Citizen Matters JP Nagar-BTM-Jayanagar
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Water tankers
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No one to question Page 11
5 Citizen Matters Impact: Stone cutting units close 6 VET and Innisfree Schools celebrate 10 Discrimination or rumours - What drove residents from NE, away? 12 What teens need 17 Oota from your Thota: gardening mela
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www.citizenmatters.in Vol-4 Issue-15
25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012
SELF-HELP
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Citizen Matters Vol-4 Issue-15, 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 KARENG/2009/28904. Published & printed by Meera K for Oorvani Media Pvt Ltd. Printed at Lavanya Mudrana, 19, 15th cross, Vidyapeeta Circle, BSK I Stage, Bangalore 560060 Place of publication Oorvani Media, #98/1, MMR Plaza 1st Floor, Sarjapur Main Road, Jakkasandra, Koramangala 1st Block, Bangalore 560034. Editor Subramaniam Vincent.
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Early detection key to treating eye cancer Is eye cancer common? Why should we be aware of it? Fortunately, eye cancer is not very common. However, it can be detected very early by the patient himself. If the patient is aware, it can be identified and treated early, and the condition cured. How can we recognize eye cancer? Any swelling around the eye which keeps increasing, any ulcer that does not heal quickly, must be looked at carefully. If the eye looks larger, seems to be bulging out, there can be a growth behind the eye pushing it. On the white part of the eye, a pinkish swelling which grows quickly is also a warning sign.Instead of ignoring these, do consult your ophthalmologist.
some facts ancer can arise in the eye, just as C in any other part of the body. Almost all eye cancers are visible to the naked eye early on. They can be detected early. Most eye cancers can be treated successfully on early detection.
Advertiser Feature
How is eye cancer treated? Who treats it? Eye tumors are specialized area of knowledge, and the patient must seek out the correct place for treatment. Treatment is a team-work between an ophthalmologist who has knowledge and experience of ocular oncology (eye cancer), and the oncologist. The tumor can be treated by surgery alone, or more often, a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Left eye lower lid swelling for 6 months – not a simple ‘heat boil’
Can surgery not be avoided? In the eye, many of the early tumors can cured completely by surgery. In fact, after removing the tumor, the area can be reconstructed, so that the eye looks, feels, sees almost normally. Instead of trying to avoid surgery, it is better to safeguard life and vision. Even in bigger tumors, treatment can be accurate only after taking a small piece of the tumor and getting it tested in the pathology laboratory for correct diagnosis. Attempting to avoid surgery can lead to delay in starting the correct treatment.
Right eye bulging out for 1 month
After surgery and radiation, eye is saved
Rapidly growing mole left eye – a basal cell cancer
Complete cure after early surgery.
At what age does eye cancer arise? Eye cancer can arise at any age. There is high awareness about two diseases which arise in the eye in early childhood- retinoblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Will a child with retinoblastoma go blind? Treatment of retinoblastoma is one of the success stories of modern medicine – treated correctly, almost all children will live, and many will still be able to see. The emphasis is on early treatment and correct treatment.
Dr Roshmi Gupta, Orbit and Oculoplastic Surgeon
633, 100 feet Ring Road JP Nagar 3rd Phase, Bengaluru - 560078 Tel: 08026593210 fax: 08041209197 drrajashekaryl@shekarnethralaya.com Ph:9980562020 info@shekarnethralaya.com www.shekarnethralaya.com
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jayanagar jp nagar & BTM
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Severe Stray Dogs problem in BTM Layout The problem on Stray dogs have become severe at BTM layout 1 st stage 9th cross near gangotri circle and life has become a hell. Please kindly take up this issue to the relevant authorities. Thank you! Vasista Krishna, 21-Aug
Unauthorised parking on 6th main Bilekahalli Unauthorised parking on 6th Main Bilekahalli close to Vaastu Heaven Apartments is causing traffic problems for the residents of that road. AR, 23-Aug
Garbage dumping on the adjacent site Garbage dumped on site No. 57 on 16th cross, 4th phase, J P Nagar for the past several months has not been cleared. It is causing lot of inconvenience due to menace of rats, snakes and mosquitoes. Two kids adjacent to the site have been affected with dengue fever and were recently hospitalised. I request BBMP and the corporator to look into this urgently and ensure that the garbage is cleared immediately. SHESHADRI B C, 21-Aug
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It is a fact that some elements have been threatening the NE public which the police should be aware of. Out of fear of identification later , no complaints have been lodged. Anybody in their place would like to return to their State when there are threats to their lives. The Landlords who have rented their apartments to these people have also asked them to vacate . Due to political issues, the whole country lives in a grip of fear in some place or other and in community or other. Where is the governance in Karnataka when there are spate of murders and rape cases?
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Culture, sculpture: in the circle, on the street Dr Rajkumar’s bust, Rani Chennamma on a horse or the controversial Thiruvalluvar statue, what do these sculptures mean to Bengaluru’s cultural space?
Bengaluru’s birding bio From post cards to mailing groups - Bengaluru’s birdwatchers have evolved and grown in numbers. A trip down the bird watching history.
