Governance

I was on the 25th Chennai Photo Walk and we were walking past the Annamalai Mandram, in front of which is the statue of the famous banker/philanthropist, Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar photographed here with an alert citizen in front :)....  and when I looked at the plaque, I realized that the king of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore,  Jayachamaraja Wodeyar had been the Governor of the erstwhile Madras Presidency, and had actually unveiled this statue in 1954!   It's only now that we have Andhra and Karnataka and Tamil Nadu...we were all brothers, not so long ago!   ⊕

I was on the 25th Chennai Photo Walk and we were walking past the Annamalai Mandram, in front of which is the statue of the famous banker/philanthropist, Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar photographed here with an alert citizen in front :)....  and when I looked at the plaque, I realized that the king of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore,  Jayachamaraja Wodeyar had been the Governor of the erstwhile Madras Presidency, and had actually unveiled this statue in 1954!   It's only now that we have Andhra and Karnataka and Tamil Nadu...we were all brothers, not so long ago!   ⊕

As soon as I read that Bangalore was hosting the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation's (IWAS) biennial event, I decided that I would definitely see these remarkable people whom I have viewed a bit on the telly. Although I attended only the colourful and slightly chaotic opening ceremony and also witnessed some of the confusion prevalent among the organizers, I felt enriched and elated! When I asked Mr. David Premnath, the event's Technical Director about the motivation behind bringing the games to India he promptly replied, "We wanted to create awareness about these games, here." However, despite the occasion's specialty,…

As soon as I read that Bangalore was hosting the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation's (IWAS) biennial event, I decided that I would definitely see these remarkable people whom I have viewed a bit on the telly. Although I attended only the colourful and slightly chaotic opening ceremony and also witnessed some of the confusion prevalent among the organizers, I felt enriched and elated! When I asked Mr. David Premnath, the event's Technical Director about the motivation behind bringing the games to India he promptly replied, "We wanted to create awareness about these games, here." However, despite the occasion's specialty,…

Having missed the Right to Information (RTI) clinic in September, I was determined to participate in this edition. Despite the minimal participation, Bangalore's famous and seasoned RTI activists (and retired government employees) like Veeresh Bellur and Vikram Simha from Mahiti Hakku Adhyan Kendra (MHAK) and Anand S of Anti-Corruption Forum (ACF) continue to inspire us with their knowledge and enthusiasm. And, this may be impossible without the committed efforts of Bangalore based civil society organizations (CSO's) like South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), Urban Research Centre (URC), Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), OpenSpace and others…

Having missed the Right to Information (RTI) clinic in September, I was determined to participate in this edition. Despite the minimal participation, Bangalore's famous and seasoned RTI activists (and retired government employees) like Veeresh Bellur and Vikram Simha from Mahiti Hakku Adhyan Kendra (MHAK) and Anand S of Anti-Corruption Forum (ACF) continue to inspire us with their knowledge and enthusiasm. And, this may be impossible without the committed efforts of Bangalore based civil society organizations (CSO's) like South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), Urban Research Centre (URC), Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), OpenSpace and others…

I expected muddy water, unclean tanks and an unkempt environment. But a recent visit to the Government Aquarium on Kasturba Road, proved me wrong. Even though the Aquarium could do with a few more features, possibly to attract marine enthusiasts, I was pleasantly surprised. Especially after my last visit, many many years ago. The Government Aquarium is located on Kasturba Road in the Cubbon Park premises A variety of fishes can be found here, spread across two floors. This one though, had a blank name board 'Feather Back' - For the most time, it seemed to remain towards the bottom…

I expected muddy water, unclean tanks and an unkempt environment. But a recent visit to the Government Aquarium on Kasturba Road, proved me wrong. Even though the Aquarium could do with a few more features, possibly to attract marine enthusiasts, I was pleasantly surprised. Especially after my last visit, many many years ago. The Government Aquarium is located on Kasturba Road in the Cubbon Park premises A variety of fishes can be found here, spread across two floors. This one though, had a blank name board 'Feather Back' - For the most time, it seemed to remain towards the bottom…

Unaware of the legal battle surrounding her home in this Low Income Neighbourhood (LIN) in Krishnarajapuram in North Bangalore, this little girl enjoys a measly snack. You can read the complete article about this LIN here They have possession certificates, yet live in fear of eviction ⊕References

Unaware of the legal battle surrounding her home in this Low Income Neighbourhood (LIN) in Krishnarajapuram in North Bangalore, this little girl enjoys a measly snack. You can read the complete article about this LIN here They have possession certificates, yet live in fear of eviction ⊕References