Trends

This Mother's Day, remember the “mother of all battles” that happened in Bengaluru some weeks ago? No, it was not fought on a cricket pitch. Rather, it involved moms who were part of a common forum on Facebook--a group called Mums of Bangalore (MoB, the acronym, turned out to be prescient, in more ways than one). Moms fought with each other. Local moms took on “outsiders” (including the group-founder) for disrespecting the local language, and being disinclined to learn the language of the place they live/work in. There was slander, much shaming, and slurs hurled back and forth. And of course,…

This Mother's Day, remember the “mother of all battles” that happened in Bengaluru some weeks ago? No, it was not fought on a cricket pitch. Rather, it involved moms who were part of a common forum on Facebook--a group called Mums of Bangalore (MoB, the acronym, turned out to be prescient, in more ways than one). Moms fought with each other. Local moms took on “outsiders” (including the group-founder) for disrespecting the local language, and being disinclined to learn the language of the place they live/work in. There was slander, much shaming, and slurs hurled back and forth. And of course,…

One evening, my son and I were at our local library. The place has one of those stubbornly heavy glass doors that basically require you to pull (or push, or vice versa, and yes, I always get mixed up!) and shove, till it slowly deigns to sulkily open. Basically, it is a door you tussle with, but hey, it's good for toning biceps.  Anyway, so there we were, browsing through the Crime section (me), the kids titles (my son), with me shushing him frequently when I heard a noise outside the glass door. A little girl was trying with all…

One evening, my son and I were at our local library. The place has one of those stubbornly heavy glass doors that basically require you to pull (or push, or vice versa, and yes, I always get mixed up!) and shove, till it slowly deigns to sulkily open. Basically, it is a door you tussle with, but hey, it's good for toning biceps.  Anyway, so there we were, browsing through the Crime section (me), the kids titles (my son), with me shushing him frequently when I heard a noise outside the glass door. A little girl was trying with all…

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…

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…

What will it take to accept people for who they are? Image Courtesy: www.facebook.com/TRRAIN Have you ever noticed how we Indians tend to accuse everyone else of being racist while conveniently ignoring our very own narrow-mindedness? As a true-blue Kannadiga, the most obvious form of racism that I see, is in the insult, “Ay, AK nan magane!”, where AK is short for 'Adi-Kannadiga'. Adi-Kannadigas, for those of you not in the know, are the original inhabitants of this state. Thanks to the urbanisation of the other castes, they are considered less sophisticated. Hence, the insult. We begin with the TV…

What will it take to accept people for who they are? Image Courtesy: www.facebook.com/TRRAIN Have you ever noticed how we Indians tend to accuse everyone else of being racist while conveniently ignoring our very own narrow-mindedness? As a true-blue Kannadiga, the most obvious form of racism that I see, is in the insult, “Ay, AK nan magane!”, where AK is short for 'Adi-Kannadiga'. Adi-Kannadigas, for those of you not in the know, are the original inhabitants of this state. Thanks to the urbanisation of the other castes, they are considered less sophisticated. Hence, the insult. We begin with the TV…

She seemingly had it all—the vitality of youth, varied and interesting career choices, a vibrant life, a vivacious personality. Yet she is now no more, after allegedly plunging off a Bengaluru high rise to certain, violent death. Her story is all over the city newspapers now. The question uppermost in peoples' minds (as my own) is why? Why did this bright, beautiful girl feel she had to end it all? To leave behind loved ones who are probably traumatised for life. What spurred her on to do this terrible act?  Today, we (at least most urbanites) live “always-on” lives. We…

She seemingly had it all—the vitality of youth, varied and interesting career choices, a vibrant life, a vivacious personality. Yet she is now no more, after allegedly plunging off a Bengaluru high rise to certain, violent death. Her story is all over the city newspapers now. The question uppermost in peoples' minds (as my own) is why? Why did this bright, beautiful girl feel she had to end it all? To leave behind loved ones who are probably traumatised for life. What spurred her on to do this terrible act?  Today, we (at least most urbanites) live “always-on” lives. We…