Commercial cab drivers are said to be protesting in and around few parts of the city and preventing the employee cabs of different companies from commuting to various places as per schedule.

It is said that as a part of the benefits, the cab drivers are not eligible for accident benefits which they think is an important aspect considering the amount of accidents that transpires.
There ware some disturbance reported earlier in the morning though the situation seems to be under control.

Undoubtedly, this is the right time for the auto drivers to make some extra money. Isn’t it? However, car pooling should be a good thought.

Not sure if this strike is going to continue for some more days. Any idea?
Is there some other reason for the strike?

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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Here’s a message from a friend, about a meeting I consider it important to attend:

There will be a meeting at Environment Support Group (ESG) at 3.30 pm tomorrow (Sat. 5th), to discuss and strategise on two very important issues concerning the city.

1)The BBMP has touted a road-widening program on 91 roads ( to be extended to 123) of Bangalore. Since the announcement of the scheme, ESG and Hasiru Usiru have been opposing the project, as it is irrational and against all basic principles of design and planning.

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The First City Theatre Foundation, a Delhi-based group, is staging “Mouse” and “Positions #2″ at Ranga Shankara today and tomorrow, the 5th of April, 2008, at 7.30pm.

(Publicity Design, Yashas Chandra)

Today’s show made it immediately apparent that we had a director, playwright (Neel Chaudhuri) and cast which are a force to reckon with.

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Crisis in Bangalore: Traffic is destroying this city

Do any of these frustrate you on a daily basis?
* Being stuck in a traffic jam for hours on end
* Seeing Bangalore being destroyed day by day
* Lack of respect for pedestrian movement
* High air pollution levels
* Huge, beautiful trees being hacked down

So far we have been waiting for SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE to do SOMETHING about the crisis. Nobody is doing anything about it.

We are trying to form a city-wide group of people with skills, time and passion who are willing to do something about this crisis.
Be the change you want to see. Come and join Hasiru Usiru, and the Environment Support Group, in making Bangalore a better place to live.

Date : Sunday, April 6
Time : 3 pm.

Agenda:
We will have a talk detailing the crisis, and describe possible solutions. We’ll then have a discussion on how we can go about implementing them.

Venue: Environment Support Group
105, East End ‘B’ Main Road
Jayanagar 9th Block East
Bangalore - 560069.

Directions:

Map: http://www.esgindia.org/contact/contact.html
(From East End Circle in Jayanagar, go towards Jayadeva Hospital.
Turn left just before the Reebok showroom. ESG is on the right, behind the Reebok showroom).