GENRE: Voices

Silicon Plateau Volume 2 is a collection of essays where contributors responded to the question: what does it mean to be an app user today—as a worker, a client, or simply an observer? Stories about contemporary life in Bengaluru, of conversations spoken and typed, of deliberations and connections, through a simple a tap on our mobile devices find a place in this book.  This is edited by curator Marialaura Ghidini and artist Tara Kelton, and published by the Centre for Internet and Society, Bengaluru. Below is an edited excerpt from the book, from the chapter written by Nicole Rigillo, a…

Growing up in Delhi, I had fond memories of a summertime ritual.  It was called ‘tahalna’ or strolling, and basically, that’s all it was.  People would emerge from their homes for a leisurely walk after dinner and stay out till it was time to sleep.  There was always such an air of bonhomie in these nocturnal meetings.  Whole families would be outside on the roads, in the parks, or just sitting on the steps outside their homes. Most houses or apartments were planned either around or adjacent to a small neighbourhood park.  Kids would rush back to these parks to…

If you thought you were born in Ahmedabad, prepare to forget it soon. You need to get used to the identity crisis that could befall you when your birthplace suddenly becomes Karnavati. However, there is always consolation: Cousins from other cities might be sharing your distress. After all, Hyderabad is soon to become Bhagyanagar and Aurangabad will become Sambhaji Nagar. Would that really achieve anything? You may be mourning the expiry of a name that always reminded you of your first standard teacher, your grandparents' legacy or the first experience of flying kites in a steely wind. Then again, others may ask,…

[The article has been co-authored by Devanshi Chanchani, an independent social science researcher based in Bengaluru.] Poor air quality is a topic that is dominating minds and discourse throughout the country, especially now that winter is around the corner. To people with experiences from cleaner environments abroad, the contrast in air quality becomes ever more palpable and stark upon returning to India. To examine the possibilities of breathing healthy while on a visit to the city of Raipur, we decided to try out an air purifier from a company called Smart Air. The DIY Air Purifier from Smart Air appealed…

Fertile lands, adorned with lush paddy and coconut trees -- this is the picture that would flash before my eyes at the very thought of the Cauvery Delta districts in Tamil Nadu. But after I saw the impact of Cyclone Gaja’s wrath on these districts, the scene has changed completely. Uprooted trees and structures, damaged crops and inaccessible roads -- the aftermath of the cyclone has changed the geography of the delta, leaving thousands of citizens homeless. Cyclone Gaja swirled through Vedaranyam on November 16th, leaving the districts of Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Tiruchy and Dindigul in disarray. In a…

Translocation of trees has been hitting headlines these days a lot. The recent public statement by the Managing Director of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Ajay Seth that BMRCL will prioritise translocation, before deciding to fell any tree, is a ray of hope for citizens, at least along Metro alignments. Before going into the merits of translocation, compensatory planting and other issues, the question to ask is: does Bengaluru have enough trees for its size and population? No physical count of trees in the whole city has been done as yet, so we must look for other sources to…

When we think of development prospects in our country, our minds immediately go to urban development projects and recent missions like Smart City Mission, JNNURM and the like. Cities are described as growth engines of a country’s economy. However, what the urban-centric approach of development fails to acknowledge is the role of rural areas in the sustainable development of our nation. Most urban development projects provide for infrastructural needs of the cities but do not address the underlying issue. The ever increasing population of our country, and the increasing urbanization rate accompanied by increasing migration trends from rural areas has…

The recent movie Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shale Kasaragod gives an excellent insight into what’s wrong with the government education system. The infrastructure is under stress, teachers are underpaid, and the quality of learning is dismal. With the Right to Education process in place, admission to private schools is being preferred, resulting in limited demand for state-sponsored education. India may be spending 3% of its gross domestic product on education, but the impact of this expenditure is rarely seen. Karnataka government, over the past decade, has implemented many schemes to improve its schools. Through these schemes, spending on school infrastructure and…

Through a flurry of tweets recently, senior IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, affirmed that e-autos were the way forward to combat pollution and address the issue of last mile connectivity. Rao, who previously held the post of Transport Commissioner and Director, Security, Vigilance and Operations at the KSRTC  (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) says that a lack of imagination, coupled with a centralised approach, is what stops the administration from finding effective solutions to the transport nightmare of Bengalureans. Excerpts from his interview with Citizen Matters. How do you see electric technology working in the context of public transport? I have been…

In 2017, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reported that 425 million adults have diabetes worldwide and India alone harbours 73 million adults with diabetes. November 14 is observed as World Diabetes Day aimed at raising diabetes awareness and calling for urgent action to tackle the diabetes epidemic. Since 1991, each year World Diabetes Day is centered on a theme related to diabetes. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2018 (and 2019) is Family and Diabetes. A two-year timeframe has been chosen to best facilitate the two following aims through vigorous public campaigns: a) To raise awareness about the impact of diabetes…