GENRE: Voices

In December 2021, the Tamil Nadu government introduced the Nam Kudiyiruppu Nam Poruppu scheme for residents living in low-income, government housing and resettlement sites managed by the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB). In this scheme, residents form associations to oversee the maintenance of these sites, with the intention of transferring ownership of their living spaces back to them. This move is significant, especially for the resettlement sites, considering the minimal consultation and abrupt evictions relocated families have faced during the process. What the scheme entails The scheme also aims to improve the quality of living in these sites.…

The way the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was conducted in Tamil Nadu, especially in Chennai, has laid bare the lacunae in the system. For residents, who were not able to cast their votes despite having valid Voter ID cards, it seemed nothing short of a sham. Every time before the elections, the electoral rolls are updated by Election Commission of India (ECI) officials. Instead of deputing people who are working full-time within the ECI, the work is outsourced to government employees drawn from schools, colleges or other agencies. These ECI staff, who come from distant locations,…

“Just, I mean, I don’t feel like voting. This politics and all. I didn’t even apply, I think I was late,” rattled one of my students when I asked if they had all registered to vote as most of them had turned 18 one or two years ago.  This was pretty much the chorus. They spoke about how it was too late when they tried to register, how it was so difficult (which was promptly rejected by those who had done it), how they were in a different city, how they were not interested in politics and how it was…

Everyone in Mumbai is eager to know who their MP (Member of Parliament) will be in the next few weeks. And so am I. I'm Anmol Tiwari I'm from Natraj Chawl, Kranti Nagar, Kandivali East Mumbai. Kranti Nagar is located on the periphery of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali, on the slope of a hill. While in other parts of Mumbai, when one looks out of their window, they see the ocean, highrises, green spaces and more, in Kranti Nagar, I open my windows to see narrow lanes, congested houses, a mix of greenery and garbage.  As…

Part 4: The plague of the ‘asuras’ Lesson learnt: None yet for we don't know from where or rather how so many caterpillars descended on us! In the second part of the series, I described how the Muplis beetles had invaded our home. As if we didn’t have enough on our plates with the beetles turning up every year. For a few seasons we had the added joy of seeing caterpillars contend with the Muplis for the top spot of insects we never wanted to see again. And these are not butterfly caterpillars, which I discussed in the third part…

It’s summer, and did we forget about the yearly floods again? Last December’s disastrous tryst with monsoons and flooding is not new to the city but often washed away with the city’s other priorities. Throughout its history, Chennai has faced a range of disasters, both related to climate and other factors. Over time, the incidence of such calamities, particularly floods and droughts, has escalated, significantly impacting the city and its people, economy, and infrastructure. What the city needs is strategic urban planning, efficient water management and collaborative governance to mitigate flooding. Chennai must also be prepared to effectively respond to…

I’ve lived in Bangalore since 2005; whenever visiting friends want me to take them to Bangalore Palace, I chuckle and confess I haven’t been there myself. We’ve all experienced living in a city whose joys and woes we haven’t fully explored. Guided walks can help us connect more deeply with our cities when familiarity might have bred contempt or, simply, blindness. It was to help residents deepen their understanding of Panaji, Goa’s administrative capital, and to visualise possible futures for Panaji, that Transitions Research, in collaboration with the Travelling Dome, organised guided walks on Friday, 15th March and Sunday, 17th…

Does the average voter evaluate each of their candidates carefully?  Like we do every election, Citizen Matters has been publishing voter guides with profiles of key candidates for constituencies in Chennai, Bengaluru and other cities. We summarise candidates’ background, promises, and their interviews. We highlight the parliamentary performance of incumbent MPs – their membership in committees, questions they have raised, debates they participated in etc. We also compile news media reports to track their recent work.  There are various criteria that voters base their decision on. While there are those undecided or open-minded who have found the information in our…

Any pet parent will tell you that dogs need a safe space where they can be free and get their requisite daily exercise. Leashed walks can fulfil only a part of their exercise requirement. Especially dogs belonging to larger breeds are more energetic and need to run free to expend their energy and to grow and develop well. This is especially difficult in a city like Mumbai where traffic concerns and the territorial nature of street dogs makes it impossible for pet parents to let their dogs off the leash even for a moment. My German Shepherd herself has developed…

With a long career of 25 years in politics, P C Mohan, the incumbent BJP MP from Bangalore Central constituency, is contesting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the fourth time. At an interaction with residents from Bellandur on Sunday, April 21st, the MP candidate answered questions on infrastructure projects for the locality, solutions for traffic management and decongestion of roads, lack of civic planning in Mahadevapura, among other issues. Here are some excerpts from the interaction: Metro is a long-term project that could take 6 years. From a policy perspective, what can we do to use existing modes…