INTERVIEWS

Balaji Kutty, 39, a software engineer by profession, has decided to give something back to the society by volunteerting. He volunteers with Association for India's Development (AID), which deals with various issues like Education, Agriculture and Health for almost 10 years now. He believes that his efforts to make a difference in the lives of a few children gives him a kick of inspiration and keeps him going. Balaji Kutty - AID volunteer. Pic: Anisha Nair What do you do as an AID volunteer?I joined AID in 2002 as a part of ‘Joy of Learning' activity. It involves making science…

Anil Kumar, 63 is an RTI activist. A former employee of Indian Telephone Industries in the marketing department, Kumar, today cracks open the government red tape for a better society.Kumar moved to Ejipura in 1994 when it had no roads, no drains and no proper electricity. He filed RTIs to find the reasons behind these pending works. The RTIs of this nature often result in work being completed, because officials were wary of explaining the reasons behind the delay. Anil Kumar, the RTI activist. Pic: Abhishek Angad Kumar believes that the thrust on Sec 4(1)(b) of the act i.e voluntary…

It was one question by a 65-year-old village woman that got Harish Hande to do what he does now. She asked him if he would be able to provide her light before she died?. He lights the bulbs of rural Karnataka and Gujarat. He has achieved great heights in his career in the field of solar energy.He graduated in Energy Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. Then he went to the U.S. to do his Master's and PhD in Energy Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Harish Hande, 45, co-founded SELCO India, a solar energy company, in 1995 and moved to…

Bangalore is known as the suicide capital of India- recording the highest number of suicides, according to the recent data. National Crime Records Bureau 2010 data states that 1778 committed suicide in Bangalore. In such a scenario, support networks and helplines like SAHAI play an important role. SAHAI is run by volunteer counselors responding to distressed callers and talking them out of suicidal thoughts. K K Rajagopal is the person behind SAHAI. A confident and energetic man of 66, this former BHEL employee moved to Bangalore in 1972 and started an electronic business. In 2002, he took the initiative to…

Pic courtesy: Nisha Millet. How do you think your life would be if you developed a fear of water before you were even 6 years old, having fallen into a pond? Well you could end up at the Olympics as a swimmer! That's what Bengaluru-based swimming ace Nisha Millet did. The Olympics don't just happen to you. You work your way to it. Read on.Nisha is one of India's most illustrious swimmers, having won numerous medals at various national and international competitions and went on to become the only Indian woman swimmer at the Sydney Olympics. Since then, only one…

Cricket is his first love. He learned English language listening to cricket commentaries. He loves Kannada movies, he always scored well in his history papers. He never let visual impairment come in the way of life. Today he has made computer education easily accessible for visually challenged students and encourages them to participate in sports. 41-year-old Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar won the NDTV Sports Award, against the odds (lifetime achievement) in February 2012. Kivadasannavar founded Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled in 1997, along with his two friends. This JP Nagar resident, is today the Managing Trustee and has great plans for…

Laxmi Murthy is the daughter of Vimala Murthy, the writer and great grand daughter of Amba Bai, former headmistress of Vani Vilas High school, Laxmi, has been associated with the women's movements for nearly three decades years now. This 49-year-old, resident of Jayanagar 1st block, has recently co-authored a book - "Our Pictures, Our Words." The book records the history of women's movement in India through posters. Pic: Anisha Nair Citizen Matters chatted with Laxmi Murthy on the women and writing. What inspired you into making the book "Our Pictures, Our Words"?I have been associated with the women's movement since…

Accompanying the pourakarmikas on road while they collect garbage and taking active part in inculcating civic awareness in the citizens of Bengaluru is her favourite thing to do. She is one of the oldest residents of Koramangala and civic issues are closest to her heart. Sheela Ladha, 50, has been a very active volunteer with Children's Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) for the past three years.  This active home-maker feels that the city has grown old with her and she, with the city. Sheela Ladha. Pic: Anisha NairWhat does CMCA do?CMCA usually starts a civic club in the schools, and…

Last month, Kaikondrahalli lake on Sarjapur road had a distinguished visitor, Nobel Prize winner for Economics, 2009, Elinor Ostrom. She was here to see the results of collective action in Bangalore lakes. Dr. Ostrom planting at KK Lake. Pic: Priya Ramasubban. Elinor along with Harini Nagendra, an urban ecology coordinator, ATREE, Bengaluru, has been working to understand when exactly communities step in to conserve. Having heard of citizens initiative at Kaikondrahalli lake, Elinor who was in Bangalore for the Khoshoo Memorial Lecture at ATREE, decided to visit the lake and plant a tree.Citizen Matters caught up with the Nobel prize…

Her journey is one every aspiring technology manager will want in a city that virtually sees a startup a week. She is known in tech circles as co-founder of the start-up Aarohi Communications, which was acquired by Emulex Corporation, a California-based firm. In Bengaluru, a startup's successful acquisition usually means a lot, from a sense of enormous accomplishment at the end of a journey and the beginning of many things new, in addition to just plain becoming wealthier. Shanti Subbaraman did all this as a woman, and while working in urban India. Not easy, most will say. She started her…