Peace! Stone cutting units finally silenced
T
he residents of Bank of Baroda Colony in JP Nagar VII Phase can now sleep peacefully, the three stone cutting units have finally shut down. The three units had been functioning from 1988. After continuous follow ups with KSPCB officials, for over a year, the residents of Brigade Palm Springs, an apartment complex behind stone cutting units have won the battle.
File Pic
I would like to sincerely thank all those who supported this cause and a special thanks to Meera (Co-founder Citizen Matters) and Abhishek (journalist from Citizen Matters) for their continued and invaluable support in this cause.
Rahul Rai, a resident of Brigade Palm Spring says, “I am happy to say that the factories seem to have been permanently closed - Rahul now. The gates are locked and there has been no activity since more than a week now during the day or during night.”
Rai
Citizen Matters reported about the story on 25th November, 2011, 25 February 2012 and 25th July, 2012.
abhishek angad
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Vol-4 Issue-15 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 5
in & AROUND
Commuters want buses from Jayanagar
I
n what appears to be a promising development, BMTC has agreed to look afresh into the possibility of restoring bus services originating at Jayanagar IV block.
BMTC was unable to have routes starting from Jayanagar. “Earlier we had buses that started from IV block (bus stand), but stopped (those services) due to shortage of space.”
Currently, Jayanagar IV block residents face difficulty in using BMTC services. When the buses reach IV block, they are already full; that makes it difficult for local commuters to get in. School children and office goers face difficulties at peak hours.
However, Prakash Mandoth, President, Jayanagar Traders Association pointed out that there was one bus bay outside the Jayanagar TTMC which could be used. Citizen Matters relayed this suggestion to BMTC. “We will do an inspection shortly”, Nagaraj said indicating that BMTC was going to consider the option. There is still hope.
Keshav Kumar N, president of Jayanagar Resident Welfare association (RWA) feels that if BMTC starts some services from IV block, the mess could be avoided. “At present, there is no bus service that
File pic
starts from Jayanagar IV Block. We have requested for services from Jayanagar IV Block to Kempegowda bus stand, Shivajinagar, Market, Hebbal, Yelahanka and Kengeri, but there was no response (from BMTC),” says Kumar. C Nagaraj, Chief Traffic Manager (Operation), BMTC, admitted that
Tricolour hues at Innisfree House School
sankar c g
sankarcg@citizenmatters.in
Interact club inaugurated at VET School
R
otary Interact club was inaugurated at VET school, JP Nagar on Aug 18th.
T
he 66th Independence Day was celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and patriotic fervour at Innisfree House School. Chief Mentor, S Bolar, in her address to the gathering, urged parents to nurture the passion, children have for sports so that our country would be on par with other nations. Patriotic songs sung by the children were soul stirring. Speeches by the various House Captains commemorating the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters of our
country inspiring.
were
The highlight of the programme was the presentation, showcasing the commendable work done by a few ex-students of our school in the field of social work. These students spend valuable time with the children of ‘Parikrma Foundation’, a school for underprivileged and mentally challenged.
The Interact club started by JP Nagar Rotary Club, will help students develop leadership skills, personal integrity, understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work. It also helps in advancing international understanding and goodwill.
Citizen Reports
Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance. Deepak Loomba is the President Elect at Rotary Bangalore J P Nagar
Mithra Shenoy is the principal of Innisfree House School
6 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 Vol-4 Issue-15
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local matters
Bridging the gap for the elderly A
n engineer by profession, he joined Raman Research Institute as a lab assistant in 1984 while pursuing his higher studies, moving on to become a scientist at the same institute. He later ventured out on his own, setting up the Indian branch of Vxtel, a technology firm, later acquired by Intel. He has worked at Intel as director of the connectivity division, focussing on research and innovation. He has got many accolades. Meet Dr P S Ramkumar, a resident of Bannerghatta Road.
research, I saw there is a huge gap in healthcare. In that, one area which was hugely neglected was geriatrics care. I realised that even with various (government) programmes for elderly, the network to implement doesn’t exist. There are lot of challenges in healthcare. I thought that Information Technology can bridge a lot of these gaps (along with other technology).
So, what does your company plan to do? independent and enhance the quality of life.
How did you get the idea of starting a company dedicated to help elderly people?
Finding healthcare, Nimma one of the most poorly neighbour managed fields, and My father was once realising that building hardware alone cannot bridge the admitted in the ICU which lacked healthcare gap, he started his own (essential) equipments, before R&D firm, Apcogsys. This one-year- he could move to the general old startup develops technology ward, he caught an infection and to help the elderly become then succumbed. And during my
Charity begins at home
Many residents, some as young as three, formed an army of enthusiastic volunteers that went around door to door collecting old newspapers. With this initiative we have raised Rs 1,02,000 in the last two years and we have been able to help 13 local charity institutions, which includes schools, orphanages and old-age homes.
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esidents at Ajmera Green Acres go on a newspaper collection drive once every two months and sell the papers to raise money for charity. About two years ago, we came up with a simple idea of collecting old newspapers from the apartments in this community, and sell them to the local kabadiwala. The money thus collected would be donated to local orphanages and old-age homes.
