citizenmatters_11aug2012_jpnagaredition

ONE LAKH SAY

6 Trees or billboards?8 Baklava, Mousakka or Tabouleh?10 Everybody loves Ecity

12 Vitamin C for cold?17 RIP Dr Joseph George18 No gory news for kids?

‘KANNAdASAKKAtH cOOL!’Page13

LocaL news Like no one eLse does

Vol-4 Issue-14 11 - 24 Aug 2012bengaluru

JP Nagar-BTM-Jayanagar

www.citizenmatters.inTo enquire for ads, give us a missed call: 080-300 88 614FREE FoRtnightly¹neóÉ£ï ªÉÄålgïìð

CitizenMatters

Citizen Matters Vol-4 Issue-14, 11 - 24 Aug 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.

633, 100 feet Ring Road JP Nagar 3rd Phase, Bengaluru - 560078Tel: 08026593210 fax: [email protected]:9980562020 [email protected]

vert

iser

FeA

ture

dr. rAmA devi K. s. senior Consultant shekar Nethralaya

Chemical injuries of the eye are true emergencies which require proper recognition and prompt treatment.Extent of injury is proportional to the pH of the substance, duration of its contact with eye and the concentration and the quantity of the compound that has entered in to the eye. Chemical injuries can cause immediate loss of vision and permanent blindness. The chemical agents which can cause injury may be found at home, work place, industries, cracker factories, school and college laboratories, etc. It can be acidic or alkaline. Alkaline substances cause more damage than acids.Alkali chemicalsHouse hold cleaning agents, agents used for cleaning drains

Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide

Fertilizers, Refrigerants

Ammonium Hydroxide

Plaster, Motor, Cement

Lime

Crackers, Sparklers

Magnesium Hydroxide

Acid chemicalsBattery fluid, Toilet cleaning fluid

Sulphuric acid

Laboratories, Acids used in assaults

Hydrochloric acid, Sulphuric Acid

SYMPTOMS Burning sensation in the eye after exposure to chemicals Excessive tearing Pain in the eye Redness of the eye and eyelid Blurred vision

Thoft’s classification of ocular chemical injury

Grade-I Mild (No limbal ischemia)

Good Prognosis

Grade-II Moderate (Less than 180 deg limbal ischemia) with epithelial defect and clear cornea

Fair prognosis

Grade-III

Severe (More than 180 deg of limbal ischemia) with epithelial defect and hazy cornea

Poor prognosis

Grade-IV

Very severe (more than 270 deg of limbal ischemia) with epithelial defect and hazy cornea

Very poor prognosis

Treating chemical injuries of the eyeDO’S & DOn’TS regArDing cheMicAl injurieS TO eYe Be careful while working with

batteries at work place Children should be educated on

care to be taken while conducting experiments in laborataries.

Small children should not be allowed to handle Chunnam (packets used for chewing with betel nuts)

Cracker injuries are a combination of chemical and thermal injury, hence care should be taken while bursting crackers

Wear protective goggles while working with chemicals

If you are wearing contact lenses, do not try to remove them before washing, splash water for a few minutes then try to remove it.

Never rub eyes even after washing. Start the treatment immediately at

home If exposed to chemicals, the most apt

way to limit damage is to start flushing the eye with most readily available non-toxic liquid even clean tap water can be used.

Use strong steady stream of water at least for 10 to 15 minutes and continue till you are ready to go to the doctor

Hold the eye lids open with your fingers and allow water to run from the bridge of your nose and move towards the affected eye

If both eyes are affected, alternatively rinse both eyes with water

Reach the hospital at the earliest for Ophthalmic care

Most people recover completely Doctor will assess damage and treat

accordingly

Severe Alkali burn with corneal haze

Severe chemical injury with corneal neovascularization

Prophylaxis is recommended for all dental procedures that involve manipulation of gingival tissue or the periapical region of the teeth, or perforation of the oral mucosa.Recommendations to reduce the risk of infective endocarditisAmerican Heart Association recommends the antibiotic be given before the procedure so it can reach adequate blood levels. Sometimes patients forget to premedicate prior to their appointments. So to prevent infective endocarditis (inflammation of the inner layer of the heart), the recommendation is: “If the dosage of antibiotic is inadvertently not administered before the procedure, the dosage may be administered up to two hours after the procedure.”Sometimes, patients who require prophylaxis are already taking antibiotics for some other condition. In these cases, it is recommended that the dentist select an antibiotic from a different class than the one the patient is already taking. For example, if the patient is taking amoxicillin, the dentist will select clindamycin, azithromycin or clarithromycin for prophylaxis.The current recommendations recommend use of preventive antibiotics before certain dental

procedures for people with: Artificial heart valves A history of infective endocarditis A cardiac transplant that develops

a heart valve problem The following congenital (present from birth) heart conditions:*

- Unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease.

- A completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or device, during the first six months after the procedure.

- Any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site.

Recommendations for people with total joint replacementsThese recommendations from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, apply to people who have total joint replacements. Patients who have pins, plates or other orthopedic hardware are also affected.Typically, an adult patient will receive 2 grams of antibiotics, one hour prior to the procedure. This typically translates to 4 capsules of 500 mgs each. Many patients are not comfortable swallowing 4 tablets in one gulp. Such patients may be allowed to take 2 tablets an hour prior to the procedure and 2 tablets immediately after, just to break up the dosage.

