GENRE: Voices

Arvind Sawant, who has served two terms as the MP from Mumbai South, is raring to go as he prepares to fight for a third term. His opponents are a divided house and the official candidate is yet to be announced here. Leaders such as Rahul Narwekar, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Yeshwant Jadhav are eyeing this seat. So is Milind Deora, who has already been nominated to the Rajya Sabha now and had previously lost to Sawant in the two Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.  Mumbai South is comprised of the assembly constituencies of Colaba, Mumbadevi, Byculla, Malabar Hill,…

The country is going to the polls in one of the most keenly watched elections of all time, and a collective of 70 environment and civil society organisations have appealed to voters to assess the threat to the environment and ecology when they cast their votes in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Here is what the organisations have said in a joint statement: As Indians prepare to vote in the Lok Sabha elections this year, it is very important to think of the future of our democracy, especially the youth and their right to clean air and water security in…

In North Chennai’s Vyasarpadi, candidates from different political parties contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections are on the last leg of their campaign around the neighbourhood. This is an oft-repeated tradition among politicians, especially in working-class localities, where they offer guarantees like electricity, water, monthly financial assistance, free buses, job opportunities and more, promised through government schemes.  In Vyasarpadi, like many other parts of the city, while everyone votes every year, the reasons for the consistent participation are not necessarily rooted in in-depth political knowledge about candidates. The incentives promised by politicians are important for overall development of the community, but…

As India gets ready to vote to decide who will represent the country in Parliament, Citizen Matters is speaking to elected representatives from Chennai, ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. As part of this series, we did an email interview with T Sumathy alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian, incumbent MP from Chennai South constituency. Thamizhachi has been given the ticket by her party DMK to contest from the same constituency in the 2024 polls. Chennai South and Thamizhachi Thangapandian Chennai South constituency comprises of Mylapore, Saidapet, Virugambakkam, Velachery, Sholinganallur and Thyagaraya Nagar. A poet, writer, educationist and theatre person, Thamizhachi is the daughter…

In its recently released Manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, the IndianNational Congress has promised to bring some much needed reforms in the Indian Parliament. It has promised to ensure that both Houses of Parliament will be in session for 100 days in a year; the opposition parties will be empowered to set agenda for one day in a week and presiding officers (Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairperson of Rajya Sabha) will not be part of any political party to ensure their impartial functioning. The Manifesto released by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also acknowledges thatParliament…

As India gets ready to vote to decide who will represent the country in Parliament, Citizen Matters is speaking to elected representatives from Chennai, ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. As part of this series, we had a chat with Kalanidhi Veerasamy, incumbent MP from Chennai North constituency. Dr Kalanidhi has been given the ticket by his party DMK to contest from the same constituency in the 2024 polls. Read more: Lok Sabha 2024: Know your MP — Dr Kalanidhi Veerasamy, Chennai North Chennai North and Dr Kalanidhi Veerasamy The Lok Sabha constituency of Chennai North is composed of six…

A little white disc flies through the air; chased by many, and caught deftly by a girl, who then sends it whizzing across the sandy shore. This is a scene that often unfolds along Chennai's Besant Nagar beach, next to the red police booth. The vast, open space afforded by the beach sets the stage for a fun sport, involving a 175g white disc. Ultimate Frisbee is fast-paced, involving seven players from each team on opposite sides of the field, throwing the disc to each other, racing to catch it and passing it along to teammates. The most popular format…

When I moved to Mumbai in June 2023 for work, I found myself going for sight seeing to the city's tourist destinations. Though the city appeared to have consistent and wide footpaths almost everywhere, vehicular right of way seemed to be prioritised over the pedestrian right of way. This struck me as very strange, even as I continued to enjoy walking through lanes of Mumbai very much. On one hand, there is excellent footpath coverage, utilised by large crowds everywhere. On the other hand, speeding vehicles create obstacles for something as simple as crossing the road.  "Though Mumbai appeared to…

A popular quote by WH Auden says, "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water." I am deeply convinced that it is true, especially in present times, where the planned urban cities are facing acute water shortage on a regular basis, along with rural and remote areas. One of them is Dombivli. Dombivli, with its rapidly expanding population and insufficient infrastructure, has been grappling with water scarcity for years. I live in an integrated smart city with more than 100 residential buildings built near Dombivli. Currently almost 2,00,000 citizens reside in more than a 1000 flats. Facilities such as…

The transformation of Chennai, from a trading post entrenched in the bylanes of Fort St. George, to a bustling metropolis with gleaming skyscrapers along the historic Mahabalipuram road underscores its economic progress and growth. The visionaries of the city exhibited exemplary foresight in establishing an extensive road network and suburban train systems that set a precedent for the future. The city’s continued investment in the Metro Rail, connecting important nodes of the city, is encouraging use of public transport. As per the Ease of Moving Index — Chennai City Profile report, Chennai leads the way with the highest mass transit…