GENRE: Voices

Many believe that there will be future wars over water. Some facts: Water, the "elixir of life" is a natural resource and must be shared equitably between every living being. Those authorized to handle water are only its trustees and not owners. The United Nations mandates 135 litres of water per person daily, but providing this remains a dream especially for people from marginalized communities. Around 3/4th of the earth is water of which 97 per cent is saline and unfit for human consumption. Two per cent of the remaining water is frozen. Half the rest is in rivers, streams,…

Times have changed and today almost everyone you meet knows the importance of eating healthy and if you are ready to lend an ear, they will probably even end up giving you ‘gyaan' on what to eat and what not to eat. This is a welcome change, but what I notice is that most people have no idea on how to plan out a balanced diet. Including ‘healthy foods' in your diet is great, but how does one make sure that each meal that is consumed is providing the body with the nutrients needed on a daily basis? Take for…

Most kids I know in the age group of 6 year onwards attend at least two after-school activities in a week, be it sports, music, dance or drawing. Some attend four. Many activity classes are held twice a week, which leaves kids with precious little time for free, unstructured play.Are we over-scheduling our children's lives? Leaving them with little time for unstructured free play? File Pic It's a dilemma faced by many moms, including me. Our generation didn't exactly spend most evenings in tennis, ballet or basketball classes or our summers in swimming or science camps. Extracurricular activities have always…

Every year, the 8th of March is celebrated as ‘International Women's Day' the world over and apart from a couple of award functions acknowledging successful women, some "feel-good" articles lauding the contribution of women, a few advertisements in the newspapers and wishes from friends and colleagues, there isn't anything special about this day for most women! Pic: wikimedia commons Women today manage to do a balancing act between their professional lives and being a mother, wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law. This definitely fills us with pride that we are able to handle home and work so smoothly-a pat on our well…

I know how March 8 is going to be for me.I will be wished, my praises sung, my existence celebrated and my attention vied for. I will be wooed big-time by advertisers, offered discounts on jewellery, clothes. Why, someone will creatively offer 8% off on beer and champagne... There is no escaping March 8th these days if you are a woman. But there is more to International Women's Day than discount offers and "pampering the woman in you". The real reason why this day is historic, I will leave it to your online searching skills to discover - but the…

It has happened to every woman. You are filling a form for a bank account or a driver's license or an internet connection. And the tip of your pen momentarily hovers over the section that stubbornly demands a ‘Father/Husband's Name'. In nearly every form we fill, however irrelevant to the nature of application you are filling, this information is vital. You ignore the thought as if the field were a leering lout serenading you on the street with a song and comply to the necessary evils of paperwork. A pre-paid SIM card application form picked up in Bangalore. Pic: Siri…

The weather in Bengaluru has become rather unusual these past few days - with dark clouds smothering the sky, accompanied by short spells of rainfall across the city. And this after a streak of particularly hot days - which went as high as a daytime maximum of 33.2°C on March 3rd, coming back down to a daytime high of 27.1°C yesterday (6th) under the influence of clouds and spells of rain.With all apparently unusual weather in the city comes the talk of climate change and how the climate of the city is becoming worse every year. While the city's climate…

If you live within three km of South End circle, you have good news - you can throw away your wall clocks and wrist-watches, for the city administration has now put in place for you a fancy timekeeper, a 61 foot high ‘sky-kissing', ambara chumbana clock tower at the traffic intersection that chimes out the hour, every hour.With elections approaching, perhaps those sitting in decision-making kursis felt that just as the rural raitaru have been promised free electricity and other handouts, we the educated urban citizens too needed some goodies and gifts, so that we do not feel left out.…

The stage is set.December 2009: A 100 people ask to Empower Lokayukta and remove Section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act.March 2010: Bangalore records <40% voting in the BBMP elections. None of the citizen candidates win.December 2010: 900 people join the Corruption Saaku! rally on UN Anti Corruption Day. Saaku! was the top trending topic on Twitter.Jan 2011: 300 people gather on MG Road in a nation wide protest seeking People's Lokpal, later rechristened Jan LokpalApril 2011: India Against Corruption's first fast at Freedom Park. There were more police than people. On day 2, there were only 7 people on…

A vibrant bunch of people appear out of the mist, on a Saturday morning in Cubbon Park! On Feb 23rd morning, it was definitely a celebration of meeting people, spontaneous friendships and a common passion/interest that binds us all - cycling. Pic: Shamala Kittane Subramanyan "She has been riding with me since she was two and a half years old." says Prabhakar ‘Go Green' Rao, a father to a ‘happy-to-go-to-school' daughter. His daughter Pranalani Rao is now seven years old and seems absolutely comfortable on the bike. A beautiful father-daughter relationship, great cycling-together memories to treasure. Pic: Shamala Kittane Subramanyan…