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Antibiotic Prophylaxis during Dental TreatmentHas your dentist ever told you that you need to take antibiotics prior to a dental procedure? 4 Tablets at one shot..and you balked at the idea? Relax, they REALLY have your best interests at heart!!

Before some dental treatments, patients who have certain heart conditions and those with artificial joints are

advised to take antibiotics. This is because, there may be a risk of developing an infection in the heart or

at the site of the artificial joint. Premedication with antibiotics to reduce this risk is called antibiotic

prophylaxis.

6 CITIZEN MATTERS 11 - 24 Aug 2012 Vol-4 Issue-14 Want to book an ad or classified? Give us a missed call at 080-300 88 614

The revamp and modernisation of Bangalore’s first and oldest

shopping complex in Jayanagar, 4th block got off the ground on August 4th. Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar laid the foundation stone. Deputy Chief Ministers K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka, Vijaya Kumar B N (BJP MLA, Jayanagar),

BBMP Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda, Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy were also present.

The project has been under discussion for four years even as shop owners resisted, fearing loss of their livelihood. N Narasimha Raju, vice-president of Traders Association of Jayanagar Shopping Complex told Citizen matters, “We don’t know anything about shopkeepers relocation. No officials from government side spoke to us regarding relocation.”

Raju, along with Prakash Mendoth, president of the larger Jayanagar Traders Association, were present at the function.

The project will cost about `250 crore and is supposed to finish within 24 months. Nagarjuna Constructions Company will be doing the project on BOOT basis (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer). The total cost of the project will be carried out by BDA and transfer it to BBMP after 30 years.

sANKAr C G

There they go again!!! – United civic club of st. Marks public school – this is the new batch of Civic Club

Members who have started their activities for the current academic year, 2012-13, as a part of CMCA – Childrens’ Movement for Civic Awareness.

Understanding that we need to save our trees and respect them individually – the children noticed that the trees are always treated like ‘advertising space!’ It is important for each human being to acknowledge that the trees also have their rights. Our grandparents and elders did not plant them there so that people can staple or nail pamphlets on them.

The children went around – pulling down pamphlets from trees near their school and residences. Some took the help of elders in this endeavour. They will continue to do so. We need many more such children who ACT to bring about change!

rAviKAlA P BAliGA is a CmCA volunteer

Those familiar with Puttenahalli Lake will know that one end of the lake, towards L&T South City has

100-odd shanty/ semi-pucca/ pucca houses (generally referred to as the “slum”). With human habitation, there is garbage, and with no proper garbage collection mechanism in place, this end of the lake has always been messy and very difficult to keep clean..

Over the last one month, we have stepped up our effort to stop people from throwing garbage at the South City lake entrance. The residents started taking us a little seriously and last week about 50 of the slum dwellers led by the Swamiji of the nearby temple, cleaned up the revetment along the stretch facing their houses.

BBMP has said that they will send their garbage collection vehicle regularly. Last week, BBMP Environment Engineer Vijayamala sent workers to clear out the trash from the entrance and the drain. The piles of garbage had compacted and the stench was unbearable. Our

reluctance to handle our waste makes life miserable for workers like Sivanna and Sekhar.

A request: whenever/if you see anyone throwing trash at the entrance or randomly, please tell them to throw it in the bin. Only with such repeated reminders will we be able to get them to keep the area clean.

ArAti mANAy yAjAmAN is a trustee of PNlit.

jAyAnAgAr jp nAgAr & BTM

CiTizen RepoRTs

trees are not advertising billboards

garbage should be in dustbins, not out

United Civic Club student pulling out pamphlet nailed to a tree. Pic courtesy: Ravikala Baliga.

Massive revamp of jayanagar shopping complex to start

Vol-4 Issue-14 11 - 24 Aug 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 7Got feedback on our articles? Give us a missed call at 080-300 88 615

Balasubramanyam S, 59, popularly known

as Bali, is a professional musician and singer who has won awards and accolades in the state for his contributions to music. He lives in Jayanagar 7th Block with his family. B a l a s u b r a m a n y a m founded Ramya Cultural Academy, a charitable trust, in 1993, in his own house, to make music accessible, especially for poor students.

Excerpts from the Interview

Why did you call the academy Ramya?

Ramya is a Tamil word which means quiet and beautiful. I felt it was a

suitable word to address a place where music is taught.

What is the highest point of the academy according to you?

Many young people have attained their career goals through Ramya. Rithisha Padmanabh was my student. When she got the national Balashree award in 2001, I was so happy. I consider it as a precious moment in my life at Ramya.

What do you think of music scene in Bangalore. What’s your message to the society?

Nowadays music becomes the product of machines. Today’s generation has

lost their patience to hear and produce live music with real instruments. They download it from the internet, adding

variations to the original for their current purpose. This is not a good attitude. So my message to the society is “go away from machines and keep music alive.”

sANKAr C G

locAl MATTers

Nimma neighbouR

teaching music, quiet and beautifulPic: Sankar C G


ä So what will you find in homes around Mediterranean sea? Seafood is a huge part of the cuisine. Apart from that, fruits and vegetables with an emphasis on rice, grains, beans and pastas is the main feature. The most prominent mode of cooking is grilling or broiling with generous use of olive oil.

