Society

Smart technology can only be as smart as the people who use it, otherwise it only ends up as another fancy gadget in the house! As S Vishwanath, a water expert says, Smart cities is the mantra of our times with a 100 slated to roll out in India. Ideological debates rage over how to define ‘smart’ and whether technology is what makes for ‘smart.’ Barring the debate, a peculiar way though would be to say that smart people make smart cities. And technology can indeed play an important role to aid people in making ‘smart’ informed decisions, especially about responsible…

A little off the city, on Mysore Road after the Kengeri township, it is hard to miss the ultra-colourful stuffed toys being sold by the kerb. Makers of these toys are the members of more than 20 families migrated from Naklav village, Jharkhand, a decade ago. Their profession back home was making mortar and pestle and statues. They have made Bengaluru their home now, but sadly they do not even hold an address proof. Even after all these years, very few of their children get to attend schools. One among them is Pooja. Pooja is ony 18, cute and shy…

A little off the city, on Mysore Road after the Kengeri township, it is hard to miss the ultra-colourful stuffed toys being sold by the kerb. Makers of these toys are the members of more than 20 families migrated from Naklav village, Jharkhand, a decade ago. Their profession back home was making mortar and pestle and statues. They have made Bengaluru their home now, but sadly they do not even hold an address proof. Even after all these years, very few of their children get to attend schools. One among them is Pooja. Pooja is ony 18, cute and shy…

Last Tuesday, on 27th October, when our gardeners came to work at 9 a.m., they saw four of the Cuddappa stone seats in the Gazebo smashed, 15 out of the 20 heavy Sadarahalli granite seat of benches along the walking track were upturned and one broken into two. See the pix. We are used to vandals breaking the glass windows of the cabin, ripping apart our signages, pulling down branches of trees, even uprooting them but this incident takes it to another level altogether. Who did this in the dark of the night? Evil minds or empty minds?                We informed BBMP…

Last Tuesday, on 27th October, when our gardeners came to work at 9 a.m., they saw four of the Cuddappa stone seats in the Gazebo smashed, 15 out of the 20 heavy Sadarahalli granite seat of benches along the walking track were upturned and one broken into two. See the pix. We are used to vandals breaking the glass windows of the cabin, ripping apart our signages, pulling down branches of trees, even uprooting them but this incident takes it to another level altogether. Who did this in the dark of the night? Evil minds or empty minds?                We informed BBMP…

Name : Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre Website : http://www.wrrcbangalore.org/ Phone : +91 80 2294 7307 | 91 80 2294 7317 email : wrrc-rescue@googlegroups.com | wrrc.projects@gmail.com | wrrcbrc@gmail.com   Name : People For Animals Website : http://www.peopleforanimalsbangalore.org/ Phone : 91 99000 25370 | 91 99803 39880 Landline : 080-28611986 | 080-28612767 | 080-22733350 email : info@peopleforanimalsbangalore.org | rescueservice@peopleforanimalsbangalore.org   Name Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka Website : http://karunaanimalwelfare.org/ Phone : 080 22860205 | 080 -23411181 | 080-23511329 email : contact@karunaanimalwelfare.org   Update: On 29 Dec 2016, I got the number of the Bangalore Cat Squad from Vidhya Sunder, it's 9845553850…

Name : Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre Website : http://www.wrrcbangalore.org/ Phone : +91 80 2294 7307 | 91 80 2294 7317 email : wrrc-rescue@googlegroups.com | wrrc.projects@gmail.com | wrrcbrc@gmail.com   Name : People For Animals Website : http://www.peopleforanimalsbangalore.org/ Phone : 91 99000 25370 | 91 99803 39880 Landline : 080-28611986 | 080-28612767 | 080-22733350 email : info@peopleforanimalsbangalore.org | rescueservice@peopleforanimalsbangalore.org   Name Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka Website : http://karunaanimalwelfare.org/ Phone : 080 22860205 | 080 -23411181 | 080-23511329 email : contact@karunaanimalwelfare.org   Update: On 29 Dec 2016, I got the number of the Bangalore Cat Squad from Vidhya Sunder, it's 9845553850…

It’s not often that I attend a play without prior planning, but this happened to me when my friend Prathap invited me, after rather a long day outdoors, to “Still and Still Moving” at Ranga Shankara on 31st October 2015, staged by Tadpole Repertory Theatre. It was worth the effort of changing tracks, from nature to theatre. You can find Tadpole Rep’s blog here,   and they are on FaceBook,   here. A Delhi-based group, their professionalism in all departments of stagecraft was outstanding. I will be listing the cast and crew at the end, so I may not mention…

It’s not often that I attend a play without prior planning, but this happened to me when my friend Prathap invited me, after rather a long day outdoors, to “Still and Still Moving” at Ranga Shankara on 31st October 2015, staged by Tadpole Repertory Theatre. It was worth the effort of changing tracks, from nature to theatre. You can find Tadpole Rep’s blog here,   and they are on FaceBook,   here. A Delhi-based group, their professionalism in all departments of stagecraft was outstanding. I will be listing the cast and crew at the end, so I may not mention…

Our peripatetic Prime Minister recently choked up on one of his visits abroad. He was talking about his mother and her years of working as a domestic help. Following that emotional outpouring, reams were written, and much space given to the fact that maids and other domestic workers in India continue to be ill-treated, badly paid and treated with little respect. Actually change is happening. As Indian cities such as Bengaluru become home to richer, double-income individuals, the benefits are passing on—to the domestic help. Take for instance, a luxury apartment complex in Bengaluru or even a gated community, where…