Once the charity organisation has been identified for donation, we went a step further to visit them, meet the students or the senior citizens, and find out what their current requirement is. Principal of Twinklers Public School, an orphanage school, in JP Nagar told them, “Most often people think a school needs textbooks and notebooks. But our trust already provides those for the children. What we need is help with infrastructure.�
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We are an R&D firm focussing on building technology so that the elderly are self-dependent. We are focussing on assisted mobility like building wheelchairs, tables that can be moved with a remote joystick. Second, we are empowering them by building an elderly friendly portal which connects to websites and (helps perform) transactions in a much simpler way. Third, we are building home automation devices to track and monitor them remotely.
abhishek angad
The money from that round of newspaper collection was then used to buy them a 2000 litre water tank. This quarterly activity has seen tremendous support from the residents, especially the children, who happily spend their Sunday morning ringing doorbells and carrying bundles of newspaper. Tabassum, a six year old volunteer was heard to remark that this was one activity she really looked forward to. Citizen Reports
We hope more and more communities will take inspiration from this story and start similar initiatives to contribute to welfare of their neighbourhood. This whole initiative was inspired by, Divyadeepa Trust, Mysore. Shree Rekha is a resident at Ajmera Green Acres apartment, Bannerghatta road.
Vol-4 Issue-15 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 7
check outs
Tangled up in tangy flavours I
mli or Tamarind - an important ingredient of gravies that brings a completely different flavour to the dish. Hence the name, Tamarind. The restaurant has branches in Indiranagar and Banaswadi. This restaurant is a part of the same group that owns Enigma, the pub, and a rooftop restaurant interestingly called ‘Over the Top.’ All three are located in the same building. Tamarind has a simple ambience and the menu has lots of options. For starters, the tandoori aloo is cooked just right. The Mushroom Handi and Garlic Naan was a perfect choice for the main course. The gravy had a generous amount of capsicum and onion. The diced mushrooms were
This giant will not satisfy Bakasur, a new restaurant on ORR will definitely draw your attention with the images of a giant with his mouth wide open, displayed along the building. But it is not a place you will come back to, the food and the service is substandard. The buffet is simply a waste of time. Be it soup, starters or the main course, everything cold! The paneer was hard, the rotis too were cold and hard. The vegetables were either overcooked or undercooked and there was no attempt to chop them to bite size. The apricot rice and dal makhani are the only dishes that is palatable but that too was cold though! And it is pricey too. A meal for two costs `1200 (without alcohol). Alcohol is served here. Address: Above Snap Fitness, Outer Ring Road, Next to Shobha Hibiscus, Bellandur.
cooked to perfection. And all of this came with the flavour of tamarind. Popular non-vegetarian dishes are Mutton Rogan Josh and Murgh Lasooni Tikka. You’ll have to wait for a while before the food is served, as the service is a bit slow.
an earnest attempt to bring the curry close to the Mangalorean recipe, however the prawns, were not as juicy and soft as it is supposed to be, but wasn’t bad. They also serve squids and crabs and a mixed seafood platter which is
The best part is, you don’t have dig deep into your pocket to experience the rich taste of Tamarind. A meal for two costs Rs 500 (without alcohol). And of course you get to enjoy your drink straight from Enigma, the pub below. Address: 25th Block, 100 Feet Road, Opposite Canara Bank, Koramangala. Ph: 25633899, 080 25420438
Anisha Nair From Mangalore to Punjab
Havelock, in JP Nagar 5th Phase, though multicuisine, largely serves Mangalorean and North Indian food. This month-old restaurant has all the usual fare. The menu is extensive especially for non-vegetarians. The recommended dish for non-vegetarian food lovers would be Prawn Gassi (Mangalorean Prawn Curry) served with plain steamed rice or neer dosa. The curries also taste good when served with neer dosa. The typical Mangalorean food usually comprises seafood and poultry. It is prepared with a coconut base. It’s high on spices but is not very oily. The curry has a tangy flavour. It was
8 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 Vol-4 Issue-15
slightly overpriced. The North Indian menu has the usual staples. Murg Kalimirch along with some tandoori roti was spicy. This restaurant also serves thalis with vegetarian, chicken, fish options. For desserts, the gajar ka halwa was low on sugar but tasted good. The service is up to mark. The average cost for two would be Rs 600. Alcohol is not served. Address: #253, 2nd Floor, 24th Main, 16th Cross, JP Nagar 5th phase. Ph: 42242572/ 8277489707
Abhishe k angad
Citizen Matters reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for the meals.
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Kannada books for the old and the young!
