GENRE: Voices

World water day at Rainbow Drive layout, March 22nd  Is there any other better way to celebrate world water day than at Rainbow Drive (RBD) layout in Bengaluru? Rainbow Drive has been a pioneer in many good practices towards water sustainability, and this was one such occasion which provided an opportunity to celebrate that spirit of working towards water self-sufficiency. The involvement of the young generation in taking photographs and developing a movie on the good practices followed in the community, the residents themselves talking about the current practices and interventions around solid waste management, recharge wells, rainwater harvesting, etc. made…

Guiana chestnut | Pachira aquatica Now that's a sight worth spending a morning for, isn't it? This is how it came about. Nidhi Chawla and Reshmi Chakraborty, who founded an online magazine for seniors, asked me to conduct a nature/birding walk in Lalbagh, and I readily agreed. I've taken many mixed groups, but this would be the first time it would be an only-seniors group. I carefully thought out a trail that would touch on the iconic sights in this wonderful city garden, and yet would not tire our older friends. We started at the iconic tower of Kempegowda, and…

Over the years, I have had one debate repeatedly - is 'solving public problems' worth anything politically? I think so, and pretty much all of what I think is political in my life revolves around this thinking. I like the idea of solving problems, I believe it excites those who try, and is a real contribution to tackling the problems the country faces. That's why, day in and day out, I talk about problems and their solutions - especially in cities. The argument I have heard the most against this, is that this is not political enough. Winning elections takes…

We stood around quietly, my brother and me, as Amma and Maami negotiated with the guys in the shop. The shop had bales and bales of cotton strewn all over the 10ftx10ft area, and housed three or four guys, in various stages of labour. After much bargaining from our side and patronising from theirs, we took home a pillow. It was grey with golden-yellow lines crisscrossing each other at right angles and turning black where they met. That night, my brother and I fought for rights to use the new pillow. Mysore Bedding and Furnishing. Pic: Vaidya R The place, Mysore…

Looks can be very deceiving. Pic: Eden Ezsak When people ask about my daily discoveries in Bengaluru, I have a hard time recalling what I still find surprising in India. After two months, I have moved past the innumerous cows that so nonchalantly add to the congestion on the Bengaluru roads. The symphony of barking dogs, shouts, calls to prayer, traffic and endless horns has drifted quietly into the background of my consciousness. I no longer feel like rickshaw rides are similar to my childhood experiences at amusement parks. The perpetually burning mound of garbage near my apartment has become…

I come from a family that can only be described as bonkers. Come April, amma would ask (I wish I could capture the exact tone of the original Tamizh in English; alas, it’s not to be!), “All right. When does your drama start?” Fact was that come May, I would suddenly, without any preamble or warning, fall ill with high temperature – ague, the works. Standard Operating Procedures would kick in with clockwork precision. I would gather up all the blankets and rugs I could find, make a multi-layered protective covering with them, and go to bed, shivering. I would…

File pic. Pic: Yograj S Mudalgi Let’s take a break from the “informed consent” conversation. Recently, a major hospital in Bengaluru was vandalised by a patient’s family. Equipment was broken, personnel were threatened and the care of other patients was disrupted. The incident generated an anxious response from the medical community. Several well-known healthcare professionals from Bengaluru expressed their concerns. As doctors, we work for the well-being of our patients. For most of us, a life saved, a morbidity avoided or a patient’s satisfaction at the end of the day is more rewarding than any amount of money. In fact,…

As I walk to work, I pass by one of the intersections on 17th Cross every day. This is a one way road and therefore attracts a good amount of traffic. Luckily the road has still retained its old charm and has not deteriorated into the chaos that is 15th cross.  In the last few months, a house that stood at the intersection has been undergoing renovations. I did not pay much attention to it till it was completed. There is so much building and re-building happening in Malleshwaram that unless it is the demise of a grand old house,…

The one who strove relentlessly to fill in the state's coffers, himself has landed up in a coffin. Tragic. Shocking. The sudden death of an upright officer, DK Ravi, brings to the focus, the conditions, constraints and challenges of officers chasing taxes, evaders and hoodlums, in general, and upright officers like Ravi, in particular. We don't know yet the reason or the cause of his death, but conscious citizens like me ponder what could be behind it. And the most haunting question is, did his crusade cost his life? While that question is yet to be answered, this throws open…

DK Ravi interacting with students in Kolar. Pic: Basu Raju The news of the death of D.K. Ravi, former Deputy Commissioner of Kolar District, has come as an absolute shock. Ravi was transferred from his position in Kolar to Bengaluru, where, as Deputy Commissioner in the Commercial taxes (intelligence) wing, he launched a series of raids and investigations into Bangalore’s builder companies. It is said that these raids had discovered huge levels of tax evasion. Ravi is said to have committed suicide in his flat yesterday (March 16th 2015). However, as far as we know, there is no suicide note.…