GENRE: Features

Some years back, a couple of low intensity bombs ripped through the Tirumani railway station near Chengalpet, causing substantial damage to the station master’s room. The authorities came to know that another one was ticking somewhere in the vicinity and called in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Bomb Disposal Squad to handle the situation. Within minutes, Brooks, a male Labrador, jumped into action. The station was evacuated. Brooks sniffed around the station frantically before sitting down unexpectedly. It was a hint for his master A R R Ravi, an RPF official. Brooks had located the third bomb and it…

During Unlock 1.0, a family of two, who had been stuck out of state, arrived in Chennai. The very next morning they heard their doorbell ring. It was Vijay. He had come to enquire about their well being. Once Vijay came to know they had travelled last evening, he promptly took their details and stuck a green sticker given by the Corporation on their door, stating that members of this family would be under home quarantine. He briefed them on what to do for the next 14 days, while they would remain quarantined. Over the next 14 days, Vijay would…

Even when the howling wind and torrential rain brought by Cyclone Amphan was causing havoc around her on May 20, Sabita Sardar was not afraid. “We are used to dealing with bad weather. I wasn’t feeling scared. In fact, those who live in concrete homes were more scared,” she said. For 40 years now, Sabita has been living on the streets of Gariahat, a popular market area in south Kolkata. That day, when the super cyclonic storm passed through West Bengal’s capital city, Sabita and a few other homeless women sat huddled together in her tricycle cart under the Gariahat…

In an era of vanishing footpaths and widening carriageways, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has been introducing a host of initiatives prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users — giving these social heroes their due. From adopting a progressive policy that makes walking and cycling its priority in 2014, to rigorously implementing the policy through its Chennai Street Design Project and the Smart City Mission over the last five years, the city has been transforming itself from a car-centric to a people-friendly city. Scaling up the street transformation work in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation launched the Chennai Mega Streets…

For Ghulam Ahmed Mir, owner of a provision store on Residency Road, Lal Chowk, pulling up the shutters of his shop on June 14th, was like a dream come true. But tears filled Mir’s eyes as soon as he stepped into his shop for the first time in 85 days. Rats and insects had wreaked havoc inside. Packets of biscuits, chocolates, coconut, atta, dry fruit and other grocery items were strewn on the floor. “The rats and insects have tasted everything and wasted everything for me,” said a tearful Mir. As the clock struck 9 on the morning on June…

Exactly a week before Srinagar reported its first COVID-19 case on March 19th, Junaid Azim Mattu, the flamboyant mayor of Srinagar chaired a high-level meeting with medical experts and senior officials of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), to frame the strategy to fight the spread of the deadly pandemic. Immediately after the meeting, he announced his first decision: closure of all schools and colleges across Srinagar. The announcement triggered a hot debate in the J&K administration and was opposed by the then divisional commissioner of Kashmir Basser Khan. But the same evening, the mayor’s decision was formally accepted and extended…

  “Art is art for all of us. It is high time that artistes, organizations which give them a platform and other stakeholders come together and chalk out an action plan.” So spoke Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Padma Vibhushan and Rajya Sabha MP at a recent Webinar on ‘Economics of Performing Arts’, hosted by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Art (IGNCA) on Art and Culture in today’s Coronavirus affected scenario.  COVID-19 is undoubtedly going to have an indelible impact on the country’s art and culture scene. Amongst the worst-hit, besides migrant labourers, are the folk, tribal and casual artists…

The recently released Tamil film on OTT media, ‘Ponmagal Vandhal’,  draws attention to the issue of increasing incidences of child sexual abuse and ends with a strong message about Childline 1098 as well as POCSO, timing well with the increase in child abuse during the lockdown period.  With studies (Child Abuse Study 2007 by Government of India) showing that 1 in 2 children in India experience some form of sexual abuse, it is critical that measures for prevention of child sexual abuse be taken up not just by the government but also by other stakeholders at the ground level, which…

It is always heartbreaking to cancel weddings. The pandemic imposed lockdown has forced hundreds of would-be couples to postpone their big event to some time later next year. At the same time, a significant new trend has also emerged during the crisis -- that of lockdown weddings. Given the uncertainty over when things will be back to normal, many refused to suspend their plans indefinitely and went ahead and took the plunge, although with a downsized wedding that was practically possible and that satisfied social distancing requirements and other norms of the times.  Jagan G and Gowri Gnanasambanthan fell in…

With nearly one-third of the world’s population under lockdown, once busy roads and streets are now empty, and public transit ridership as well as train and air travel have dropped significantly. The pandemic has slowed down the use of transportation systems and infrastructures. Under these circumstances, transport infrastructure and services around the world are being modified for reduced demands and to meet COVID-related safety standards. But some cities are going as far as to find entirely new ways to continue using existing transportation infrastructure. Adaptive reuse is the process of converting a building or structure to serve a function other…