Ruh serves a wide range of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Kalam Polo Shirazi - Persian herbed rice, cabbage strips and chicken served with grilled lamb kaftas (koftas) - is the most popular main course for meat lovers. Seafood Tagine - assorted s e a f o o d with saffron potatoes and Couscous, and some wonderful char-grilled calamari or squid - are served too.

For vegetarians, there are

delightful combinations of spring vegetables and cheese that is often grilled, accompanied by garlic bread, pita bread and your choice of dip. Greek Moussaka, an oven-baked dish with sliced potatoes, aubergine, zucchini and feta cheese, is very popular.

For desserts, Cigar Baklava which comes in the shape of a cigar, with vanilla ice-cream, or stuffed pastries with walnuts topped with vanilla ice-cream, tops the list.

Well if the food is tempting, it will have a price tag too.

Dinner for two costs `1400, excluding alcohol.

Address: 4th Floor, sarjapur Outer ring road, Near Bangalore Central, Bellandur junction. Ph: 9845175777, 9972305871, 9886541682, 42022727, 42024747

ANishA NAir

check ouTs

Citizen matters reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for the meals.

Mediterranean cuisine for your soul

ä Looking for a

fresh Mediterranean snack that is vegetarian?

Then, Tahini garden at Jayanagar is the place. The name is inspired by Tahini, a sauce prepared from sesame seeds.

They predominantly serve Italian and Lebanese food. Though the menu is not extensive, it has a good range of snacks - from pastas, sandwiches and burgers to even a rice combination.

The speciality is Falafel

Sandwich. The pita bread

with pockets is stuffed with Falafel -

ground chick peas deep-fried as balls, along with herbs, freshly-cut vegetables, Tahini

and other sauces. It is a perfect takeaway

item.

Baba Ganoush is worth tasting. The paste is

prepared from the combination

of roasted eggplant (brinjal), Tahini sauce,

garlic and lemon juice. It is served with pita bread. Tabouleh Salad

and a burger

with roasted red bell peppers is

also worth checking out. ‘Ayran’ prepared with yogurt and chopped mint leaves makes an

excellent drink.

The pastas are the u s u a l kind, but

are served spicy. The

spaghetti too is usual, but with a Moroccan

twist - comes with saffron and chickpea.

For desserts, frozen yogurt is served.

Alcohol is not served. Cost for two would be `500.

Address: 88/A (71), 26th main, 37th B Cross, jayanagar 9th Block Bangalore - 560069. Ph-8861920769

ABhisheK ANGAd

With veggie options too

Deep fried falafel.

Falafel sandwich

Moroccon Spaghetti

All pics : Abhishek Angad

Assorted spring vegetables with breads. Pic: Anisha Nair

Greek Moussaka. Pic: Anisha Nair


“Mamma I am bored, Daddy I want toys...” Their demands

reach new heights when you decide to visit a mall or have a lazy lunch with your friends. Shopping becomes even more cumbersome when you are accompanied by a curious toddler and all you can do is to keep chasing the child!

Play areas for children have come up at many places so the mum or dad can get some relaxed time for activities like shopping, spas or a cuppa with friends. These play spaces have games and activities that would interest children and keep them engrossed for a while.

It’s hard to keep children away from sand. Some play spaces have indoor sand pits for them to play in sand and not get scolded! Yes! It is a clean space. Just get up, dust yourself,

and head out. Toys like buckets, cups and rings are scattered over

the sand pits to keep children entertained.

Get outdoorsy, indoors, with wall and rock climbing. There are small plastic or cement structures made

to look like walls or rocks where children can climb and play without getting hurt. And some places do have caregivers around, to take care of these tiny adventurers.

Among the list of old favourites, are inflatable bouncers, also known as moonwalk, inflatable trampoline or bouncing castles. Once the child hops onto it and start bouncing, it

will be difficult to get her out.

Some places also have a library to keep your little reader occupied. Of course there are small slides and

swings too.

The facilities are charged on hourly basis ranging from `100

to 300 per hour. They accommodate children from age 2 to 10 years.

So the next time you want to hang out without the child loitering

around you, you know where to head out first, dropping

the child at the play center without worrying for their safety. A win-win situation. Isn’t it?

hide and Peek: 102/7, 1st main, jayamahal extension. Ph:

66492191, 9945600805. they have packages too.

Gambolla: No. 3, Natasha Penta, infantry road Cross. Ph: 4205 8980, 98807

81411. Children below age four have to be accompanied by parents.

Amoeba - three Quarter Chinese: 22nd Cross, Cosmopolitan Club, 3rd Block, jayanagar, Ph: 30412940 ext: 336. you can enjoy your meal while the tiny tot is engrossed in the play area.

Oasis Center: 100 Feet road, Koramangala. Ph: 40276400

Forum mall: 21, hosur road, Koramangala. Ph: 42404240

mantri square mall: 1, sampige road, malleshwaram. Ph: 30160001

ANishA NAir

check ouTsKeep them busy, while you take a breatherPlay areas for children have come up at many places so mums or dads can get some shopping done or catch up with friends.

safety measures shoes and slippers are not allowed. No sharp objects will be allowed.

No rough play or bullying allowed.

Parents not allowed to smoke inside the premises.


BBMP looks at crores it can rake in; But industries worry, that it might go the Bangalore way if BBMP takes charge, potholed and piles of garbage uncleared.

