Today, Environment Support Group, which is working in many ways for the commons of Bangalore and Karnataka, organized a lecture on ‘Rethinking the Indian city, reclaiming its Commons” by Professor Michael Goldman.

Here’s the background about Prof. Goldman that ESG gave in their invitation mail:

“Prof. Michael Goldman is a McKnight Presidential Fellow and professor of Sociology and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, USA. He is the editor of Privatizing Nature: Political Struggle for the Global Commons (Rutgers University Press and Pluto Press), and the author of Imperial Nature: The World Bank and Struggles for Social Justice in the Age of Globalization (Yale University Press 2005; Orient Longman India 2006; Kyoto University Press [in Japanese] 2008), based on a decade-long ethnography of the World Bank. He is currently conducting research in Bangalore on the project,“Bangalore: The Making of a World City,”focusing on the transformations of land, government,and citizenship taking place under liberalization.”

Here’s Leo Saldanha of ESG, introducing Professor Goldman:

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I live in south Bangalore, and there was a time when Chowdiah was *the* venue for all theatre. But, after having gone yesterday (Friday, 11th July 2008) for a play at Chowdiah, I have resolved not to go there again, if it is a weekday. This, of course, is a purely personal decision, but here are the reasons why:

1. First, and foremost…..if I do what most of my fellow-Bangaloreans do and drive a car…..the traffic. No matter how many flyovers and underpasses and magic boxes have been built, the traffic volumes make sure that the roads are so choked in the evening that the vehicles just inch forward in clouds of smoke and roars of revving engines. I do hate sitting in a car which is at idling speed, guzzling petrol, and releasing fumes into the air, along with all the other vehicles doing the same thing.

Yesterday, we *had* to take the car; we left for Chowdiah at 5.45pm…and got back at 11.40 pm. Six hours for a play that ran an hour and a half…not viable, to my mind.

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Pace of the development sometimes carry along hidden challenges which keep surfacing now and then. There are many children who sacrifice their childhood to support themselves and their family needs, this one is seen selling things which he should be playing with at his age….

I was in Jayanagar yesterday and saw this signboard, put up by Smt G Sharada Ramaswamy, a senior citizen:

I was very impressed that the lady cared enough about her city to have this sign up, exhorting her fellow-citizens to keep this city (”this is your own”) clean and green.

If each one of us could just follow this advice….what a benefit all of us would get in return!

While some prefer to buy new books, there are still many who prefer visiting the book lane ( avenue road) to these merchants / book sellers who encourage people to re-use and re-cycle ( circulate) the ‘used’ books for the needy, on a longer term this provides a great value not only to the user but the others as the cost of the books keeps coming down, a single copy is used by many thus is a noble cause for environment support too…

Here’s Bannerghatta Road, at the Jayadeva flyover; four years ago, all the trees that had been planted on this road were cut down and the road widened, and the flyover built.

Can you see even a blade of grass in the picture?

What has the effect of the tree-felling, road-widening, and flyover-building been on traffic?

The traffic is as choked as ever, and all that has happened is that we have lost a lot of greenery and tree cover; the area has become much more polluted and noisy.

Can we stop further unnecessary felling of trees and widening of roads, which result in the same traffic congestion + lack of trees, just a few years down the line, and think of more long-term and people-friendly solutions to our traffic problems?

Meet Raju, our dhobiwalla from Frazer Town. He’s been a regular with us over the last 25 years. And a good example of peripheral relationships in old Bangalore. You know all about his kids and he has seen your kids growing up right from the time they were in diapers.

Raju is like our postman, who often drops by for a cup of tea and to chat about how things have changed after “email”.

But Raju is now endangered species - with coal prices spiraling, power tariffs on a shock-spree and shop rents hitting the roof. The “new age” cleaner around the corner is another looming threat to his existence. He is getting old and does not visualize his children getting into the same line. So it won’t be long before his trusty cycle leans against his wall to gather dust.

I don’t know how many old Bangaloreans can identify with this feeling of loss in terms of a close “peripheral relationship”, but I’m sure many of you have grown up with these familiar faces who have been so much a part of your life.

Another closed chapter on the changing face of Bangalore.

A wholesaler of local fries checkingout his cart customer early morning on his two wheeler, these cheap hot chips are munched along sipping the tea by local crowds …

From 26th May, Bangalore city has one more newspaper under circulation. The newspaper is by a Hyderabad based media company Deccan Chronicle, the group which is more famous nationally for being owner of a bottom performer team in recently concluded Indian Premier League(IPL).

The newspaper claims itself to be ‘for Young Minds’ through provocative hoarding ads depicting a lady with news printed on her back. (more…)

Fuel prices are soaring, entire World is going after the ‘green’ and ‘clean’ options, perhaps these riders have taken this too seriously, have they?