SOCIETY

The monthly first Saturday meeting of Manjari Ladies Association (a registered  non-profit social service organisation) which is based in JP Nagar was a special one to ring in the New Year on a joyous note.  All serious discussions were put aside and it was fun and gaiety all afternoon. Ladies dressed in their colourful best enjoyed and participated in the jokes, music, games, skits and so on. The icing on the cake was the humorous Kannada skit  "Sanmaana Sukha", enacted by some of the committee members and very ably directed by Savithri Chayapathi, the secretary of the association. Parimala Rao…

There are 99 couples on the waiting list of Adoption Coordinating Agency (ACA), Karnataka, some of them patiently awaiting their turn since 2006. ACA is an NGO recognised by the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) that facilitates adoptions across the country. The wait is due to a shortage of healthy babies below one year at these agencies, And most parents want to adopt babies very young. A happy 6 month old with her new mother. Pic Gokul Janga. Behind the Wait It's a common story across agencies in Bangalore. "There are not enough healthy infants and toddlers in adoption centres…

What should be an ideal way to find a match? A man and a woman meet and then they decide to marry. Of course, this is the practice followed in many western countries but a rare practice in India. We claim we are a modern and civilized society but still keep a highly orthodox perception about marriage. There are two roadblocks to perfect marriage in Indian society. One is horoscope matching and the other is the practice of dowry, which is used to decide matches by most parents. The bride and groom rarely get the privilege of taking their own…

Journey across Bengaluru city on a whim is a thing of the past. Jammed roads have necessitated planning. What used to take 15 minutes can stretch to an hour on a bad day. A fallout of crowded streets that’s seldom discussed is the issue of nature’s call while you are on road for long periods. This especially gets trickier if you are a woman.Loo-breaks too need to be planned. City’s walls and trees are of little use if you are a woman. Yes, there are a little over hundred Nirmala pay and use toilets across the city. But most are…

Festive season is also marriage season in the city? How does Bangalore’s urban, professional crowd find that perfect match when it comes to an arranged marriage? Citizen Matters checked some trends. You may expect a 31-year-old man to have his own checklist when it comes to selecting a prospective bride. Yes, Suresh Kumar (name changed) does, but along with conditions like she should be a working woman, well educated and good conversationalist, comes another point added by his mother: the caste and community should match. It’s one of the reasons Suresh, who’s registered on a number of online sites, jokes…

The smell of sulphur wafting through the air, the night-sky filled with beautiful firework displays, constant sounds of bombs being blown – crackers are an integral part of the hindu festival Diwali, or Deepavali as it is termed in  some parts of south India. The Late A Chelladurai, General Director of the Sivakasi-headquartered Standard Fireworks Ltd., once wrote, “At no time was there or is there a product that has contributed more to relaxation, merriment and enjoyment - both for young and old alike. Let us enjoy fireworks!”  But unlike a decade ago, when this was a sight only during…

Citizen Matters was present at the Sneha Sante event, with a spot drawing contest for children and also encouraged visitors of all ages to share their thoughts about the city. Sneha Sante was organised by Bangalore Cares, a non profit group, on 27th and 28th September 2009, at H N Kalakshetra, National College, Jayanagar. The event combined a charity bazaar and a programme of cultural events, Here are some thoughts people shared. A city full of people with good intentions! And it’s great that a lot of them actually carry out their intentions.Maha KumarBe kind to animals it is their…

On 27th and 28th September 2009, Bangalore Cares, a non profit group organised "Sneha Sante", an event that combines a charity bazaar and a programme of cultural events, at H N Kalakshetra, National College, Jayanagar. Citizen Matters was present at the event with a spot drawing contest for children on the theme, "My street". Here are the drawings of the two groups, children aged eight years or below and those nine years and above. Scroll below to vote for your favourite.  Here are the drawings in group A, comprising of children aged eight years or below. A1 A2 A3 A4 A5…

On 9 August, M  Karunanidhi, the Chief Minister (CM) of Tamil Nadu, unveiled the statue of Thiruvalluvar near Ulsoor Lake. Kalaignar, as he is popularly known, was at the RBANMS grounds when the statue was unveiled by remote control.  The yellow curtains opened and suddenly, magically the statue became visible to people from all four directions. There was a hush and it took a while for people to start clapping.It was past 12:20 PM.  Kalaignar’s speech broadcasted over loudspeakers, talked of the need to build interstate brotherhood which was lavishly quoted from Sarvagna’s couplets.  He said publishing Kannada poet’s couplets…

A lane full of huge idols wrapped in polythene sheets ready to be painted, several tents full of colourful big and small idols to be sold, painters using spraying machines to fill vibrant colours on small mud idols and children curiously looking at which one to chose from, a sight of all this and we know that Ganesh Chaturthi is on its way. Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaki Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi is celebrated as the birthday of the elephant god. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada starting on the fourth day of the…