On July 31st, BBMP passed a resolution to include Electronic

City phase I, II and III under its jurisdiction. State government has to approve the resolution now, for it to be effective. If approved, industries and commercial areas that are notified as part of Ecity, will go to BBMP. But on the other hand, state cabinet is already contemplating giving industrial township status to the area.

Dr Amita Prasad, Principal Secretary at the state government’s Urban Development Department (UDD), says that BBMP has not yet sent the resolution to the department. But she has received mails from Electronic City Industries Association (ELCIA). “I have forwarded these mails to the BBMP Commissioner,” she says. It might take another two months for the approval.

On the other hand ELCIA says they are better off as an industrial estate. N S Rama, CEO, ELCIA, says that talks about giving industrial township status to Ecity had been going on for the last five years. “The government had mentioned many times that ELCIA is a right candidate for industrial township,” says Rama.

On getting industrial township, ELCIA will have powers similar to

that of a local government body. The industrial township authority will include industry members and government representatives, and can take independent decisions.

ELCIA was formed in the early 90s, as soon as companies started to be set up in Electronic City. It has been maintaining the complex since 1997.

Unrealistic revenue expectation?

Bankrupt BBMP had long been discussing inclusion of Ecity under its jurisdiction, to get more revenue. BBMP currently estimates that `300 cr can be raised as property tax from Ecity establishments. It includes over 150 companies - small, medium and large.

BBMP’s expectation is almost 100 times that of the tax that companies are paying now. Collectively, they pay only `3-4 cr to local panchayats. Much of Ecity comes under two villages

- Konappana Agrahara and D o d d a t h o g u r . While Konappana Agrahara collects about `1 cr as property tax from Electronic City

annually, Doddathogur panchayat collects around `1.5 cr. Other panchayats collect smaller amounts.

While they pay taxes to panchayats, companies have also been paying maintenance charges to ELCIA. ELCIA collects `2 per sq ft from companies as part of its Annual Maintenance

Contract (AMC); overall, this amount comes to `4 cr per year. This amount is used for road maintenance, waste and sewage disposal, street lighting, holding social activities etc.

BBMP says that `300 cr can be collected, as its tax rates are higher than that of panchayat. For industrial buildings, BBMP has a higher and varying tax rate per sq ft - as opposed to panchayat’s flat rate of `1.20 per sq ft per year - depending on size of the company and also whether the

building is owned or rented.

A c c o r d i n g to the rough calculations of Citizen matters, with BBMP’s current slab, tax from Electronic City would come to around `55 cr. I Ramakanth,

Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) at BBMP, says that the tax slab for Electronic City is likely to remain the same as the existing rates. BBMP is also eyeing tax from Neo Town, an upcoming luxury residential-cum-commercial township spread over 100 acres

We don’t want BBMP

This move worries ELCIA. Rama says “Currently, in case of any issue, we deal with it immediately. We make decisions and have a decent relationship with the village panchayats. If BBMP takes over, we may have to get everything done through them. BBMP has not done much in the city anyway,” she says.

NAvyA P K

exclusIVe

“Panchayats may not have included common areas, or charged higher for a/C buildings, which BBmP does. We will start maintaining roads, street lights and public health facilities in the area, once it is handed over” - Niranjan , special Commissioner

BBMP eyes Ecity; they say no, thank you

“With BBmP control, eLCIa may end up being like a residents’ welfare association.”

- N s rama, CeO, eLCIa


When Dr S C Sharma, 45, resident of Jayanagar 4th

Block, filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) against a BBMP engineer who did not act against the owner of an illegal building, he did not know that engineers would be revolting against BMTF head, IPS officer Dr Rajvir P Sharma.

The building in question was originally constructed in 1992. The RTI record, which Citizen matters has received from Sharma shows that BBMP (then BMP) has sanctioned a two storey building in 1992. The owner has constructed a five storey building by violating the norms. “I have filed a complaint with KSPCB, BBMP and Lokayukta in 2011 but it was of no use. We are losing privacy due to this illegal commercial building in the residential area,” says Sharma. Sharma filed a complaint with BMTF recently.

Since Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP) Dr Rajvir P Sharma took over the BMTF nine months ago, he has opened the doors of the organisation to complaints by the public. Sharma is an IPS officer of the 1987 batch of the Karnataka Cadre and is a President’s Police Medal winner, specialising in forensic science.

The BMTF was formed in 1996 under the state government’s Urban Development Department (UDD) to detect and investigate offences and prosecute persons indulging in unauthorised occupation of lands/property belonging to government and government organisations in Bangalore metropolitan area.

Working with him in the BMTF is B Radha, Deputy Director of Town Planning. “We have received around 125 such complaints from residents across Bangalore. We don’t have power to take action against the builders but can take action against concerned BBMP engineers”, says Radha. In all, BMTF has sent 132 notices.

Backlash on August 8th

On August 8th, frustrated by BMTF’s threat of action against engineers, the BBMP Officers and Officials Association held a massive protest at BBMP headquarters in N R Square. Over a thousand attended,

and demanded that a cabinet minister agree to take BMTF off their backs.

On August 9th, Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy told Citizen matters that Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar “assured withdrawal of the particular power of BMTF by which it had taken action against the engineers”. Citizen matters has not confirmed this yet.

