GENRE: Voices

Consider the following scenario. You are the parent of a five year old. You want your child to get quality education. Since you have decided to go for an English medium school, government schools are ruled out. You feel that without quality English medium schooling, your child will not have the education and therefore the opportunity to do well in life. So you approach all the reputed English medium schools that you can and secure your child's admission in one of them.Believable, right? A parent is never willing to send his or her child to low-cost private school when he…

Recently I ventured into the RTO office at Bhattarahalli, K R Puram, to renew my driving licence (DL). Using the Citizen Matters guide and BMTCinfo.com, I figured the bus routes from Mayo Hall. I reached the office, which is 6 km from KR Puram Railway/bus station, in little over an hour. I went with a lot of optimism, as I had heard things had gotten streamlined and 'clean'. I was armed with the Form 9 that I had downloaded from the RTO site and filled. When I reached the office, I saw several agents hovering at the entrance, whom I…

Every year, the state AG (Accountant General) prepares audit reports on state government and some of its agencies. This year's reports were presented on February 14th in the Karnataka legislative assembly. The same evening, CAG held a press conference to distribute the reports.There are five reports this time. As usual, the reports are full of CAG's exposes, all leading to loss of hundreds of crores of rupees. The reports come in a study bag, overall weighing somewhere around 7-8 kgs. A bagfull of exposes, you might call it. The CAG's bag, full of exposes. Pic: Subramaniam Vincent. Except two smaller…

"I want a Bangalore, where a child and an elderly person can both feel safe while crossing the road", proclaimed esteemed Kannada writer, Sri Ananthamurthy, at the recent Bangalore Literature Festival, 2012. Much more than a reputed author and social commentator, this distinguished gentleman has driven home the point about our city's warped road sensibility. However, these words of wisdom from a celebrated old guru, is something that Bangalore apparently is least inclined to heed.In this modern burgeoning city and India's fifth largest metropolis, the chances of a pedestrian crossing the street without being knocked down are looking progressively bleak.…

One billion rising, it is a very exhilarating and exciting thought. I had to be there and I wanted my daughter to be there. Although she's too young to understand its significance.On 14th February, I decided I should take my daughter's babysitter also along. Selvi is very fiesty, she minces no words when it comes to bullshit. And that is pretty much what made me pick her to take care of my child.When we got there the mood was all set. The women were ready to strike, rise and dance. They painted, they danced, they sang. Pic: Anu Gummaraju. Selvi,…

The big media arrived. Some stood around in groups, near their motorcycles and cars, exchanging pleasantries with fellow media-personnel. Some did not even bother to get out of their cars till the sole object of their interest came by the EWS Ejipura site. A few decided to talk to some of the evicted residents. But everybody clearly was conscious of why they were there in the first place, and had one question – “When will Medha Patkar come?” She came. And then she was mobbed. By at least 15-20 journalists, some with their pens and papers and some with their…

Valentine’s Day, for all practical purposes, is a commercial creation. The day itself does not bear any deep significance to those who may celebrate it, though the love they celebrate might bear some value. Politically and socially, it is a fluffy construct, and should not require too much inspection. But V-Day is D-day now, as far as women’s rights movements are concerned. The day has grown to be important because it appears that there is now a fight on for the ability to love and express it. Illustration: Shilo Shiv Suleman - this is part of the set created by…

The entire city coming together on the issue of garbage... unimaginable till even a few months ago... But there has been a visible change of climate over the last 6 months; and the last week in particular has been noteworthy. Wake Up Clean Up Bangalore - a 7 day expo at Freedom Park on managing waste - that brought together a variety of stakeholders on a single platform, recently concluded amidst significant media coverage and public promises. On each of the seven days, members of the industry, Corporate leaders, elected representatives, several city schools, hospitals, hotel association and various other…

What was pathetic about the state budget presented last week, was not so much the populism it was based on - that was expected - as was the reactions to it from various sections, including politicians of parties other than the BJP.The budget is meant as an exercise to allocate public money for the betterment of the people - with the emphasis categorically on "betterment of the people". It is NOT money available to the ruling party, for announcing measures that would enhance its prospects in the next elections. That perspective has, alas, been completely lost sight of, by every…

In July 2008, my parents and I boarded a flight from San Francisco International Airport, and arrived twenty-four hours later in Bangalore. Unlike our usual journeys, this one was not a round trip. We were leaving the United States and moving to India for good.We soon settled down in a comfortable, modern apartment somewhere on the outskirts of Bangalore - in an erstwhile village called Bellandur, now part of Greater Bangalore. I had a new house, a new school, and new friends... but most importantly, a new town to explore. Investigate! Explore! Dig! To me, these words conjure up magic.…