GENRE: Voices

It was 759am when I got to ITPL bus stop in Whitefield, satisfied that I beat the odds to catch a 500C that usually takes off between 8-815. Even if I missed that, I knew I would get a 500K or 500NA. A section of stranded commuters at 820am. The group increased to sizeable bunch by 845. Pic: Subramaniam Vincent. The opposite happened. As commuters lined up steadily, two 500Cs, one 500K and one un-named volvo, all took their expected U-turn at ITPL. As passengers started moving towards the doors, the buses simply shot off, doors closed. Drivers signalled 'oota'…

An announcement from BBMP in newspapers a while back has asked for citizens to write in with objections if any, to the proposed changes in road names. It is not just roads but also areas that have been renamed (among them Frazer Town, which everybody still refers to as Frazer Town rather than as Pulakeshinagar.The rationale for name changes is that the old names are relics from a colonial past and that we need to commemorate our own, indigenous heroes and  leaders (from Kittur Chennamma to Kempe Gowda, to former judge, governor and freedom fighter Nittoor Srinivasa Rau) which is…

For M Abdulla Saleem, his recent appointment as Additional Commissioner Police (Traffic) is a return to familiar turf. He succeeded Praveen Sood a few months ago. "I am basically a traffic man," proclaims Saleem and it is not without justifications. Pic Courtesy: DCP (Traffic) Office The 1993 batch IPS officer previously served as the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic East Division, Bangalore and in 2010 completed a PhD in Traffic Management from Bangalore University. He has held various posts across the state including Assistant Superintendent of Police, Gulbarga, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) and Inspector General of Police,…

The media is abuzz with reports of jailed Chief Minister Yeddyurappa's group snubbing national BJP leader L K Advani in Bangalore yesterday by boycotting his anti-corruption rally. It appears the BJP's political roundabout of contradictions and snubbing has also broadened into civil society anti-corruption movement. Advani declined to meet Karnataka's India Against Corruption group, who had lined up a series of demands for him. It appears the senior BJP leader, whose national anti-corruption campaign is widely seen as a way to upstage the UPA, is doing a tightrope walk in Karnataka. The state has been plagued with its own series…

The papers reported that all fireworks and crackers activities should cease between 10 pm and 6 am. KSPCB and the police were supposed to be doing rounds and enforcing the curfew. It's 11 pm in the night, and near Nagarbhavi, some random crackers keep going off at regular intervals. Dealing with continuous fireworks is one thing, but sudden bursts at random points in time is too much to deal with.The dogs, not accustomed to rackets other than their own, start howling everytime one goes off. Aged parents at home, struggling with flu-like symptoms thanks to the weather, exacerbated by the…

Street play is one of the most basic forms of theatre. It is truly theatre of and for the masses. No special stages, elaborate sets, props, or costumes are required, no time is wasted, no special environment is created, and no fee is paid-yet, street theatre can speak directly to the heart of the viewer. The energy and vitality of performing in a public environment to a public audience also makes street play the perfect vehicle for political protest and propaganda. In India, the name of Safdar Hashmi is synonymous with political street theatre. The Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival 2011,…

Every minute 3 people die, somewhere in India, because of cardiovascular diseases, namely heart attack and stroke* The sad part is - they need not die. According to a paper published in Current Science journal in 2009 hypertension or High Blood pressure is responsible for 57% of all stroke deaths and 24% of all deaths due to heart attack. Tragically, in majority of cases , patients are unaware of their high blood pressure. Hypertension is called the silent killer .If not treated properly, it can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and eye complications. How to prevent…

Dario Hidalgo, a leading international expert on public transport systems, was in the city two weeks back to work with the BMTC. He was part of the team that revolutionised bus transport in his hometown Bogota, Columbia, by introducing BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System). In this exclusive interview with Citizen Matters, Hidalgo says BMTC has a lot to do before it starts its ambitious BRTS project for Bengaluru. He also says that BMTC's BIG-10 buses have the potential to provide service for the entire city - the ordinary fleet can be gradually replaced by using BIG-10 and feeder services.What are…

Shikshana, a non-profit organisation based out of Bangalore, is working towards improving the quality of education in government primary schools by participatory intervention. The representatives talk to the school administration, teachers and students about their opinion on how to make the learning effective. In some schools students are encouraged to perform through incentives. File pic: Padmalatha Ravi This approach is completely alien in a setting where schemes are made at the power centers and the benefits trickle down. ‘I've been working for twenty two years, and this is the first time someone has come asking for what I think', remarks…

Overweight and Obesity are fast emerging as global pandemic. 72% of the most developed country in the world, USA's population is overweight and obese. In India , more than 30 million people are overweight, and the fact that 20% of school going children are overweight, paints a grim picture. In a study conducted in 2007, by Department of Food and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College , New Delhi, revealed 13.1% of affluent schoolgirls in Bangalore are overweight, and 4.3% being obese. According to another study cited by Dr Izhar Hasan, Unani Doctor, Bangalore has 35% overall prevalence rate of Obesity. Obesity…