https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/column/village-voices/the-silent-bystander/
My article in Civil Society Magazine, Dec 2019
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Moving ahead as one country despite the cultural diversity
My first brush with being made to feel like a South Indian and distinctly different from the person in front of me is something that is strongly etched into my memory now. My father had insisted that all his children learn three languages at school – Kannada, the language of my state of Karnataka, English and Hindi (which he felt was our National language). We grew up with the pride that we could speak all three and did not consider that someday I would be looked down upon for speaking Hindi in a distinct south Indian accent. This incident happened
Demystifying the ‘specialist’
We live in a world of having a expert for all major human endeavours – from the mason to the medical specialist, from the masseuse to the manager…to the point where we have a special word called a Generalist even. The irony of the situation is that while on one hand the specialist and his role is celebrated, there exists a crisis of confidence in their expertise too. The current COVID crisis has not only challenged the specialist but has also exposed their inadequacies. For more about this, read my article titled, ‘Demystifying the Specialist’ in today’s Deccan Herald.
Engaging citizens in policy making
The problem of pollution is back in Delhi again. The state governments of Arvind Kejriwal and Capt. Amarinder Singh have started blaming each other for the problem, while the Supreme Court has been demanding action from both the Central and State Governments. Whether it is the even-odd arrangement that the Delhi Government tried a few years ago or asking people to switch off their car engines when stopping at a traffic light, different solutions are being attempted. From the burning of the stubble to the challenge of COVID pandemic worsening during polluted times, the common citizens are worried. But everyone