Check outs Kannada books are available at the following shops: Atta Galatta: #75, 2nd Main, 1st Block, Koramangala. Ph: 30181626 Sapna Book House: #6, 80 Feet Road, Koramangala 7 Block, Koramangala. Ph: 40839999 Prism Bookstore: #16, 11th Main, 4th Block, Jayanagar. Ph: 9844066375 Ankita Pustaka: #53, Sham Singh complex, Gandhi Bazaar, Basavanagudi. Ph: 26617755 The Book Shoppe: #407/1, 1st A Cross, 7th Block, Koramangala. Ph: 41104031
K
annada is dying because of increasing usage of English language is an oft-repeated refrain. Many activists and Kannada lovers are trying to revive the charm of the language in various ways. Gaanchali bidi Kannada maathadi, a Facebook community has taken efforts to revive the language in a unique way. A new bookstore cum cafe and activity center in Koramangala - Atta Galatta aims to encourage regional language books. Founders Subodh
Sankar and wife Lalitha Lakshmi wanted to promote books written in regional languages. Sankar says they expected only middle-aged or older readers to buy regional books, “But once we started operating, we found out that a lot of youngsters were interested in reading Kannada and other regional language books.” Lalitha adds, “There are a lot of people who want to read Kannada fiction and novels. We are just providing a platform and trying to make the regional languages a trend.” K Gopalakrishna of Prism bookstore in Jayanagar says, “People like to read a lot of fiction, comics and crime stories in Kannada.” He adds the most popular Kannada books sold, are of authors S L Bhyrappa for fiction and Ravi Belegere for crime.
Sankar says they expected only middle-aged or older readers to buy regional books, “But once we started operating, we found out that a lot of youngsters were interested in reading Kannada and other regional language books.” Got feedback on our articles? Give us a missed call at 080-300 88 615
Total Kannada: 638, 31st Cross, 10th B Main Road, Jayanagar. Ph: 9243455672, 9986222402 Book Bazaar: New #199F, Devaram Complex, 27th Main, 3rd Block, Jayanagar. Book Stop: #485, KHB colony, 5th Block, Koramangala. Ph: 9986831737 Nagashree Books: #33, BDA complex, 4th Block, Jayanagar. Ph: 26630993 Just Books: Puttenahalli Main Road, VI Phase, JP Nagar. Ph: 60015285
These books are mainly fiction read by those aged 16 to 40. Gopalakrishna adds a large part of Kannada books sold are reprints of old books. Aarathi Sudhakar, a management student from Jayanagar says, “My mother reads a lot of Kannada fiction. Once, I picked it up and tried reading. I found it so interesting that I completed the whole book in 4 to 5 days.” She has since got hooked to Kannada books and reads regularly.
Anisha Nair
Vol-4 Issue-15 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 9
exclusive
Discrimination or rumour, what drove them away?
like they did in Delhi. He adds that the community does not have a strong leadership here in Bangalore. “Lack of a leader made them flee to their hometowns. Even though government promised to protect them, they did not rely on the government owing to complete lack of trust,” he adds. What political parties think. While Chief Minister of Karnataka, Jagadish Shettar, has been reported to say that normalcy is has returned to the city and despite the rumours, there has been no such attacks.
More than 20,000 people fled the city over rumours of violence. Why was there such widespread panic? What could have stopped them?
I
t is seven days since the mass exodus of residents of North Eastern states from different parts of India including Bangalore, started. Though the number of people leaving has reduced, it is estimated that around 24,000 have fled. What was the reason for the panic, while there have been numerous assurances from all quarters that this is a safe city? Thousands of people from Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh flock to places like Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai every year in search of better education and employment opportunities. While they have easy access to colleges and different employment opportunities, their ‘Mongoloid features’ have always marked them as an outsider. Misunderstood cultural norms a cause? Johnson Rajkumar, is from Manipur and is an assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communication, St Joseph’s College of Arts and Science, Bangalore.
Rajkumar says, people from the north eastern states are not integrated with locals. He says that the working class migrants are not able to mix very well with society, which makes them more vulnerable. He adds, “We have been also denied renting spaces in Bangalore. The reason may be owing to our food habit, culture; we don’t know.”
Elavarathi thinks that the community does not want to make noise about discrimination because it might them lose out in Bangalore, like they did in Delhi Echoing similar sentiments is Manohar Elavarthi, a human rights activist, who considers citizens from Northeast, a minority among minority. He says, “(they) are susceptible to attacks, assaults and discrimination because of the fact that men and women mix very well in their community. People think of them as immoral, specially about the women.” Elavarathi thinks that the community does not want to make noise about discrimination because it might them lose out in Bangalore,
10 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 Vol-4 Issue-15
N V Krishna Kumar, General Secretary - Media and Communications Wing, Karnataka State Janata Dal (Secular) believes that the rumour mongering was behind the exodus. But at the same time he lambasts the government for the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangalore. When asked about discrimination against residents from northeastern states, he says that it’s not only they who are vulnerable. He says, “All minorities are exposed to such kind of atrocities.” He pointed out a report that said the affected people were not able to lodge a complaint and police didn’t file an FIR. “Filing an FIR is tough even for a local Kannadiga,” he added. Congress MLA, Roshan Baig agrees. He said the muslim community also faces similar discrimination. He said, “Muslims too are denied rental (accommodation) at various places like Jayanagar, JP Nagar or Malleswaram.” He does believe though there was a fear psychosis, some politicians capitalising on the situation to push their own agenda, was a reason behind the exodus. However BJP MLA, B N Vijayakumar denies any such connection between exodus and discrimination. He cites parents worrying in Assam due to the ethnic violence in the state, is the cause for this trend.
abhishek angad
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P
rivate water tankers in Bangalore are exploiting the situation that desperately demands their service and there is no authority to monitor them. Majority of new apartments rely on water tankers and residents are often afraid of questioning the quality, for fear of retribution. “We are at the mercy of water tank people, if they stop providing water, we will be in trouble. Knowing that, they keep on increasing the price of water and do not produce water quality test results,” says Saurabh Bansal, apartment association committee member, in charge of water at Springfield apartment, Sarjapur Road.
