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Author lives in Mysore, but posts mostly about Bangalore. An exmaple of the obsession that he, and many have with the city - whether its about bettering, bitching, working, living or leaving this place.

I sincerely look forward to parallel posts on

• "Why you should come to live and work in Mysooru". Or
• "Ten things to do to make Shivamogga an alternative to Bengaluru".
• "Shifting capital of Karnataka to Kumta, Bhatkal or Kundapura, or Bidar" :)

Thats probably the way to go about it - the surest way out of this sense of gloom and doom.

Many bitch - city sucks, is a disaster etc, but not many leave? Why? Its the best city in our country, and despite its issues dealing with growth, has a bright future, and is poised to lead the state towards more prosperity.

Cheer up.

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We are all swayed by split second emotions and we must have the ability to control and count ten before inscripting some words that may convey very low attitudes.

My qualification for commenting about Bengaluru

-  My being in Mysore has been made an issue by SB - Is it an issue?  Are we not Indians anywhere in India !!  Why I moved lock, stock and barrel to Mysore in 2007 after spending a life time in Nanna Bengaluru - now a dying city, being raped (a more respectable word - compared to words used by SB) from all and sundry, is because my nostradamic thoughts warned me that my grand children will not be able to live safely, will not be able to go to school on time, will not be able to withstand pollution and waste of precious hours in commuting to school, tution...etc., ..list is long).

While in Nanna sundara Bengaluru,  I lived in Basavannana Galli, a cross road of Avenue Road and  was walking upto National School in Basavanagudi for my education; dad was giving me one rupee - I used to eat two idlies near city market for 50 paise with 4 cups of sambar (sometimes the supplier used to refuse extra cups!);  By the way SB, can you tell how many 'kaasus', or how many 'aanes' or how many 'paavalies' or 'entaanes' were there in 'ondu rupaayee?' 

- Majestic circle was headquarters in the evening hours on week days and Brigades and MG Road were headquarters during week ends for me and my friends. Ten Commandments, Benhur, Koshy's Restaurant, Four Aces - pop dacing floor, Catholic club, Liberty theatre, the beautiful Bund - now a graveyard of trees?

- At Majestic, me and my friends have counted how many stone slabs are protruding and hurting pedestrians between Mysore Bank circle upto Majestic theatre on the one side and Govt. Law College to present elevated walk way in Majestic Circle;  had brought them to the notice of the area corporation officials who were very obliging and used to set right when even ten of us trooped into his office!  

The list of public concern works done is fairly long but mention of some may help clear your frayed temper - many of what I am mentioning here have been covered widely through print and electronic media and some with which I was associated as a convener, have been taken over as benchmarks - (I was not alone in some of these achievements but played the key roles in making them more than successful),

- First ever free Udyoga Mela in Rajajinagar in 2005 - on a mega scale in association with NGO Public Vigilance Forum - on stage interviews and job offers and appointment orders were issued - even today such Melas are being arranged in almost all district headquarters with the help of Employment Exchanges;

- First ever Citizen-Metro Rail interactive conclave with road show by BMRCL officials from Yeswanthapur railway yard upto Nagappa Park in Srirampuram culminating in a fiasco because Metro authorities answers were unconvincing - in association with Public Vigilance Forum and Sri Narendra Babu, MLA, Rajajinagara;

- First ever 'Vote India Movement' when Sri Krishna Murthy, Chief Elec.Commr. was brought to the door step of voters in Mahalakshmi Layout for correcting the defective electoral rolls - mother of all frauds - in association with Janaagraha - Ramesh Ramanathan and Jaya Prakash Narayan the former IAS officer who resigned and jumped into public service from Hyderabad

- First ever unique concept -  Bring Birds Back to Bengaluru - Where have all the sparrows gone - designed and developed bird friendly nests, bird baths facility, feeding corners, in association with BBMP and Public Vigilance Forum and Horticulture/Forest dept.  This unique concept is an ongoing BBMP programme and has been implemented in many major parks in Bengaluru.

---- The list could be long.

But I saw Bengaluru making great strides on the grave yard of many who had lived for more than a century as farmers in peripheral lands and businessmen on main roads in cities and were displaced unceremoneously in the name of developing with inclusive development of the'haves' and  not 'have nots'.

That is why this post and it is in the interest of those like you and your children and grand children.

I hope I have not violated Praja guidelines.

Saakaa, innoo bekaa?

PS- I am fighting in Mysore also to keep it as virgin a city as possible; but the ghosts of Bengaluru are on the hoirzon here also - Recently, was part of organising Appiko movement to save decades old herbal and other 123 trees on Lalitha Mahal Road marked for destruction (raping) -  school children and elders from Mysore Grahaka Parishath 

 Vasanth Mysoremath from Heritage City of Mysore

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 I am reminded of Justice Santosh hedge lamenting about the obsession of successive governments in developing Bangalore alone. He was for the shifting development to other parts of the state as well. It is true that our successive governments are falling in to an oblivious trap.

However VKM sir is happily ignorant of the fact that Global warming is in fact a global phenomenon. Similarly the population growth is bound to be exponential with the present levels of human development, globally. Not surprising the film industry is also keeping in pace. My reference is to the Hollywood movie 2012.

VKM sirs post is like lecturing a hungry Tiger to behave while providing sheep for his company. I feel the city of Mysore is also not like it was when I left it in 1964.

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VKM, the point was about expressing on the same subject in constructive ways. Writing such stuff (population, car growth etc etc) on Praja is like preaching to the converted.

This is not a you vs me thing, nor is it about your qualifications, so you don't have to write your mile long activist resume in response. The obsession with Bangalore is real deal - we all do it, and so does the state government. Key is to spread the awareness that we all need to get out of that self defeating mode.

Let you and me spend the next month writing only or mostly about Mysore. Or Mangalore, or Shimoga. Pick a city. I am game. I am talking stuff like:

• Talking tier-2, and beyond Bangalore, we will quickly get to the discussion on - should the investment in state's cities be proportional to the GDP they fetch?
• What is missing in other cities that even the industries that primarily need people and electricity (IT, BT) and not the mines, rivers or space for ancilliaries like many others are not going there.

Let us talk what our beloved news papers don't talk about. Experienced guys like you need to, because you know a lot.

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I too felt disgusted as Mr VKM describes above..akrama everywhere..for eg.

Tagore circle gets an unwanted underpass just cos JnNURM allocated funds..

BDA reaps in crores cos of Sakrama and encourages violations..

There is a racket for cutting down trees for metro..

Violations and akrama's every where..

But the again..this city and our country is our Karma bhumi..and Praja is one of the vehicles of hope..lets continue our tryst!

Btw I still average 20KMPH for my Girinagar - CV raman ngr daily trip..and expect to do better in dec next year when metro goes live!

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