GENRE: Voices

Buying your own house represents the pinnacle of a person’s success. Own housing represents stability and growth and a peaceful life, either individually or with a family. However, I have seen that the dream of being a homeowner is increasingly becoming elusive for many families, particularly in the capital city of Delhi, where I live. Delhi as an integrated economic powerhouse offers rich employment opportunities for everyone. Thousands migrate to Delhi each year with the hope of a better life and settle to have a fresh start. Many young students and professionals, who wish to enter the middle class, see…

பறவை அப்படினு நாம சொன்னதும் பறவைகள் எல்லாம் சுதந்திரமா எங்கவேண்ணாலும் போகலாம்,என்ன வேண்ணாலும் சாப்பிடலாம்னு பல கருத்து இருந்து வருது. இந்த உலகம் நமக்கானது மட்டுமேனு செயல்படுற ஆறு அறிவுகொண்ட மனிதர்களால அண்மைக்காலமா பறவைகள் படுற கஷ்டத்தை கொஞ்சம் சொல்லலாம்னு இந்த கட்டுரைய எழுத ஆரம்பிச்சேன். பறவை * குமரிஅம் பெருந்துறை அயிரை மாந்தி வடமலைப் பெயர்குவை ஆயின் * நம்ம வீட்டுக்கிட்ட இருக்க மரம், ஓடை, ஏரி , குளம், கடல், மலை, குன்று என எந்த இடமா இருந்தாலும், நாம பறவைகள பார்க்க முடியும், கருப்பு, சிவப்பு, சின்னது, பெருசு  அப்படி எந்த வேறுபாடும் இல்லாம ஒரே இடத்துல பல பறவைகள நம்மளால பார்க்க முடியும். இந்த மாதிரி என்னுடைய சின்ன வயசுல வேடந்தாங்கல் பறவைகள் சரணாலயம் போனப்போ தான் பல்லாயிரம் பறவைகளை பார்த்தேன். அட இவளோ அழகா இருக்கே, இவங்க எல்லாம் எங்க இருந்து வராங்க?, உணவு…

Wayfinding is part of global travel culture but in India it poses a serious challenge. Even in the era of national job mobility and a post-COVID tourism wave, governments don’t make it easy for people to find public places and essential facilities even in the biggest cities. Politicians are keen to provide clear pointers only to the next election. Maps online provide some guidance, but have nothing to say on the conditions on the ground. Try finding your way from Bengaluru’s bustling Majestic Namma Metro station to the City Railway Station just 200 metres away across the road. For a…

(In part 1 of the interview series, Lekha Adavi, member of the All India Centre of Trade Unions (AICTU), spoke about the effects of climate change on Bengaluru’s street vendors. In part 2, she highlights how The Street Vendors Act (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of street vending) 2014 falls short in its implementation) Excerpts: How do you engage with local authorities or municipal agencies to raise awareness of the challenges faced by street vendors during temperature surges? What responses or support do they provide? Lekha: Well, they don't respond to any of our demands. In Bengaluru, the BBMP elections…

In early January, Dahisar resident Pankati noticed garbage being thrown behind one of the electric junction boxes in Kandarpada, her neighbourhood. It had accumulated over a few weeks. This was not a garbage collection point and it used to be clean before. She decided to raise a civic complaint on that garbage issue using the ‘MyBMC Assist’ WhatsApp Chatbot, which is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Pankati, a volunteer with the Blue Ribbon Movement, found garbage being dumped behind an electric junction box in Khandarpada. Pic: Aniruddha Gaonkar After waiting for over a month, the garbage was still…

(This is part 1 of the interview with Lekha Adavi on the impact of climate change on Bengaluru's street vendors) On May 1st, while the world celebrated Labour Day, Bengaluru recorded its highest temperature in 40 years. With temperatures continually on the rise, one of the most affected groups are street and peripatetic vendors (vendors who operate on foot or with push carts). In this interview, Lekha Adavi, member of the All India Centre of Trade Unions (AICTU), talks about the effect of climate change on street vendors. Excerpts: Lekha Adavi, member of the All India Centre of Trade Unions…

Recently, two pet Rottweiler dogs attacked a five-year-old child and her mother in a  Corporation park in Nungambakkam, Chennai. Based on a complaint following the incident, police arrested the owners of the dog for negligence and endangering the lives of others (IPC Section 289 and 336). As General Manager-Administration of the Blue Cross of India, I have seen several Rottweilers over the years. While there are laws to address such situations, there needs to be adequate awareness among pet owners that dogs like Rottweilers should be taken for a walk only on a leash. A major portion of the responsibility…

(In part 1 of the series Srinivas Alavilli and Vikram Rai wrote about their experience of moderating the masterclass, 'Is there burnout in civic activism?’, at the India Civic Summit, organised by Oorvani Foundation. Part 2 covers the discussions and insights by the participants)  The 35 plus participants in the masterclass-'Is there burnout in civic activism?', at the India Civic Summit, organised by Oorvani Foundation, were divided into six groups, who shared their observations and solutions to civic activism apathy. While nine questions were put to vote, the following six got the maximum votes in the following order:  Is there…

There is a sense in our city that civic activism, which was once thriving with street protests and events and mass mobilisations like #SteelFlyoverBeda, is disappearing, particularly post COVID. 'Is civic activism dying?' – when we were asked to moderate a masterclass on this topic at the India Civic Summit, organised by Oorvani Foundation on March 23rd, it led to an animated discussion. We agreed that while the masterclass title has to be provocative, the ultimate objective is to understand the trends, get more people to become active citizens by sensing citizens' motivations and fears, and understand the role of…

The Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards are the primary custodians for preventing and controlling all forms of pollution in our country. Despite their significant role in environmental protection, the public is mostly unaware of the functions of these regulatory bodies, due to insufficient research. Therefore, we at Citizen consumer & civic Action Group (CAG) have attempted to understand the functions of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), through a study titled ‘The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in Retrospect: An Examination of Selected Parameters from 2017 to 2022.’ Read more: Fisherfolk lament as environmental…