The old nexus

It is quietly accepted in Bangalore that BBMP engineers take bribes from violators and keep mum over complaints.

BBMP itself admits to this. S S Khandre, public relations officer at the BBMP, says “We know our engineers are not honest. The one who has to curb the violation fails to follow the rules.”

Khandre though wants BMTF to come under BBMP. “To curb illegal violations, BBMP is planning to draft a proposal to Urban Development Department to

bring BMTF under BBMP”, he says.

cM specIAl

What CaN CItIzeNs dO?

If a BBMP engineer fails to take action on an illegal building complaint in 37 days, the petitioner can file a complaint directly to [email protected], 22975586http://bmtf.gov.in/BMTF_Complaints.htm

AdGP Rajvir P Sharma sparks BBMP backlash

Tough cop Rajvir Sharma of

the Bangalore Metropolitan

Task Force sent notices to 132

BBMP engineers for inaction over

illegal building complaints. He

is BBMP’s latest problem.

The illegal five story building in Jayanagar. Pic: Sankar C G

Pic: Sankar C G

>>Continued from page 15>>


Typically, urban children today are given little or no opportunity for

physical contact with nature. They spend less time in and with nature – so how can they build a relationship with it?

Ironically the more time they spend away from it, the greater the need for children to connect with nature- almost as essential as food and sleep is what Richard Louv (author of Last Child in the Woods) believes.

And no, it’s not just about physical health. It’s not something that can

be taken care of by enrolling children in an organised sport. It’s more

than that.

Today, the traffic, the roads, the buildings may make it seem that we cannot offer them such experiences. But that is not true. We do need to make a little effort but we certainly owe it to the children.

So put on your shoes and take a walk with your children, spend some time outdoors, identify the trees in your neighbourhood, form a group with other parents and children to go for a trek. Make a habit of it. And no - you don’t need a longer day or an extra day in the week for it! You just need to remind yourself that it is imperative for your children.

Lack of proper nutrition leads to loss of immunity. This fact

was well recognised in the 1970s, when immunity was measured to assess nutritional status. Immune cells have a great need for energy and amino acids, so protein energy malnutrition is still identified as the major cause of deficiency in immunity.

With research and the understanding of how immunity functions in our body, the role of nutrients such as zinc, iron, some fatty acids (omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA), Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, have been identified.

Vitamin C is present in all living cells and in greater proportions in the immune system’s fighting cells, leukocytes. Lower levels of vitamin C results in a reduction in immunity. However it still not clear if higher

doses of vitamin C decreases the incidence of colds. It possibly works better in a person who has poor nutrition to start with. It improves some immune functions, but whether it can reduce colds is debatable. Nevertheless, even when consumed at higher doses, Vitamin

C is fairly safe.

Uncooked raw fruits and vegetables are good sources as Vitamin C is very sensitive to heat and is easily lost during cooking. As gooseberries and guava are consumed raw, they provide more Vitamin C than other foods that might be cooked.

Does stress affect immunity?

Anxiety, worrying and a perception that you lack control of decisions are the major types of stress. When this occurs repeatedly, it can cause tissue damage and cause illnesses. How you respond to stress depends on many things including your past experiences. Finding ways to handle stress helps you better cope with stress. Exercise is one way of handling stress.

dr BhArAthi A vDr Bharathi is a wellness expert.

for your Info

Letting children close to nature

chlorophyll conVersATIons

viniTa suRyanaRayanan

There are also different groups in the city who offer a variety of enriching experiences for children to connect with nature. Parents / teachers are you listening?

annadana soil & seed savers Network for school/group visits that leave you armed with the why and how of organic farming – so you can get started in your own little green space.

daily dump to understand home composting, to learn about the various little creatures that make composting happen; to know about the larger story of waste.

Green scraps to doodle with nature

The Gerry martin Project to enter the world of wildlife conservation

Bamboo rustles, Vanamitra or Bhoomi Network for camps & treks that help you understand and appreciate the need to actively preserve our natural history

does Vitamin c keep you from catching cold?

Pic: Wikimedia Commons

BM English School Green Club green club members 2012-13. Pic: Vinita


One lakh netizens dial-up Kannada’s cool quotientAn online community’s efforts to preserve and propagate Kannada’s ‘cool quotient’ have woken slumbering and nostalgic Kannadigas...

The epithet ‘Gaanchali bidi, Kannada maathadi’ (GBKM) would translate colloquially as ‘let go of your

(English) affectations and speak in Kannada.’ For those of us born and brought up in Bangalore, this has been a familiar epithet; as children from middle-class families, we were exposed to peers from ‘convent’ schools who spoke ‘European’ English, but they would disdain to speak in Kannada despite knowing the language well.We would accuse them of ‘gaanchali’, and of course would strive to throw in as much Kannada in our ‘English’ conversations as possible. The fact that many of the wannabe ‘convent’ schools (where we studied in an effort to catch up with our well-off peers) actually imposed a ‘ban’ on speaking Kannada in school except during the Kannada period only made us even more rebellious. All of us growing up in the 70s, 80s and 90s were the progenitors of the hybrid called ‘Kanglish’.Unfortunately, when we grew up, we forgot all about our rebelliousness and quietly became English speaking, tech savvy people.But it seems that these feelings did not die out in Pavan Kunch, the founder of a Facebook page called ‘Gaanchali bidi Kannada mathadi’. His efforts to preserve and propagate Kannada’s ‘cool quotient’ through this page have now woken those slumbering and nostalgic Kannadigas who are feeling their grasp slip away from Kannada, amply testified by the fact that GBKM is a one-lakh strong internet community.The sobriquet GBKM can appear to carry shades of jingoism, but Kunch and his friends do not merely wave the Kannada flag in your face without any actual knowledge of Kannada literature or culture.