Water on wheels. But where is it rolling in from? Is it safe to consume that water? Despite notification to set up a monitoring system, no one’s actually monitoring the water bearers of the city.
Water tankers rule, no one to
question
The residents now pay around Rs 400 for one load of water (6000 litres). But any questions and the tanker suppliers threaten to stop the service.
No authority in Bangalore to monitor private water tankers
Cover credit: Pic: Sankar C G
The Ground Water Authority was formed in the year 2011, under Karnataka Groundwater (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Act, 2011. The Authority, held a meeting at Khanija Bhavan in the beginning of this year Borewell sucking out water at a graveyard on Panattur road. Pic: Sankar C G
to form mandatory guidelines for private water suppliers. There was also a decision to identify engineers to monitor private water suppliers. The notification to this effect was issued on 12th July 2012. However, when Citizen Matters checked with Executive Engineers of Koramangala, HSR Layout and Malleshwaram, they were not aware that they were in-charge of monitoring the water tankers. “We are not supposed to monitor private water tankers, if it is government water we would have taken care it. It is the duty of BBMP to take care
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cm special
of private water tankers,” says Ravindra Kumar, Assistant Executive Engineer BWSSB. BBMP however points fingers back at BWSSB.
There is no clarity on the source of water Water tankers are relying on borewells located everywhere from nearby lakes, paddy fields, private residences and even burial grounds. For instance, some tankers source water from borewells near Bellandur lake and the burial ground on Panathur Road (connecting Outer Ring Road to Varthur). Shashirekha M V, water researcher and former official of Department of Mines and Geology, feels that borewells near burial ground can carry polluted water. “Whatever the chemical you put along with the dead body, percolate into the groundwater. Automatically it reaches the nearby borewells,” says Shashirekha.
Water tanker suppliers rarely produce any lab test results that confirm the potability of the water. Of the few who do, the details are vague. Citizen Matters has a copy of the lab test done by Bangalore Analytical Research Center for Sangameshwara Water Suppliers. The report however does not have the details of source of the water that was tested. When contacted, the president of an un-registered tanker owners association refused to share information about their water sources or pricing.
>>Continued on page 13>>
Vol-4 Issue-15 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 11
for your Info
Teens need an atmosphere of trust O
ff late My 12-year-old daughter, has stopped listening to me and also wants to copy whatever her friends do. She was a good student last year, but now her scores in some subjects are falling. I am unable to understand, what has happened to her? This is a common scenario in any household which has an adolescent. Adolescence is a period of tumultuous change from childhood to adulthood, starting at 10 years of age till 18 years. Numerous changes are occurring at this time — physical, sexual, emotional and
psychological. Your daughter is in her early adolescence, where the rapid growth in the body baffles them. She is struggling with the sense of Identity for herself. They want to start thinking independently. Friends of the same sex become their most important pre-occupation and family takes a backseat. At this stage, they form a body image and feel awkward about one’s body. Your daughter should feel free to talk to you about all her dilemmas, whether physical , sexual or emotional. Developing
Meet the Gastronaut
this relationship and open communication needs quality time with parents. Create an atmosphere of honesty, trust and respect . Know their friends and be their friends. Teach them to cope with problems face to face. Teach them the limits of a rule in the family. They need to be taught the sense of responsibility towards themselves and others. Dr. Sonia S Kanitkar is a paediatrician, specialised in handling both children and teenagers’ issues. She answers some questions from anxious parents of teenagers.
sliced/shelled/peeled, etc. She decided to take this on as the theme for her project, specifically focussing on children. During her research, Pushpi found a common yet disturbing thread, the disconnect with food. She recognised it is a growing trend and decided address it.
To do so, she zeroed in on a product kit called the Gastronaut’s kit that includes A Gastronaut guide book twin set of reusable A shopping bags (one each for an adult and child) with handy tips on buying fresh ingredients.
P
twin set of kitchen aprons A (one each for an adult and child) with printed messages that offer tips on getting started in the kitchen
ushpi Bagchi, a young illustrator and visual communication designer from Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, recently conducted a three hour workshop ‘Planting an edible garden.’ It was a fun mix of story-time, experience-sharing, eating some delicious food prepared from fresh vegetables and finally some handson seed sowing.
For those interested in organising a similar session with children in your neighbourhood school/apartment complex or child’s friends circle you could contact Pushpi at pushpi_18@ hotmail.com
set of six table mats A to sit down at the table and share a meal. The main characters from the guidebook appear on the mats and speak to each other across the mats. The Chlorophyll conversations person laying the table has to figure out the vinita suryanarayanan order in which to lay the mats as it includes a conversation on growing food.
