Bindra, founder…

On July 16, two minor boys driving an SUV on Pycrofts Road in Chennai's Royapettah, caused an accident with a two-wheeler, injuring two pedestrians. This incident occurred two months after a similar case in Pune, which drew nationwide criticism. In that case, the Juvenile Justice Board in Maharashtra granted bail to a teenager responsible for a car accident that killed two people, on the condition that he write a 300-word essay on road accidents and their solutions. "What about the families who suffer the loss of their loved ones killed in these accidents?" asks Mihika Gupta who lost her husband,…

Trash is mostly an afterthought when it gets taken away seamlessly. Like most residents, I follow the weekly trash routine without much thought. This system contrasts with my recent experiences in Chennai, where household waste segregation is more community-oriented, while civic authorities are largely responsible for collection and disposal of the waste in the city.  Compared to Chennai, Seattle has a smaller population, about 762,500. Chennai's population according to latest GCC data is about 7.1 million. In both Seattle and Chennai, the city government contracts with private companies to collect waste, and charges households a collection fee. In Seattle, unlike…

“Police are asking us to give a list of foreigners in our block. Did you all get a similar question? I find it strange and uncomfortable. They went to one of our resident's houses, who are Australians, and asked them to share their Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) details to a Whatsapp number. This includes Indians with foreign passports. Please let me know how you are tackling this issue." — This was a message posted by an RWA member on the Koramangala group last week. The reason behind the police asking for OCI details can be traced to an unfortunate incident…