SOCIETY

Some of my European friends visited India last year and we met. I was eager and waiting to hear every detail about their brief stay in India. As we ran through photo slides of Rajasthan, Delhi and Mumbai, I heard everyone say "India is magnificent". A little later, small irritations surfaced: from why "people stare" to the "so persistent beggars" and the "unbearable traffic" and the "lack of pubs". It was New Year's time when my friends were in Delhi and it had not been easy for them to find a pub. They could not imagine spending their time in…

A series of marches and human chains were organised Feb 12th across the city, protesting the attacks on women in Mangalore and the subsequent statements of Sri Rama Sene’s Pramod Muthalik. Bengaluru Unites, a protest campaign mooted by Professor Rajeev Gowda of IIMB, saw attendance of thousands as students and professionals took off from classes and work to join hands against moral policing for about an hour on Thursday afternoon. People congregated in more than a dozen locations across the city, from Mount Carmel College, Vasant Nagar to Garden City College, KR Puram, from Manyata Tech Park, Nagavara to Embassy…

I have been working in a very reputed BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) firm in Bangalore for the last six years. Today, during our tea break, the question, "Why we work for a BPO?" was raised. Post break I came back to my work station with my thoughts lingering about what we had discussed. Most of us in my group joined because we were either graduates or post graduates and not every one of us could get into management (or) technical trade. In the beginning, all of us felt it’s a 'no other go' scenario and found it difficult to explain…

Members of Sri Ram Sene got their share of limelight this fortnight. For beating women, tugging at their clothes, matrimonial threats... And Bangaloreans aren't taking this quietly. On 8th February, students of the Srishti School of Art and Design organised a peace march protesting against this moral policing. With the slogan 'I am an Indian, this is my culture', more than hundred people took to the streets with banners and placards. Students in a peace march against moral policing on Sunday, 8th of Feb (pic: Sastry Vadlamani) The march started from Rest House Road park, through Brigade Road, and ended…

It's not a great time to pick for an evening of theatre.... on a Wednesday evening. First, the traffic. Of all our theatre spaces, Chowdiah is the least well-connected by public transport. Leave alone not being close to any bus stop, it is not even convenient for auto-rickshaws. So, one decides to drive, battling the guilt of using the car for only two people. And one realises that the ‘evening of leisure’ will not begin until the wretched having-cars-autos-and-two-wheelers-squeezing-past drive is over, as also the eternal hunt for that elusive El Dorado, the Parking Space. It took us an hour…

How many times have you asked for directions in namma Bengaluru and ended up going in circles? Whether it's the roadside vendor or the autorickshaw driver taking you for a ride, we have all been in that spot, lost in a city that we have called home! Coming to your rescue, are location-based services on your mobile phone, the Internet or even maps for that matter. Have they made it easier to commute through this clogging city? Yes and no. With a population of over five million, Bangalore is a fast growing city. And in a city this big, finding…

The sprawling Indian Institute of Science right at the centre, a dozen-odd industries, swanky malls, residential layouts, commercial establishments, a bustling vegetable market, high rise hotels, all this and more make Yeshwanthpur a town by itself, interspersing an old world charm with the new. Situated in the northern outskirts of Bangalore, Yeshwanthpur has a number of educational institutions, theatres, hospitals and other amenities. This once half sleepy village has now transformed into a well-planned township as a result of the rapid development of public sector units.Slide show (all photographs by M S Gopal)Wall Art outside Yeshwantpur Junction. Yeshwantpur to Bangalore’s…

Business Labourers affected by global recession The Peenya Industrial Area employs about five lakh labourers. Out of them 5000 workers have alreadly lost their jobs, the reason being global recession. Most of the industrial units have no new orders to execute since three months. Many companies are asking workers to resign without giving them sufficient period of notice. The bogey of unemployment now haunts many workers. It is said that there will be 25- 30 per cent job cut soon. (Prajavani, Sunday, 11 Jan) Coffee to brew no more at Coffee House Sad news for coffee and Coffee House lovers-…

The most awaited park of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP), the Freedom Park, opened to the public in November 2008, even as a number of facilities inside are still not functional. This, over-20 acre park, built on the former Central Jail premises on Seshadri Road is mainly constructed for arranging rallies, dharnas and protests and, therefore, not affecting the flow of traffic on such occasions. Garden area inside Freedom Park ( pic: Architects Mathew and Ghosh )The Freedom Park, now a vital green lung space in fast-concretising Bengaluru, has a long history to it. The plans for the park…

Business Price of rice doubles in eight months Inflation might have taken a beating elsewhere, but for us in Karnataka, the price of rice is heading northwards. A kilo of good quality rice now costs Rs 38 to Rs. 40. The government's decision to impose levy on rice is the reason behind this rise. Moreover, the Andhra Pradesh Government, which was the main exporter of rice, has banned export as traders there opposed the levy system. So Karnataka is now exporting rice to Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarath, creating a shortage for domestic use. The state government has not initiated…