Pushpi says this evolved from her graduation project, where they started a cooking club that they named ‘Gastronauts’! It occurred to her that there is a possibility that many children of today may soon forget what an actual vegetable looks like since everything comes re-
The idea was that each of these will serve as a tool to help the parents/adult and children get involved at every stage and learn more about the source of their food. She feels this is one way she can reach out to more children and ensure that they remain well and truly connected with the source of their food.
12 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 Vol-4 Issue-15
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EDITORIAL
Bangalore’s own interactive newsmagazine
Citizen Matters
edit@citizenmatters.in Associate Editor Padmalatha Ravi Community Editor Meera K Editor Subramaniam Vincent Staff Journalists Abhishek Angad Anisha Nair Navya P K Sankar C G Design & Publishing Shivakeshava M Sub-editor (New media) Nagashree Gururaj MKTG/CIRCULATION Raghavendra 9845506477 circulation@oorvani.in mktg@oorvani.in ADVT SALES Ramachandran P 080-30088614 (leave missed call) adsales@oorvani.in ©Oorvani Media Pvt Ltd. No part of this publication can be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.
contact@oorvani.in Ph: 080 — 41737584 Longer versions of all articles are available online. Citizen Matters is published by Oorvani Media Pvt Ltd to chronicle current affairs of India’s cities, in depth, with a focus on governance, community and culture. More at: citizenmatters.in/main/about. Editors note: The advertisement features in this issue are paid-for articles. They are presented by the advertiser to readers for information and promotion. No journalists were involved in preparing them. www.citizenmatters.in, feedback@ citizenmatters.in facebook.com/citizenmatters twitter.com/citizenmatters
The big Bengalurean garbage mess J
ayanagar based N Mukund, Joint Secretary of Citizens Action Forum, send us a hard hitting letter on the city’s garbage mess. This year, BBMP has raised the garbage cess it is collecting as part of property tax. It came a day before the latest nightmare at the Mavallipura landfill is about to unfold. Mukund is challenging BBMP to explain what it has done with the garbage cess collected with the property tax last year and questions the body’s decision to raise the cess this year. “As citizens, we wish to know how the steps taken by BBMP for the past one year has improved the city’s waste management problem”, he writes. “Has BBMP enforced segregation at source, constructed dry waste collection centers at each ward, guaranteed that sufficient lorries are deployed every day, have they taken care of health hazards of pourkarmikas..”, he asks. Not stopping there, he adds that officials and elected representatives have travelled to Mumbai, Pune and abroad as a part of study tour on handling garbage, and it is not clear their visits benefited Bangalore’s mounting garbage problem. “What is the justification for collecting more cess”, he asks. Mukund is plain: he believes BBMP is taking citizens for a ride. Far away in Mavallipura, another group of
citizens also believe BBMP is taking them for the ride, and a life-threatening one. Villagers living around Bengaluru’s massive landfill here which receives thousands of tons of Bengaluru’s garbage are frustrated. The landfill has led to a health disaster and villagers have been up in arms for years. Recently, the state’s pollution watchdog ordered the BBMP to suspend sending city waste to the site, until the processing problems had been sorted out. However, BBMP managed to get the state government to reverse the decision and on August 23rd, trucks laden with the city’s garbage were back there, with hundreds of police to stop villagers from resistance. This is the state of affairs in global Bengaluru with its swanky malls, campuses and upmarket communities. The comprehensive breakdown in waste management from source to disposal has an ugly political side to it which will likely blow up sooner rather than later. The assembly elections are not that far away. “We will also make garbage management an issue for next assembly elections”, threatens Mukund, is his letter. We hope the villagers of Mavallipura will also take it up at election time in their area. If garbage can become a public issue across the Bangalore region in the 2013 elections, it can only be a good thing.
Subramaniam Vincent
edit@citizenmatters.in
<<Continued on page 11<<
Water tankers rule, no one to question Private water tankers fulfill a desperate need
S Vishwanath, a Bangalore based Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) consultant feels that water tankers are doing a good job but he adds that there are flaws in the system.
there in Bangalore if they stop supplying water, our city will be at a standstill. BDA should not allow constructions if there is no water sources. BWSSB should fix the price of the water (for all consumers) at Rs 36 per 1000 litre, then people will not waste water,” he said.
BMTF Head Back in Action ADGP Rajvir P Sharma (IPS), whom the state government transferred out of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) recently in response to BBMP officials’ pressure, has hit back. He was able to get a 14-day stay on the transfer from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). Sharma challenged the state government quoting a Supreme Court verdict on police transfers. The hearing is on August 30th.
“Around 1000 water tankers are
sankar c g
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Vol-4 Issue-15 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 13
Local Matters
Young Rangers on Independence day
A
t the Independence Day celebrations at Brigade Millennium on 15th August, PNLIT Young Rangers were given a few minutes to talk to the gathering of 200-odd residents, about lakes and PNLIT. PNLIT was also Citizen given a stall Reports where the youngsters promoted PNLIT’s T-shirts, cloth bags and nature walks. Sincere thanks to the Brigade Millennium Residents Federation (BMRF) for the opportunity. PNLIT Trustee Nupur Jain, who has been guiding the Young Rangers said, “the children gave good speeches and very excitedly sold the T-shirts, bags and a nature walk”. Arathi Manay Yajaman is trustee at PNLIT
I-day at btm
KRWA President Padmakshi felicitating Chief Guest Rajesh Rai, President of Kristal Amber Residents’ Association and Director of Bangalore Paints Corporation, who hoisted the National Flag.