Sample these facts:1) The GKBM online community has been instrumental in getting ATMs and IVRS to include Kannada as the

interface language, a big boon to those who cannot navigate the English menus.2) Software engineers inspired by the movement have ensured that the Kannada Wiktionary now has a list of

nearly 2,52,000 Kannada words from about 150 words in November 2009 when Kunch launched the page.

3) GBKM’s email campaigns have ensured that Kannada entertainment is available on BMTC and KSRTC buses.

4) Several banks have now implemented Kannada challans and

cheques due to concerted efforts online.5) The British Airways in-flight instructions

now come printed in Kannada, and the safety instructions for several flights are issued in English, Hindi and Kannada.

Although, it is a bit hard to connect all these changes to GBKM, activities on the Facebook page, points to continuous efforts in this direction.Kunch describes GBKM as a platform to address three different aspects of the language -

cultural quotient, cool quotient and consumer quotient. The cultural objective takes the form of interesting posts on Kannada writers, films and places of interest in Karnataka. The ‘cool

quotient’ has been influenced by and given impetus to people who innovate in the use of Kannada, for example, through T-shirts, blogs, films or theatre.The growth of the community to 1 lakh members prompted Kunch and his friends to celebrate the event in GBKM style. On August 6th, nearly 150 members of the community were present at KH Kala Soudha to felicitate two special people who have uniquely contributed to Kannada.Rajeev Ramachandra, founder of Mistral Solutions that follows the employee-as-owner model and Pawan Kumar, the director of the film lifeu ishtene were there to

Pavan describes GBKm as a platform to address three different aspects of the language—cultural quotient, cool quotient and consumer quotient.

rajeev ramachandra said it is vital for Kannada to grow as an ‘economic’ power in order to be culturally influential.

coVer sTory

>> Continued in page 15 >>


Independence, that often used word

Independence Day is coming up and it’s a good time to reflect on the word itself.

Let’s take a look at how the word plays out in public life in our own city and state.

Karnataka’s Lokayukta position opened up over a year ago and the state government has still not filled the position. Such is the fear of an independent Lokayukta, after Justice Santosh Hegde indicted official after official.

Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force’s head, IPS officer Rajvir Sharma, responding to citizen complaints on illegal buildings, threatened prosecution against over a 100 BBMP engineers. BMTF’s legal mandate allows it this independence. Not only is there a massive backlash against Sharma, the state government is now reportedly considering clipping BMTF’s powers!

There are scores of examples like this, where authorities that are supposed to function independently, are not allowed to do so, in our independent nation. The problem is not a local one. It is national and is also partly the reason behind the anti-corruption movement.

Let’s move from government to society. Bangalore today harbours profound resentment on not enough Kannada being spoken here. Even worse is that entire generations of children from affluent and middle income families have grown up in the city’s English medium

schools frowning on the very idea of speaking Kannada! Every once in a while, there is a backlash. However, neither the occasional incident, nor the more reserved frustration of linguists, scholars, poets and artists appears to have done to Kannada what a netizen community has started doing.

They are making Kannada sakkath cool. Around one lakh Kannadigas on Facebook, largely in their 30s, have been quietly raising the coolness quotient of the language itself. They’ve pushed for a number of things ranging from getting the language into bank challans, ATM machines and British Airways in-flight instructions. Read our report on page 13 for more.

This group has shown they can think independently from others who feel the same angst about the language. They do not resort to jingoism, violence and foul play to express angst. They are also not content with incisive and indicting prose on the dilemma.

This is only the most recent local example that Indians are thinking and speaking independently. That’s the silver lining in a situation where our governments actually prefer to shut down independence.

Happy Independence day!suBrAmANiAm viNCeNt

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Be A cITIzen journAlIsT!Submit your stories at

www.citizenmatters.inWe welcome all citizens to share their stories about this city.We look for ideas for stories that other citizens will find useful or en-joyable. Sometimes there is no point writing about the obvious. For exam-ple, enough stories have been written about the traffic situation. But if you have a particular angle about an issue that has not been covered, or a lead about somebody who is working to solve a problem, that works.

news<<Continued from page 11<<

AdGP Rajvir P Sharma sparks BBMP backlash

address the gathering.Ramachandra stressed on how it is vital for Kannada to grow as an ‘economic’ power in order to be culturally influential. On the other hand, Pawan Kumar’s revolutionary ideas on filmmaking presented another way of boosting the ‘fallen’ status of Kannada.In a larger perspective, Gaanchali Bidi Kannada Mathadi is a sign of changing

times, being youthful and exuberant while at the same time being educative without being an imposition.Perhaps, this approach will bring about much needed winds of change and revive dying native languages which are victims of urbanisation and globalisation. Perhaps there will come a time when Kanglish and Kannada do not have to remain part of nostalgia.

umesh P Numesh is a freelance writer.

