PEOPLE

You’d expect the members of a group that calls itself the Bangalore Classic Scooter Club to be older, gray-haired, bordering on their 50s perhaps. It therefore comes as a surprise that the founder-members of this group, four in all, are in their 20s and 30s. In fact, as Arun P, one of the founder-members and all of 23 tells me, most of their members are below the age of 35. If that’s the first of the clichés shattered (vintage scooters would appeal to those who belong to somewhat vintage years) then the next is yet another widely believed one. You’d…

R B Shivakumar, 36, a resident of Rajajinagar has been collecting surplus vegetarian foods from social and private functions in and around his residence for the past three years and distributing it to around 150 low income families in his locality. He employs six people to assist him. On May 22nd, Shivakumar says he distributed lunch to more than 20,000 people. The food was collected from five different kalyana mantapas located in and around Rajajinagar. And the food was distributed to slum dwellers of Gopalpura and Chamundi Nagar. Babu, one of the recipient from Chamundi Nagar says, “It is a…

UNITES Professionals is perhaps the first and only registered union for employees in the IT (Information Technology) and ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services or Business Process Outsourcing) industry in India. The organization is working on better work environment and setting standards in the industry Karthik Shekhar (L). Courtesy: Karthik Shekhar. With its headquarters in Bangalore, UNITES Professionals has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata. Pushpa Achanta interviewed Karthik Shekhar, the General Secretary of UNITES Professionals over email. Tell us more about UNITES? UNITES Professionals strives to create a distinct and cogent link between employers and employees…

“From my apartment window I would see children building castles out of mud. Kids who should be spending their time in school were out accompanying their parents at the construction. This scene which resonated with me would repeat itself day after day until I realized a universal truth - Children loved building castles, homes - a place of belonging, whether at a beach, a playground or here at a construction site. Children's Lovecastles Trust (CLT) was borne out of a passion to keep kids in school. To give them the education they deserve, so they can go build on their…

Someshekar says “We want to stop this work with our generation, our children should go to school and get an education". Pic: Chetan BorayThe bamboo materials are bought from Belgaum. Pic: Chetan BorayThe bamboo stick is made into ladders, baskets of different sizes and so on. Pic: Chetan Boray‹ › $(document).ready(function(){ $('.carousel .carousel-inner .item').first().attr('class', 'active item');}); Around 40 families originally from Mysore, who have been weaving and selling bamboo products on the footpaths of Bangalore Gayanasamaja, KR Road for the past 28 years will now have to find another place to continue their business. BBMP has served them a notice…

At a time when Bengaluru is facing acute water shortage, call it ironic that over 400 half-litre bottles (costing Rs 8 each) of mineral water were consumed during the two-day special ‘water' session of the BBMP council. Only one corporator, Congress's K Poornima (Basavanapura, Ward 53) pointed out to this, requesting Mayor S K Nataraj to ensure that smaller bottles are provided or to make it compulsory for all corporators to carry the bottles back with them instead of leaving them in the council hall, half-consumed. Poornima's appeal may well have fallen on deaf ears. It is unfortunate that many…

On 30th May 2009, a coalition of various Civil Society Organizations (CSO's) in Bangalore launched a Right to Information (RTI) clinic between 2.00 PM and 4.00 PM in Cubbon Park (opposite the Bangalore Press Club entrance). Held at the same time and location on the last Saturday every successive month, this initiative will complete a year on May-29-2010. The primary objective of these free entry sessions is to share success stories in using the RTI Act for public benefit. Nearly four hundred persons have approached the CSO's through the clinics and elsewhere. This is encouraging everyone involved to continue spreading…

Muniyamma (56) who was awarded the Kuvempu Vidyamaana Prashasti  by Kuvempu Kalanikethan Trust in February does not sound very elated.  "Memento will not fill our stomach, but a government job can feed our family," she says. She is a resident of Konanakunte.She is the milk-seller who helped police capture the LTTE members who took part in the conspiracy to assassinate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.She says, the Government of Karnataka promised to reward her with Rs 10 lakhs in the year 1991, but she got only Rs 60000 since then. Her son also never got his promised job. She complains,…

Almost everyone who visits or moves to Bangalore is captivated by the blooms that add colours to the city, all around the year - flaming Gulmohur in summer, pleasing Jacaranda in spring, sparkling Copper pods in autumn. Walking through roads and lanes where these trees have survived the metro and road widening constructions, it is hard to imagine that the man behind these is a German, Herr G H Krumbiegel to be precise. City under Siege. Pic: Maragathavalli Inbamuthiah Goethe Institute located at Indiranagar recently remembered and honoured this "Economical Botanist" who, under the rule of  Krishnaraja Wodeyar, imported many…

S Vishwanath is a pioneer in rainwater harvesting. He is the founder of Rainwater Club, a city-based group that promotes and provides information on rainwater harvesting. Vishwanath has been working in the areas of urban planning, ecological architecture and water management for the past 25 years. Rainwater Club was one of the winners of the 2009 Namma Bengaluru Awards. In this interview with Citizen Matters, Vishwanath speaks about the desperate water scene in the city and suggests what immediate measures can be taken to address the issue of shortage.S Vishwanath, Rainwater Club. Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal When you hear of water…