14 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 Vol-4 Issue-15
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classifieds HEALTH & Nutrition SRINIVASA DENTAL CARE CENTRE Dr. VISHWAS # 383, 8th main, 7th cross, Mico Layout, BTM 2nd stage, Opp to HDFC ATM, Bangalore- 76. Ph:41201345, 9845195605. Multi specialist Dental clinic & Implant Centre. CHILDRENS DENTAL CLINIC DR. NERAJA RAJU Consultant Pedodontist. For appointment : 9845195605, 41201345. Address: # 383, 8th main, 7th cross, Opp to HDFC ATM, Mico Layout, BTM 2nd stage, Bangalore-76 why worried? Psoriasis, leucoderma male & female sterility (polycystic ovarian disease)torch infection (miscarriage) osteoarthritis (bone, segments degeneration) obesity, hair fall, migraine, headache, asthma sinusitis. For effective ayuervedic and siddha treatment contact ph: 26580337, Mob: 725972300.
Education
INTENSIVE COACHING Foreign programs: ACCA/ CIMA/ CMA / CPA, Indian Programs: BE (merit coaching)/ Bank exams, CA, CS, ICFAI, ICWA & MBA (all disciplines) supported by latest corporate case studies. Contact: Lalitha Group, #5, Behind Smart, 19th Cross, 24th Main, JP Nagar 5th Phase, Bangalore-78. Ph:080-26490907, 9902888485, 9448117457 Email: lalitha.class@gmail.com
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Come on, Time to get involved!
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Vol-4 Issue-15 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 15
see & do THEATRE
Ranga Shankara plays 1 Sat, Treadmill (H), 70 mins (also at 3.30 pm) 2 Sun, 4 Tue, 5 Wed, After Life of Birds, (E), 80 mins (also at 3.30 pm on Sun) 6 Thu, 7 Fri, An Evening with Anton Chekhov, (E), 70 mins 8 Sat, Vanity Bag (K), 75 mins 9 Sun, Hayavadana, (K), 120 mins (also at 3.30 pm) 11 Tue, 12 Wed, Chitrapata (K), 105 mins 13 Thu, 14 Fri, Lakshapati Rajana Kathe (K), 120 mins 15 Sat, Balura Gudikara (K), 120 mins (also at 3.30 pm) Rangashankara, 8th Cross, Nt To Post Off, JP Nagar, Phase II, Ph: 2649 3982.
Music
S P Balasubramanyam musical journey Tickets available at Buzzingtown.com Sat 25 Aug, 6pm to 9pm, Tripura Vasini, Palace Grounds, Near Mekhri Circle, Ph: 9986984878/ 41613766
Dance
Dance concert Bharathantayam by Prakruthi L S, Mohiniyattam by Rekah Raju, Odissi by Vandana Supriya Sun 26 Aug, 6pm, Seva Sadana, Malleswaram, Ph: 9980991110
Photography
Photography day out in Melukote
Music Gear
Dealers in Musical Instruments and accessories
JP Nagar Call
9880599956
www.musicgear.in
Darter Photography takes you on a photography outing to Melukote, to capture the ancient structures, heritage sites, its traditions, its people, its celebrated puliogres that can be relished by the street. Join Darter Photography on a day out to Melukote armed with your cameras and guided by expert travel photographers. Sat Aug 25, register here: register@ darter.in, Ph: 98800 06460 Weekend photography classes More details: www.photo-workshop. in Sun 2 Sep 4pm to Sun 23 Sep 8pm The Academy of Photo Art, opp Spice Garden, Marathahalli Main Road, Ph: 9741712578
others
Let’s Live Together’s puppy adoption camp Sun 2 Sep, 6am to 6pm Sankey Tank, Malleswaram entrance, Opp Ayyappa Temple, Ph: 9986413916 Weekend at Suchitra Film Academy Kannada Chintane: Talk about Peer Saheb by Dr M B Nagaraj, Light Music by R Hadapa and team and Nani Angala Weekend Play: T P Kailasam’s “HOME RULE” Dir: Madhav Rao Sun Aug 26, 6pm, 36, 9th Main, B V Karanth Road, Near-Post Office, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Ph: 26711785 Book release by Ltd Gen Arjun Ray of his book “Peace is Everybody’s Business - Strategy for Conflict Prevention” Tue 4 Sep, 6.30pm, Bangalore International Centre, TERI Complex, 4th Main, 2nd Cross, Domlur II Stage Ph: 98865 99675, 25359680
workshops
Workshop for Children Identifying Traditional and Responsible ways of Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi
16 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 Vol-4 Issue-15
Sat 8 Sep, 9.30am to 4.30pm, Environment Support Group, 1572, 100 feet Outer Ring Road, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Ph: 26713559/60/61 Email: shashi@esgindia.org, Website: www.esgindia.org Science Demo every Sunday ScienceUtsav is organizing free science demo classes for kids aged 7 to 14 years. Learn science with fun filled science experiments and Handson activities. Please register for free. ScienceUtsav #627, 1st floor, 1st B main road, 7th block, Jayanagar (W), Near Yediyurkere, Behind Srushti hospital. www.scienceutsav.com Call 9945313269
Movie listings
Cinepolis Multiplex, Royal Meenakshi Mall, Bannerghatta Road Devudu Chesina Manushulu (Tel): 10am, 12.20pm, 2.50pm, 5.15pm, 7.40pm, 10pm The Bourne Legacy (E) : 1:10pm Andala Rakshasi (Tel) : 3.30pm, 9.20pm Gangs of Wasseypur II (H): 3.50pm, 10pm Julayi (Tel): 10am, 6.50pm,10pm Step Up Revolution (E): 10am Ice Age 4: Continental Drift 3D (E) : 1.10pm, 5pm The Dark Knight Rises (E): 10am, 6.50pm Inox, JP Nagar, 2nd Phase 4.40pm, 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 8.40pm, 9.20pm Gangs of Wasseypur II (H): 10am Julayi (Tel) : 1pm, 4pm Devudu Chesina Manushulu (Tel) : 12.30pm, 7pm The Dark Knight Rises (E) : 5:20pm
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Happening
Oota from your Thota in JP Nagar Know all about organic kitchen gardening, composting and healthy eating this Sunday at JP Nagar. The event will have discussions, along with exhibition and sale of gardening materials.