[email protected]

<<Continued from page 11<<One lakh netizens dial-up Kannada’s cool quotient

Rajvir Sharma disagrees with Khandre. “They might not have read Section VII of Indian constitution. It says clearly that no authority can interfere into the proceedings of police department”, he snaps.

BMTF short of staff

Currently, BMTF is short of manpower and has also been functioning inside different rooms within BBMP headquarters. “But that will not matter if I have good people to work with me. The public and the officials should be honest, then all authorities can perform well”, quips Sharma. BMTF will soon move to a new office in the Shantinagar BMTC headquarters building, he adds.

It remains to be seen whether the chief minister will intervene and whether BMTF’s powers will be clipped.

sANKAr C G


see & Do

LIST YOUR EVENT FREE! Submit your events online www.citizenmatters.in

or mail [email protected]

Music GearDealers in Musical Instruments and accessories

Call9880599956

www.musicgear.in

JP Nagar

ChildRenFree Science demo classesFor kids aged 7 to 14 years every weekend. Please register to learn science with fun filled science experiments and hands-on activities. 17-18 Aug, scienceutsav, #627, 1st floor, 1st B main road, 7th block, jayanagar (W), Near yediyurkere, Behind srushti hospital Ph: 09945313269

Story telling session at “Kathalaya”A fun filled story telling session at “Kathalaya” for children aged 5 to 12 years from 11th August 2012 to 13th October 2012.Weekly once on Saturday evenings between 3pm to 5pm. Ph: 9886455704 Kathalaya trust, #88, BhBCs layout,2nd cross,3rd main, Btm 2nd stage, Bannergatta roadmusiCBengaluru ganesh UtsavaRanga Rang – rangoli competition, Sand Art Utsava, Biggest Ladoo, Deepotsava, high decibel performances by renowned personalities likeIllayaraja, Shankar Mahadevan & Shahrukh Khan, amongst others, Aromas of Karnataka – Traditional food …sun 19 Aug to 29 sep, APs and National College Grounds, Basavangudi

1st nadasurabhi Karnataka Vaibhava - 3 Day Festival of MusicA unique initiative to highlight the

contribution of Karnataka to the field of Carnatic music exclusively through leading artists from the state.The emphasis will be on the contributions of Karnataka composers, musicians and musicologists and those who had come from elsewhere and settled down in Karnataka by the patronage of the Mysore Maharajahs.17 Aug: Saralaya Sisters Kavitha and Triveni-Vocal Duet18 Aug: D.Balakrishna and Vamshidhar on Veena – Venu In the Mysore baani of Sangita Kalanidhi Dr.Veena Doreswamy Iyengar. 19 Aug: Dr T.S.Sathyavathi (vocal)the indian heritage Academy hall - 6th Block, Koramangala

Meditation and discoursesSurya Jyothi Yoga Vedanta Centre invites all Koramangala residents – Free meditation satsanga and discourses on Vedantic topics, by Swami Krishnananda. Every Saturday & Sunday at 6pm. Daily Divine Mother Pooja with Lalitha Sahasranama Archana will be at 11am. Focus yourself in Meditation, heal health problems, achieve peace of mind, fulfil wishes through divine prayerssurya jyothi yoga vedanta Centre,

46.5th Block, Behind titan eye plus,Koramangala-560095. 080-25505972 / 9902539230 www.suryajyothiyoga.org / www.suryajyothi.com

TheaTReAadab Manto SahebWith performance of Manto’s Short stories in Hindi, Urdu and other languages in Museum Theatre Style. sat 18 Aug 7.30 pm & sun 19 Aug, 4.30 p.m at Atta Galatta. No. 75, 2nd main, Koramangala 1st Block. Ph: 8861907362.

Rangashankara plays11 Sat Nantu – Adu Heegu Unto (also at 3.30 pm)12 Sun Robinson and Crusoe(for 8 year olds and above)(also at 3.30 pm)14 Tue, 15 Wed Namma Metro16 Thu Nam Thimthana17 Fri Sanje Haadu18 Sat Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane (also at 3.30 pm)19 Sun Ilhaam(also at 3.30 pm)21 Tue, 22 Wed The Snow Queen (for 6 year olds and above)23 Thu Tejaswi Parisara Loka24 Fri, 25 Sat Bikhre Bimbrangashankara, 8th Cross, Nt to Post Off, jP Nagar, Phase ii, Ph: 2649 3982.I-DAY

Run For BharathOrganised by Samagra Vikas. Come Join us in this Marathon and there is no better cause than sharing and learning with your fellow citizens for a noble cause of improving the society and our great country.15 Aug, 8 am, From Kanteerava stadium to Cubbon Park and back. http://www.samagravikasa.org/

living in Bengaluru Book ReleaseMLA B N Vijaykumar will release Citizen matters' book Living in Bengaluru at a function atPrism Bookshop in Jayanagar on 17th August, also speaking at the function will be Ashwin Mahesh, state government advisor, and Narahari Mukund and N S Muku-nda of Citizens Action Forum.For more details call 98455 06477 or 41737584Prism Books, #16, 11th main, 4th Block, jayanagar, tel: [email protected] are welcome!


Sadly, it’s only when some people leave the scene that one is moved

to write about the immense worth of their lives and work. Though I had met Dr Joseph George (1st October 1921 - 9th July 2012), it was only when he passed away, that I realised that I could have documented this doyen of ornithology in Bangalore, much earlier.

