Society | Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

From food supply to information sharing: How a citizen collective is helping Bengaluru deal with COVID-19

April 9, 2020 Pravir Bagrodia

As soon as the first COVID-19 case was reported from Whitefield, the citizen collective Whitefield Rising started responding. They have sourced accurate information for residents, supplied essentials to migrant labourers, and so on.

Corona lockdown: Citizen collective ‘WithBengaluru’ to arrange rations for the poor

March 30, 2020 Srinivas Alavilli

A citizen initiative ‘WithBengaluru’ is distributing ration kits to migrant workers and other low-income groups in the city. Here are details of the initiative and how you too can be part of it.

Bengaluru lockdown: Indira Canteens will serve three meals a day to low-income groups

March 28, 2020 News Desk

After much public pressure, the state government has confirmed that Indira Canteens in the city will offer three meals a day to low-income groups. The canteen staff and beneficiaries are required to take certain precautions too.

A brief history of protest in Bengaluru – Post-Independence to Emergency

March 20, 2020 Siddhant Kalra

Far from the surprise that the record-breaking anti-CAA protests of December and January evoked in the community, Bengaluru has always had a vibrant history of united struggles. What’s more, the geographies and alliances that were formed during the Freedom struggle a century ago, continue to echo in modern day Bengaluru.

Women tap into creativity to fight sexual violence

March 11, 2020 Pragathi R

A week before Women’s Day, women from different walks of life came together to make themselves heard against sexual violence. They sang, danced, told stories, stitched a quilt, posted notes and bonded with each other. The highlight of the event was that they eliminated jargon from their language of liberation.

“Even in Bengaluru, even today, you could find it hard to rent a flat if you have a Muslim name”

February 11, 2020 Shilpi Sahu

If you think religious minorities face no discrimination in Bengaluru, think again. Even today, having a Muslim name can be a disadvantage in finding a home in the city

All about Childline 1098: How it helps children in distress

January 28, 2020 Prachi Pinglay-Plumber

The child helpline 1098 gets calls on issues ranging from denial of school admission to trafficking of children. How is the helpline run? What action is taken on calls? Here is an explainer

Citizen Matters, Vidhi Legal invite you to a discussion on Women’s Safety

January 27, 2020 News Desk

Gender violence continues unabated in our public and private spaces despite many initiatives to combat it. Attend a panel discussion on January 28 that will look at the root causes and solutions to this problem

Three pointers to ensure speedy justice in sexual assault cases

January 18, 2020 Chitra Talwar

Perpetrators in rape cases often enjoy impunity, or take years to be brought to justice as in the Nirbhaya case. We need better policing and judicial systems to change this

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.

Women working night shifts: What does the law say about ensuring their safety?

January 16, 2020 Manasi Paresh Kumar

In several industries, women are now legally allowed to work in night shifts, and employers are responsible for their safety. Here’s what the law says about this

Bengaluru’s women factory workers can now do night shifts, but will it help them?

January 16, 2020 Harsha Raj Gatty

As per a recent state government notification, women factory workers can now do night shifts. While the progressive move has been lauded, there are concerns that it could lead to more exploitation of workers

Helplines for women in Bengaluru: Call for rescue, shelter, legal aid and more

January 15, 2020 Kedar Koushik

If a woman suffers from domestic violence or sexual abuse, what options does she have? Here is a list of helplines that offer crisis intervention, shelter, medical and legal aid, and so on

Fundraiser: School children sell paintings for battered puppies’ treatment

December 21, 2019 Priya Chetty Rajagopal

Ten days ago, miscreant children in Whitefield battered seven puppies. Only one of the puppies have survived. You can support this puppy’s treatment by attending a fundraiser organised by Parikma school students

Zero-waste music festival in Bengaluru pays tribute to endangered species

December 18, 2019 Srijan Sen

Large-scale music festivals usually come at a cost to the environment. Echoes of the Earth, an annual music festival in Bengaluru, aims to change this by adopting sustainable practices

How to protect your child from sexual abuse

November 24, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

November 20th, World Children’s Day, marks the anniversary of UN’s Declaration of the Rights of the Child. But how well-protected are our children from abuse, and how can we ensure their safety?

School safety zone launched at St Joseph’s School

New initiative for School Safety Zone to get students to be change agents

November 20, 2019 Jeevan Biswas

A new initiative called ‘Young Change Agents for Road Safety’ aims to create safe zones around schools by getting students to drive change

Let’s all learn Kannada to connect better with Bengaluru

November 10, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

To truly belong to a city, it’s important to learn the local language. And large numbers of non-Kannadigas in Bengaluru have been doing this in the last few years

Now it’s Cubbon Park: Just how many times should Bengalureans protest, to save their heritage?

November 8, 2019 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Several laws have been made, and commissions formed, to protect Bengaluru’s heritage. Why then do we have to get on to the streets and protest every time our commons is threatened?

“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