INTERVIEWS Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

Covid-19 pandemic isn’t over yet, stay safe: Epidemiologist Giridhar Babu

January 4, 2021 Harini Raghavan

If the vaccination process is on schedule, we could return to a semblance of normalcy in the next 7 to 8 months

Lockdown distress: People with HIV unable to buy medicines and food

April 30, 2020 Radio Active 90.4MHz

During lockdown, people living with HIV (PLHIV) have not been able to step out and buy critical medicines and food. Many have had no work or wages either.

Time has perhaps come for a separate law for crimes against women: S T Ramesh, ex-DGP

January 16, 2020 Bhanutej N

There has been much talk about gender-sensitisation of the police as well as procedural reforms vis-à-vis justice for rape survivors and other women victims of crime. S T Ramesh, former DGP and IGP of Karnataka Police, was a reformer within the force. Here are his thoughts on the subject.

How Bengaluru youth are taking part in the global movement against climate change

December 24, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

The Bengaluru chapter of Fridays For Future (FFF), a global youth movement, holds weekly climate strikes in different parts of the city. In this edition of Citizens Live, one of its coordinators Disha A Ravi, speaks about their work

London’s transport chief on solving Bengaluru’s traffic woes: Plan for public transit and dense city core

November 28, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at TFL (Transport for London) was recently in Bengaluru to discuss public transit with the government. In this chat with Citizens Live, he discusses bus lanes, smart cards, and solutions to Bengaluru’s traffic woes

No additional budget or police personnel to manage traffic on bus priority lane: JCP Ravikanthe Gowda

November 21, 2019 Harsha Raj Gatty

There is no separate budget allocation or police personnel to manage traffic at the bus priority lane, says JCP (Traffic) B R Ravikanthe Gowda. But the department will rely on BBMP for additional manpower to monitor the lane

“Security cameras, smart cards, street infra essential to make public transport safe”: Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao

November 5, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Even as Bengaluru is promoting public transport, many commuters – especially women – find buses and cabs unsafe. In this edition of Citizens’ Live, Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao discusses the requirements and challenges in making public transport safe

“I welcome state govt’s move to investigate white-topping”: Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun

September 25, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun, known best for initiating ward committee meetings, has only a few days left in her tenure. In this conversation with Citizens’ Live, she explains why she pushed for ward committee meetings, her take on state government’s investigation into white-topping projects, and more

JP Nagar cultural space brings top artists and children together

July 23, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Children aren’t often welcome at cultural performances where the audience are expected to be disciplined. But Jagali in JP Nagar aims to change just this, by catering to family audiences. In this edition of Citizens Live, Saraswathi Anand, whose living room serves as Jagali, talks about this informal space

“Digging recharge wells is the only way Bengaluru won’t run out of water”

July 21, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Bovi community who are the traditional well-diggers of Bengaluru, are part of an initiative to build one million recharge wells in the city. In this edition of Citizens Live, Ramakrishna Bovi explains how you too can be part of this initiative to help resolve the city’s water scarcity

“We were told our son wouldn’t get admission in college”

May 27, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Amidst the frenzy about tenth standard exam results and top scorers, what happens to the children who get average marks? In this conversation with Citizens Live, parents of Chiraag Shetty who scored 59 percent, talk about the pressure they face, the struggle to get college admission for Chiraag, and how the system could change

Planting forests in Bengaluru: Bimal Desai tells you how

May 15, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Bimal Desai has fought for years to protect Cubbon Park and other green spaces in Bengaluru. Now he is creating forest patches across the city using the Miyawaki method. In this conversation with Citizens Live, Desai talks about his initiative, and how every Bengalurean can replicate it to make the city green and liveable again

“It’s a fight to preserve our heritage,” says architect restoring 112-year-old Fort High School

May 3, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Fort High School in Chamarajpet, made entirely of brick and limewater, has lain dilapidated for years. Now, the non-profit INTACH is restoring the building. In this edition of Citizens Live, Pankaj Modi of INTACH talks about the restoration works, their struggle to initiate it, and how Bengaluru’s heritage can be conserved

Bangalore Central Congress candidate Rizwan Arshad: “Representatives should think out of the box”

April 16, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

MLC Rizwan Arshad is the Congress candidate for Bangalore Central constituency. In this interview with Citizen Matters, Rizwan talks about his accomplishments, Congress’s poll promises on GST and police reforms, his allegation against MP P C Mohan, and so on

Bangalore South candidate Vatal Nagaraj: “Duddilla, Jaathiyilla, that’s why I lost earlier”

April 11, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Vatal Nagaraj, known for his hardline pro-Kannada stand, is contesting from Bangalore South parliamentary constituency. In this interview with Citizen Matters, Nagaraj speaks on why he wants to be an MP, and how politics has changed over the decades