O
ota from your Thota, an event for organic gardening enthusiasts, will be held this Sunday Aug 26th, in JP Nagar III phase. The participants and invitees at ‘Oota from your thota’ include practitioners, vendors, and enthusiasts; promising an interesting, informative and handson experience for all visitors. If you are a newbie, you will learn where to start. If you are already a gardener, you will still get new ideas to implement in your own patch of green! You can find seeds, saplings, organic pesticides, compost, composters and other garden products, and organic vegetables, fruits, snacks and more. Participants include Green Foundation, VMSRF, Daily Dump, BM school, Pristine organics, Health Smart Kids, Adi Naturals, Navadarshanam etc. “There will be an area dedicated to OTG (Organic Terrace Garden community) members for discussion and exchange of ideas and also to showcase the plants that they have grown to inspire budding gardeners,” says Dr B N Viswanath, pioneer of terrace gardening in
Oota from your Thota, 26 Aug, 9 am to 5 pm. Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind. CA-1B, 3rd Cross, 3rd Phase, J P Nagar. Ph: 9845538928
Bangalore and one of the organisers of the event. “The idea of this organic mela is to spread the awareness on urban farming. We are expecting more than 1000 people this time”, he adds. Dr Narayana Reddy, the well known organic farming pioneer, from Doddaballapur will be one of the guest speakers. Earth Warriors, an initiative of Bangalore Mirror, which provides a platform for all nature activists and enthusiasts, is supporting the event. Introductory classes on terrace
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gardening were held last week, with over 500 people attending the various sessions. The event is organised by Garden City Farmers Trust (GCFT), an NGO that promotes organic farming. Citizen Matters is one of the media partners for the event. (Visitors can buy copies of Citizen Matters’ new book: Living in Bengaluru and ecofriendly shopping bags at our stall!)
Vol-4 Issue-15 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 17
last word
Sometimes in Mommyland, it is good to laugh Parenting can turn you like that, making you tick mark stuff off your list as you get on through the day. In the process, we forget to have fun.
you a whole lot of good to laugh. It eases the situation when it seems like both you and the child are going out of control, makes you sane enough to see the lighter side of parenting, which we lose track of sometimes. Of course, it’s easier said than done.
A
Parenting makes you tick mark stuff off your list as you get on through the day - Brushing teeth: Check.
friend recently posted pictures of her daughter at the dining table attempting to demolish a cake all by herself. To say that she was covered in chocolate would be an understatement. I was feeding the younger child when I spotted the picture and laughed out loud. In a minute the slightly harried atmosphere around me - baby refusing to eat, older child whining about what was on his plate, turned lighter. Sometimes in Mommyland, it does
fathom why rice has to do a nonstop journey from plate to mouth, without any stops on the mattress or their own T-shirts in between. What helps is to know that you aren’t going at it alone. There are others who have had chocolate milk spilt over their favourite couch and laughed to tell the tale. Which is why it helps to read blogs or books that takes parenting on a lighter vein.
Somewhat like Erma Bombeck, the writer who made parenting sound like a Reshmi Chakraborty laundry basket that’s always spilling over but had a good Breakfast banana: Check. Afternoon laugh over putting it back. Laughter fruit: Check. Evening park stroll: rises of tragedy, said Bombeck, Check. Handwash: Check when you need it the most, and But we are so busy ticking things off rewards you for your courage. the list that we forget to have fun Parenting is no tragedy but our while doing them. We forget that inability to take it on a lighter vein in most cases, we are dealing with a most of the times, certainly is. tiny human being who doesn’t quite confessionS of a second time mom
18 CITIZEN MATTERS 25 Aug - 7 Sep 2012 Vol-4 Issue-15
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