GENRE: Voices

In the backdrop of Lok Sabha election campaigns, politicians from namma Bengaluru seem to be gearing up to see who will shine in the limelight. And with the obvious popularity that the internet and smartphones enjoy, not all our politicians need to go campaigning on feet to meet voters. All they need is a computer or a smart-phone to do the work for them. While there are still some who prefer to receive physical copies of minutes, only because they don’t know how to read emails (poor little fossils), there are others who are literally all over the place. Facebook,…

Pic: Nikita Malusare He has been contesting elections for over five terms from Bengaluru South Constituency. Ananth Kumar, started his career as secretary of Akhila Bharat Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). As a minister in the Vajpayee government, he held many key positions such as Minister of Civil Aviation, Tourism, Sports and Youth Affairs, Culture, Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation. (Check out his full profile) He has been actively connecting with people through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. He also has his personal website. Citizen Matters caught up with Ananthkumar on a rainy day during his campaign at an apparel…

Bangalore Central candidates at the BPAC debate. Pic: Shree D N Here are the Bangalore Central MP candidates' responses to common questions about the Lok Sabha General Elections 2014. This has been compiled by Bellandur ward resident, Nagesh. Candidates from all major political parties were asked some direct questions at the BPAC meet. A citizens' team from Bellandur emailed them a questionnaire. This document lists the verbatim responses of the candidates for both series of questions. Before you go through these responses, a few cautionary notes: The statements are reproduced “as is” basis. A fact-check may reveal that some of the…

Pic: http://cnarayanaswamy.com/ C Narayanaswamy, the Congress candidate from Bangalore North, seems to be a very busy man. Each time we called his number, we were told, ‘Sir is campaigning’ or ‘Sir is in a meeting’. We finally managed to catch up with him in a telephonic interview at 11 pm in the night. The 66-year-old candidate truly sounded tired at the end of a long day, his voice almost hoarse. Nevertheless, he patiently spent about 10 minutes talking to us about why he would make a good candidate and why good leaders are important for the society. Why should people…

Pic courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/ruthmanorama Ruth Manorama, womens' rights activist awarded with Rights Livelihood award, contesting as a JD(S) candidate from Bengaluru South, spoke to Citizen Matters on her unexpected entry into politics and her goals. Excerpts: Why do you want to go to parliament? I have been advocating for women in politics. There is utter criminalization, communalization and corruption of the political system. The capacity and capabilities of women should be used to understand how poverty and inequality impacts development. Women should be involved in politics internally, not just externally. Women are able to talk and engage with the government and…

Pic: Shree D N In a telephonic interview with Citizen Matters, Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Bengaluru North, Babu Mathew, reveals his plans for future. Here are the excerpts from the interview which summarise his policies and plans for his constituency, interaction with voters etc. AAP is known to have deserted Delhi. Why should people vote for AAP in this elections? Won't voting for AAP lead to a hung parliament? AAP is the first step towards the second freedom movement in India. How does your party plan to control corruption? AAP is determined to see the passage of the Jan…

I hit the campaign trail this morning to see for myself what voters feel. Earlier this week, the idea popped in my head that I should step beyond the smug cocktail circuit to revisit the grassroots election campaign. I have not done this for over a decade, and I feel that I have to observe first hand these elections that have thrown up so many vexatious questions that no party is able to answer. I am also curious to see if campaigning has changed now – what with a new breed of candidates, and more questioning constituents. AAP volunteers at…

The essential characteristic of the world of the Blind or visually impaired is darkness in varied degrees. How well do we, the sighted, comprehend this world? What is it like to dance, sing, laugh, eat and cry in the dark? Prevention of Blindness Week, observed during the first week of April, highlights the key needs and efforts to address the challenges confronting visual impairment in the country. Activities as part of Prevention of Blindness Week The Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and The Eye Foundation’s planned activities during the forthcoming week, however, promise a lot more and are a cause…

(First of all, apologies for posting this so late. Last week, my husband, little boy and I fell ill and we are all still in recovery mode) A couple of months ago, a former national level cricketer's father went missing in Mysore's Devaraja Market. The local police sprang into action and the gentleman was found in a couple of hours. In that time, though he had wandered some 5 km from the spot he was last seen (the market). News reports quoted the police as saying the elderly gentleman suffered from “age-related forgetfulness”. Now, I don't know if the cricketer's…

The election madness hasn’t perturbed her one bit. She seems to have seen it all, right from the time she started extensively campaigning for numerous elections post her marriage to politician Dr Jeevraj Alva, when she was no more than 16 years old! Being a danseuse, businesswoman, socialite and homemaker, she did not fear adding more to her juggling act. Today, Nandini Alva, all of 52, sounds very articulate when we speak to her about her entry into politics. She has been chosen to contest as a JD(S) candidate from Bangalore Central for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Nandini Alva…