Dr Joseph George got the first rank in his bachelor’s degree, studying at St Joseph’s College, Trichy, and went on to continue his studies at Agra University, with a scholarship. He later completed his doctoral degree.

He worked for a long time at the Forest Research Institute (where he went on to become the Assistant Director). He and Gurcharan Singh, a school headmaster by profession, were the people who literally ‘ran’ the birdwatching effort in Dehradun.

Later, Dr George became the Assistant Director of the Buildings Research Institute, Roorkee. He then moved to Bangalore, as the Director of the Indian Plywood Industries’ Research (and now, Training) Institute at Peenya.

He was the person who started group birdwatching in Bangalore in 1972, a little after he came here. He did this, along with T N A Perumal, the wildlife photographer, and Upendra, of the Automobile Association of India.

Throughout his time in Bangalore, o r n i t h o l o g y remained Dr George’s passion. From the day the Newsletter for Birdwatchers started being

printed, he painstakingly proofread every issue.

As I had pointed out in my article on the rise of birding in Bangalore, one of the important milestones for the Birdwatchers’ Field Club was the compilation of the official annotated checklist of the birds of Bangalore, with sponsorship from Bikram Grewal, a noted naturalist. The very first bird list was made by Dr Joseph George, and released by Dr Salim Ali in November 1977 on his birthday, at a function at the Raman Research Institute.

Dr M B Krishna, another noted Bangalore ornithologist, reminisces about the days when they prepared the first annotated checklist of the

birds of Bangalore, together. ”In the bargain, if I recollect right, I got three weeks of free lunch and good work every day, full time!”

“He took great pains to keep Birdwatchers’ Field Club of Bangalore

alive by sending handwritten postcards to everyone who gave him their address. I still recollect his handwriting with large letters!” says Shanta Manohar, a Bangalore-based birdwatcher.

On the scientific side of birdwatching, Dr Krishna adds: “he was meticulous in his observations, and his work on bamboo nest boxes is a classic, merging his professional interest in wood science with his hobby, interest in birds. The use of dyed feathers dispersed from a hillside so that swifts could pick it up to build nests, and the subsequent detection of those dyed feathers in the nests at the Forest Research Institute, was innovative. “

Dr Krishna adds that many techniques used by Dr George were firsts in the world, such as his counting migrating Grey Drongos to arrive at their migration timings, or some of his mapping techniques.

Zafar Futehally, 93, the other venerable ornithologist of Bangalore, remembers how the ‘Newsletter for Birdwatchers’ started: “Sometime in 1988, before we shifted to Kodaikanal, George telephoned to say that he wanted to discuss something and could we meet him and another friend... I invited him to the Bangalore Club and it was then, we decided that Sridhar would print and publish the newsletter. Going into print was a great advance.”

A person with a mission, and with a passion - we salute Dr Joseph George, and revere his memory. When each of us looks up into the tree and thrills at the sight of a feathered friend, let us remember that we owe a lot to Dr George.

nATure feATure

deepa mohan

feATures

Remembering dr Joseph GeorgeHe was the man with immense love for birds. His methods were pioneering to say the least. A glimpse into Dr George’s life.

he took great pains to keep Birdwatchers’ field Club of Bangalore alive by sending handwritten postcards to everyone who gave him their ad-dress. I still recollect his handwriting with large letters!

shanta manoharBangalore-based birdwatcher.

Dr J

osep

h G

eorg

e. P

ic: D

eepa

Moh

an


He had seen the paper and started reading the headline

before I had a chance to hide it. “M-O-L-E-S-T” he read, pronouncing it as ‘molet’ before inevitably asking me the meaning. My six-and-half-year-old has developed a new love for reading and I had forgotten how trauma and disaster laden our news was, when I encouraged his attempt to read the newspaper,

What do you do when all the media that confronts your child, the TV, newspapers and magazines, not to

mention the internet, has nothing but bad news. Do you tell her as it is or do you gloss over facts and pretend you haven’t heard what she asked?

“Being truthful is the only way to go,” says Priya, mum to a teen and a preteen. “They will learn the truth sooner or later, and then lose trust in the parent. if one parent is embarrassed or shy, the other has to deal with stuff. Lying, or pretending it does not exist is not an option.”

It of course depends on the age of the child. If you have no choice it’s best to explain violent behaviour to a five or six-year-old in simpler terms instead of getting too preachy or graphic about it. They do not have

the maturity to grasp it all anyway. At least that’s what we think!

For many parents, issues like rape, molestation and violence are

difficult ones to address. Do you make your child aware of the bad, bad world outside and colour her sunny view much earlier than you should

have, or do you tackle them as and when situations demand?

Most moms, I spoke to seem to be mulling over this, especially given the kind of news doing the rounds these days.

Anamika, mother of a 9 and 13-year-old says she tries to explain the seriousness but in less shocking terms. “I don’t want them to be too scared of the issue and the dirty world outside, and don’t want them to feel that everyone is bad and the entire society is corrupt either.”

lAsT worD

Shielding children from gory news

confessIons of A seconD TIMe MoM

Reshmi ChakRaboRty

Pic:

wik

imed

iaco

mm

ons

Book release at

Jayanagar PRISM

book store on Fri 17th

Aug. Chief guest: B N

Vijayakumar, MLA.

For more details, call 98455 06477

or 41737584

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