Articles by Pushpa Achanta

An interesting way to urge four-wheeler users to burn more calories and less fuel. And of course reduce emissions, traffic, noise et al. Evangelical Social Action Forum, a Bangalore based NGO in association with Healthbridge Foundation of Canada launched their annual campaign to urge car passengers to rest their vehicles for a day at least. Between22nd September (International Car Free Day) and 4th October, 2012, the organizations are having awareness and signature campaigns at different colleges, private firms, malls, apartment complexes, bookstores and other places in Bangalore to approach those who travel by car to consider going by public transport…

An interesting way to urge four-wheeler users to burn more calories and less fuel. And of course reduce emissions, traffic, noise et al. Evangelical Social Action Forum, a Bangalore based NGO in association with Healthbridge Foundation of Canada launched their annual campaign to urge car passengers to rest their vehicles for a day at least. Between22nd September (International Car Free Day) and 4th October, 2012, the organizations are having awareness and signature campaigns at different colleges, private firms, malls, apartment complexes, bookstores and other places in Bangalore to approach those who travel by car to consider going by public transport…

  That was how around 40 of us reclaimed our space vociferously and visibly on the roads of Madiwala (South Bangalore) and its environs between 5.00-7.00 pm last Saturday, 4th August. We energetically and emphatically expressed our views against various recent cases of moral policing and sexual assault across India including Guwahati, Mandya (Karnataka) and Mangalore. Ithi (meaning "a start" in Sanskrit), a support forum for women employed in the IT/ITeS industry organized the action which attracted necessary attention from local residents, college students and onlookers some of who joined us. Starting with a stationary protest at a busy corner…

  That was how around 40 of us reclaimed our space vociferously and visibly on the roads of Madiwala (South Bangalore) and its environs between 5.00-7.00 pm last Saturday, 4th August. We energetically and emphatically expressed our views against various recent cases of moral policing and sexual assault across India including Guwahati, Mandya (Karnataka) and Mangalore. Ithi (meaning "a start" in Sanskrit), a support forum for women employed in the IT/ITeS industry organized the action which attracted necessary attention from local residents, college students and onlookers some of who joined us. Starting with a stationary protest at a busy corner…

Still from the film (Courtesy: Jobin Andrews) What do places like Electronic City (Bangalore), Cyberabad (Hyderabad) and TIDEL Park (Chennai) have in common? Well, they are parts of large southern Indian metropolises where many information technology (IT) organizations have their offices. And they are sanitized expanses with a few of them also having space for people to reside. Such populations typically comprise those who can afford to or need to live there - i.e., largely IT professionals with or without their families. Further, these areas and their environs give the impression of exclusivity, insulation and wealth except for those pockets…

Still from the film (Courtesy: Jobin Andrews) What do places like Electronic City (Bangalore), Cyberabad (Hyderabad) and TIDEL Park (Chennai) have in common? Well, they are parts of large southern Indian metropolises where many information technology (IT) organizations have their offices. And they are sanitized expanses with a few of them also having space for people to reside. Such populations typically comprise those who can afford to or need to live there - i.e., largely IT professionals with or without their families. Further, these areas and their environs give the impression of exclusivity, insulation and wealth except for those pockets…

There was a shower That shook a treeA branch broke free And shut out the powerKids gathered noisilyAdults responded quickly The police arrivedThe loggers followedThey sawed the wood But left the leavesTea was servedJokes were sharedKudos were heardPictures were clickedWhile Nature witnessedAll that happenedWill this recur?Will the tree go next?Will that hurt someone?Will anyone help?Don't just wait and watch! 

There was a shower That shook a treeA branch broke free And shut out the powerKids gathered noisilyAdults responded quickly The police arrivedThe loggers followedThey sawed the wood But left the leavesTea was servedJokes were sharedKudos were heardPictures were clickedWhile Nature witnessedAll that happenedWill this recur?Will the tree go next?Will that hurt someone?Will anyone help?Don't just wait and watch! 

"I brought my younger daughter to the park as she has her summer holidays and was keen to find out what this event is all about. My older girl is in doing well in high school", beamed Rafiq Ahmed (name changed) who visits Bangalore regularly from Tumkur. He was one of the eager members of the audience that swelled after the annual Global Walk for India's Missing Girls that started outside the Haji Ismail Sait mosque in Frazer Town reached Coles Park around 4 pm on Saturday, May-5, 2012. The motivation behind the Global Walk (which has been conducted in over…

"I brought my younger daughter to the park as she has her summer holidays and was keen to find out what this event is all about. My older girl is in doing well in high school", beamed Rafiq Ahmed (name changed) who visits Bangalore regularly from Tumkur. He was one of the eager members of the audience that swelled after the annual Global Walk for India's Missing Girls that started outside the Haji Ismail Sait mosque in Frazer Town reached Coles Park around 4 pm on Saturday, May-5, 2012. The motivation behind the Global Walk (which has been conducted in over…