PEOPLE

Haseena was attacked with acid in 1999. She lost her eyes forever, her body suffered severe damage, which stole her right to live like all of us. Her attacker spent only five years in jail, and has faded away from public memory. However, Haseena refused to go down in life. She took up a computer course and learnt to stand on her won feet. Now she’s employed, and helping other visually impaired become self-reliant. Haseena narrates her story to Citizen Matters. Over to Haseena. I was born and brought up in this beautiful city of Bangalore, where my parents and…

Inclusiveness’ is the word for namma literary extravaganza, the Bangalore Literature Festival, to be held from September 27 to 29 this year at Jayamahal Palace. There are authors appealing to both the commoners and cognoscenti, English as well as bhasha readers, while technology is being used to democratise and promote. Vikram Sampath, author, musician, archivist, team leader in an IT firm and one of the co-founders of the festival, points out that BLF’s inclusive, tech-savvy personality is reflective of the city. Here’s an interview with Vikram Sampath, where he reveals his plans for the literature festival. Vikram Sampath talks about…

We all dream of a clean city where there is no garbage on the road, where one does not hear vehicle horns constantly, where civic amenities are available when you need them. But is it really happening in our city? Who is responsible for this? Who should take the blame for it? I am sure many will jump and blame the government. I agree with the fact that partial blame lies with the governing bodies but what about us? Have we every questioned ourselves? Have we, in true sense of the word, been doing what requires out of us a…

Atul Chitnis was a technologist, open source evangelist and organiser of FOSS.in. For more, check Wikipedia or even better, his own description. Here are some memories by those who knew him, those who were close to him, reflecting on his different facets. Sandhya Mendonca, a journalist and media entrepreneur writes: I have known Atul Chitnis for over 15 to 17 years. Though our acquaintance happened because of his messianic zeal for getting Indian IT going in the way that benefitted users, I am not going to dwell on his credentials as an open source guru; others are more qualified to…

Complaining about the lakes we are losing? Meet Bangaloreans who saved their neighbourhood lake and brought the birds back! See how citizens can participate in bringing about change.  The Rang De Bangalore Chapter is organizing 'A Walk with a Changemaker' with Ms. Usha Rajagopalan this Sunday, the 23rd of June, 2013 at the Puttenahalli Lake. Usha Rajagopalan, who spearheaded the Puttenahalli Neighborhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), will share her story, the challenges faced and the hardships they overcame for the successes of the project. The Rang De Bangalore Chapter is a group of interesting and enthusiastic folks from the city that believe in the power of microcredit want to…

After the sudden threat posed by the propsed re-alignment of the Metro Rail track along Bannerghatta Road, homeowners suddenly were threatened with the destruction of their homes.  When it was a matter of road-widening, we were able to protest at the chopping down of trees and the increase in traffic; but now, the Government can say that it is developing public transportation and this is for our own good.   After a storm of protests, the proposed re-alignment has been halted...for the time being. But there is no guarantee that our Government will not suddenly start the process again, and…

Dakshayani Rama Chandran with her assortment of recycled objects. Pic: Kedar Nadella “For me, nothing is a waste,” declares Dakshayani Rama Chandran, who lives in a silent side lane of the 5th Cross, Malleshwaram, away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets. She is someone who is deeply concerned about the waste that is generated around us each day. She believes that as responsible citizens everyone can do their bit to reduce the garbage that accumulates in the city. The wallpaper on her computer stands as a representation to this commitment of hers. It is the photograph of…

For Bangalore-based ecologist Harini Nagendra, whose name has just been announced as a winner of the 2013 Elinor Ostrom award, it is a bittersweet moment. Harini Nagendra and Dr. Ostrom at Kaikondrahalli Lake. Pic: Priya Ramasubban. The award has been instituted in the name of Elinor Ostrom, the USA-based scholar who received the Nobel Prize for economics in 2009 for her long standing body of work on the governance of the commons. For Harini, Elinor was, apart from being one of the most brilliant, incisive and deeply humanistic scholars, a very dear friend, collaborator and mentor with whom she worked…

"Immorality does not consist in being different. It consists in not allowing others to be so. It is not the individual whose sexual relations depart from the social custom who is immoral - but those are immoral who would penalize him for being different. A law-abiding citizen who respects the rights and dignities of others, if he is made to suffer merely for deviating from the conventional norm, is not the offender - he is the victim".This is a quote from the rare book 'The World of Homosexuals' written by Shakuntala Devi, the mathematical wizard of India who passed away…

It is election season in the city and the rest of the state. Most of the local news is about the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates and various political parties, campaign activities, problems existing in different constituencies and . In addition to this, are stories about voter awareness drives, poll code violations, contestant support campaigns by groups such as B.PAC and Praja Rajakiya Vedike, a political platform launched in 2010. Apart from all this, there are some specific groups of people who have brought out what they expect of the representatives to be elected, through detailed manifestos. These include…