Society

First, of course, was the headline in the newspaper, that said that twelve people in the Beggars' Colony had died, presumably after eating contaminated food. Click here for the news. I did not even know that such a place exists in Bangalore, and the descriptions of the living conditions there were appalling.   The second news item was about the Karnataka Dwarf Welfare Association. Click here to see the report. I didn't  know, either, that such an organization exists, and I was glad to see that these people, who (I think) are normal in every way except for their lack of…

The various communities in our ward celebrated Independence day with fervour and enthusiasm. Mantri Flora residents had a Saawan Mela after the Independence Day programme, where women participated in various events and put up stalls for food and games. Goonj, an NGO, had a stall where the residents contributed clothes for needy children. The function at Reliable Residency, Haralur started with flag hoisting by a resident and chief guest, Bhaskar Rao, followed by National Anthem. The chief guest spoke a few words about the celebration and words of advice to children to become responsible citizens of our nation,  followed by…

Onam Sadya is a tradition at the Ranga Shankara cafe. Anju Sudarshan, the lady who runs the cafe, puts her heart and soul to whip up a buffet that brings the flavours, tastes and colours Kerala to Ranga Shankara. This year, the Onam Sadya lunch is set for 1 PM t0 3 PM, Sun, Aug 22. Prior reservation necessary -- please call 9900064931.Onam- the harvest festival of Kerala is celebrated during the Malayali month of Chingam (Aug- Sep). This festival lasts for ten days and marks the homecoming of the legendary king Mahabali. These ten days bring out the best…

As I walked down Jayanagar, at the meeting point of the roads where the ICICI Bank is (I don't know the name of the circle, and you'll see why!), I saw this BBMP signboard, which was bad.Why do people want to stick posters over road and junction signs? Do they think everyone knows the place, and needs no directions or information?However, to offset the bad, was the good..the fact that the banyan tree has been allowed to grow, spread its roots, and give its generous shade to the area (and support bird, insect, and animal life, too!)What a majestic sight…

The various communities in our ward celebrated Independence day with fervour and enthusiasm. Mantri Flora residents had a Saawan Mela after the Independence Day programme, where women participated in various events and put up stalls for food and games. Goonj, an NGO, had a stall where the residents contributed clothes for needy children. The function at Reliable Residency, Haralur started with flag hoisting by a resident and chief guest, Bhaskar Rao, followed by National Anthem. The chief guest spoke a few words about the celebration and words of advice to children to become responsible citizens of our nation,  followed by…

Onam Sadya is a tradition at the Ranga Shankara cafe. Anju Sudarshan, the lady who runs the cafe, puts her heart and soul to whip up a buffet that brings the flavours, tastes and colours Kerala to Ranga Shankara. This year, the Onam Sadya lunch is set for 1 PM t0 3 PM, Sun, Aug 22. Prior reservation necessary -- please call 9900064931.Onam- the harvest festival of Kerala is celebrated during the Malayali month of Chingam (Aug- Sep). This festival lasts for ten days and marks the homecoming of the legendary king Mahabali. These ten days bring out the best…

As I walked down Jayanagar, at the meeting point of the roads where the ICICI Bank is (I don't know the name of the circle, and you'll see why!), I saw this BBMP signboard, which was bad.Why do people want to stick posters over road and junction signs? Do they think everyone knows the place, and needs no directions or information?However, to offset the bad, was the good..the fact that the banyan tree has been allowed to grow, spread its roots, and give its generous shade to the area (and support bird, insect, and animal life, too!)What a majestic sight…

 Beautiful Graffiti adorns the walls of Max Muller Bhavan at Indiranagar. Pic by Ravi Kaushik ⊕

 Beautiful Graffiti adorns the walls of Max Muller Bhavan at Indiranagar. Pic by Ravi Kaushik ⊕

The past few months have given us several examples once again that Bangaloreans do not sit silent beyond a point. Yes, you can push citizens here for some time, but push hard enough and they are likely to hit back. The message from the backlash against auto rickshaw drivers tampering meters and refusing rides to passengers with runaway impunity is clear: 'We've had enough'. The mere fact that the unions have reportedly met and have started making pronouncements to address citizen fury is indicative that it took a united expression of anger to bring the auto rickshaw driver community to…