PEOPLE

   A man buys plantain leaves on the occasion of Ugadi - the Kannada New Year. I can only imagine the sumptuous meal he would have had on the plantain leaf.  Pic by Ravi Kaushik.

  I saw in Citizen Matters that I could volunteer for Bus Day this month:  here's the announcement So I've registered myself....let's see what I am asked to do, and what happens! It's going to be interesting, and I am rather tickled by the concept that "celebrities" cannot take the bus without assistance!      ⊕

   At 8.30 pm on the 4th of April, I took the BIAS Vayu Vajra (BIAS 12, to KuVemPu Nagara)nfrom the airport to my home.On the way, a group of four passengers got on,and asked for tickets. They paid Rs. 60( four tickets of Rs.15 each) , and the conductor said that the tickets would cost Rs.20 each. The young man who was one of the group protested, saying that he had taken the Volvo yesterday and had paid only Rs.15, and he would not pay the higher amount.The conductor insisted that the amount was correct. The passenger demanded that the…

We often live in worlds that are completely sealed off from others in the same city. Most of my friends are not aware of how other people, such as gays or eunuchs, live, and do not want to know, either. Their reaction to seeing such people is only disgust and fear. Of late, I too have been noticing quite a considerable increase in the number of eunuchs at city traffic junctions, and, indeed, walking along various shopping areas. They are very much in-your-face in their approach, and take full advantage of people's aversion to them to demand money,rather than beg…

We often live in worlds that are completely sealed off from others in the same city. Most of my friends are not aware of how other people, such as gays or eunuchs, live, and do not want to know, either. Their reaction to seeing such people is only disgust and fear. Of late, I too have been noticing quite a considerable increase in the number of eunuchs at city traffic junctions, and, indeed, walking along various shopping areas. They are very much in-your-face in their approach, and take full advantage of people's aversion to them to demand money,rather than beg…

I've written about the Tabebuia argentea and the Jacaranda blooms welcoming summer into the city....but another sight, that is full of colour, but that is far less welcome, is one that's started staring me in the eye: Water and power shortages are here, with no apologies on the part of the Government.⊕

I've written about the Tabebuia argentea and the Jacaranda blooms welcoming summer into the city....but another sight, that is full of colour, but that is far less welcome, is one that's started staring me in the eye: Water and power shortages are here, with no apologies on the part of the Government.⊕

"I chose Bangalore for my worldwide launch as it is a diverse and vibrant global city", said Yazmany Arboleda, an artist from New York city. His floating installation attracted the curiosity of the young, elderly, employed, students and all others who were in or around Shivaji Nagar bus stand in the forenoon of 24th January 2011.The objective of the activity was to encourage people to start their Monday (work week) on a positive note. With teenagers Divya and Gautam Ravindran from Shanti Bhavan assisting him enthusiastically, Arboleda invited around ten thousand passengers and passers by to be a part of…

"I chose Bangalore for my worldwide launch as it is a diverse and vibrant global city", said Yazmany Arboleda, an artist from New York city. His floating installation attracted the curiosity of the young, elderly, employed, students and all others who were in or around Shivaji Nagar bus stand in the forenoon of 24th January 2011.The objective of the activity was to encourage people to start their Monday (work week) on a positive note. With teenagers Divya and Gautam Ravindran from Shanti Bhavan assisting him enthusiastically, Arboleda invited around ten thousand passengers and passers by to be a part of…

3 years ago, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Population First launched the Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity. Their objective is to annually recognize and reward gender just perspectives, stories and analyses by various newsmedia between 1st July of the previous year and 30th June of the current year. Comprising of regional and national awards, they are given in each category including print, internet, audio (radio) and audio-visual (television) media. Apart from this, there are also all India awards for similar efforts in advertising. Importantly, the awards include various vernacular tongues in addition to Urdu, Hindi and English. National…