INTERVIEWS

From a homemaker, who had little knowledge of the workings of the outside world to being triumphant in the Chennai urban local body polls — and managing her ward — B Sumathi, Councillor of Ward 77, has charted an eventful journey. "My husband was quite active in the party and also involved in social work. Since, this was a ward reserved for women from scheduled castes, I was given a seat to contest. To my surprise, I won by a margin of 6,847 votes," says Sumathi. Speaking about her tenure so far, she says, "Though I was scared initially, I…

For more than a month now, Ennore has been in the news continuously. First, we had the floods, then the oil spill and now the gas leak. Hundreds of villagers in Ennore have been protesting for two weeks against the industrial pollution that has been taking a heavy toll on their livelihood and health for nearly five decades. Located in the northern part of Chennai, the Ennore Industrial Cluster has two thermal power stations, ash ponds, two ports, fertiliser manufacturing industries, pharmaceutical companies, oil storage terminals, coal storage yards and cement manufacturers. Once a quiet and verdant locale, the Kosasthalaiyar…

"As a woman in politics and mother of a two-year-old, I am aware of my child's needs and am in a position of power to create a safe space for children. That's precisely what I have been trying to do," says Brindhaa Shrri Murali Krishnan, the Councillor of Ward 160. Brindhaa also highlights the importance of promptly addressing the needs of the residents. "I am dedicated to ensuring that each query and issue raised by the residents of my Ward receives thorough follow-up and timely updates", she adds. Brindhaa’s journey into politics has been shaped by her upbringing and early experiences…

Stalin Dayanand is an environmentalist who has spent two decades building citizen movements to protect wetlands and forests in Maharashtra. Environmental litigation, environmental education, and ground-level conservation are the planks of his activities. The director of Vanashakti—a conservation nonprofit in Mumbai—Stalin has been at the forefront of several environmental campaigns. These include the Save Aarey movement, the protest to protect Sindhudurg’s forests from mining, the Save Ulhas River project, and the pushback against constructing an international airport on wetlands in Navi Mumbai.        Stalin spoke to India Development Review about what it takes to build a people’s movement, why such movements…

Mumbai's beloved red double decker buses, steeped in memories cherished by millions over the decades, made their last journey on the streets of Mumbai on September 15. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) authorities announced that these vehicles, reaching the end of their 15-year operational lifespan, will go off the roads completely. These buses have been replaced by electric AC double decker buses and a few are already operational. On late Thursday evening, a day before the last ride of the double-decker bus, the BEST officials also announced that the AC electric double decker fleet will be taken to…

"I was not someone who aspired to become a politician. My dad is the reason I am here now. He has been associated with politics and the Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for over two decades. However, I never felt like his involvement in politics was political. It felt more like social service. This made me more interested in politics and when I got the opportunity to contest in the urban local body polls, I went for it," says Nilavarasi Durairaj, the 24-year-old Councillor from Ward 136 in Chennai. Interestingly, Nilavarasi is a full-time MBA student. She balances her studies along…

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's health budget was Rs 6309.38 for the year 2022-23. Mumbai is home to 1.2 crore people. Moreover, its healthcare is accessed by Mumbaikars and a huge number of people coming from outside. Mumbai has 16 municipal general hospitals, six speciality hospitals, 29 maternity homes, 175 municipal dispensaries and 183 health posts. Besides this, the state government has established one medical college hospital, three general hospitals and two health units located in Mumbai. Citizen Matters spoke to the recently appointed additional municipal commissioner, Dr. Sudhakar Shinde, about the state of public health facilities, monsoon challenges and future…

"I studied in a government school and grew up in a place where there were no basic amenities. So I know the struggles of the people in my Ward through lived experience and I strive to make life easy for them," says A Priyadharshini of Ward 98 in Chennai, the youngest Councillor in Chennai. Politics is very much part of Priyadharshini's family. "Both my mother and father are members of the Communist Party of India(Marxist) for more than 25 years. I was also part of the Students Federation of India (SFI) during my school days. Later, during my college days,…

"One of the first things I did as soon as I took charge as a Councillor was to ensure that the frontline workers in my ward were treated with respect. I gathered all the sanitary workers and the local officials in my ward and instructed that the frontline workers, especially the women who are often ill-treated, should be treated with respect. This includes gestures like providing them with a seat during a conversation," says Ambedvalavan (A) Kumarasamy, Councillor of Ward 73. Most of the people in Ward 73 are the people from the economically weaker section who are discriminated against…

Akkai Padmashali is a pioneer in trans rights activism, from being the first transgender person to register her marriage in Karnataka to being a member of the drafting committee in the 2017 state policy for transgender people. Akkai started the human rights organisation, Ondede, which means ‘convergence’ in Kannada. She aspires to bring about ground-level changes in policies to be more inclusive.  In an exclusive interview with Citizen Matters, Akkai spoke about her views on the implementation of the reservation of jobs in public employment for the transgender community (Karnataka is the first state to provide 1% horizontal reservations in…