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Sunday, October 20, 2013
Bring Back Time Keepers to the Nation
By K.S.Someswara
Bring Back Time Keepers to the Nation
Bangalore has housed many a PSU’s and every one of them had its own field of activities to the benefit of the society and to the economy of the country. They are jewels in our industrial sector. HMT was undoubtedly one among them. Though started as a machinery unit in Bangalore it has diversified itself to produce many products like Tractors, Lamps which includes wrist watches and manufacturing units were located from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. HMT as a name got a brand value only through its Time machine (watches). The credit for the same should go to innumerable people from top management to skilled /semi skilled workers and to hosts of ancillary units who put their heart and soul in every watch they produced.
This effort of the workers had placed the name of HMT with a brand value on which the Watch unit was the jewel in the crown for many decades. When machine tool and other units were not performing adequately it is this watch unit which infused blood (finance) into the same so that every arm of the HMT is healthy and active. All these are done not only with a view to carry on the flagship but also with a social angle of feeding thousands of is employees and their families. At that the factories were run not as an industry but as a joint family.
Now, the watch unit which was the life line for the HMT for many decades is lying on a life sustained bed. It is a mockery of events over the period. Poor strategy of the stake holders like the government, unplanned approach of the company’s bigwigs with short sighted view in respect of the mood of the market, all colluded together to the present status of the company. It must be noted that only other consumer industry other than HMT that was made to fail was ITI. Many PSU’s with special mention to HAL which had a long phase of no work its employees has made a turnaround despite its limited market.
If HAL can see its golden days back why not HMT machine Tool or Watch unit can come back to its old track is the million dollar question. Without proper assessment of the market and following a rigidity in planning the watch unit in particular has lost the pulse of the market altogether.
Considering the ever increasing demand for wrist watches in the market the race in the demand-supply is still a race of Hare and the Tortoise. The onset of manufacturing the quartz watches has generated a fresh market and variety to the customers. The assembling of these electronic watches is much less complicated than its big sister, the mechanical watches. The liberalized economic policy of the country in the early 90’s led to a surge of these types of watches which came into the market with different brand names with a plethora of models and designs.
The management of HMT, over the period has failed to assess the mood of the market and had a laid back approach towards its so called competitors. The accompanied with several other lacunae, the colossal of HMT watches has reached its peril. The management at every point of time, especially in late 90’s instead of adopting out of the box ideas to hold its trusted benevolent has failed to rebuild the lost ground and only seen erosion of hard working and skilled labour. (Many were shunted out in the name of excess/VRS).
Has this long story of HMT can see a happy ending Shubham for the future? Yes, indeed it is a hard task and needs hard working of a dedicated management. They should motivate the work force through their ingenuity and make realistic strategies to get hold of the lost market.
Watches, despite the onslaught of modern apps like the mobile, I phone etc. has still holds its foot strong. Even today, it is a dream buy for every individual. It has certainly sustained the modern technology and has become a fashion accessory for both men and women with no age bar. They feel that trendy wrist watches will enhance their image and style. Some of the recent surveys indicate that the ladies who were strapped with smaller dia watches are preferring watcher with larger dials and its ornamental quality has boosted their style statement. Even reputed brands world over have adjusted their production line to this enlarged face (dial) of the ladies watches.
HMT as one knows is the only watch manufacturing unit in our country which has the capacity and technology to produce hand-would mechanical and automatic watches. These watches like Janata, Pilot, Rajat and others were house hold name. Such watches were its pride presentation from day one. It is assessed that these watches are still in demand and the company is unable to meet the same. Though many varieties of models of electronic watches are flooded in the market, the demand for a different variety is ever increasing. As stated earlier, there is always a huge gap in demand and supply in the watch market. Any number of new varieties has failed to satiate the customer’s desire.
HMT Watches has every chance to reinvent itself to bridge this gap. It has to rebuild its resources to manufacture its brand the mechanical and automatic watches in the Bangalore unit to the need of the day. These watches should showcase its exclusiveness by unparallel design and style so that every segment of the market gets an attitude of ‘may buy to ‘must buy’.
How this action can become a reality? A purposeful management- technicians and more imaginative marketing can do a lot of wonders to this pride of the nation. Indeed, the success on this road is not smooth and will not come in a golden platter. It needs highest dedication of the 60’s by the people of this 21st century. The company can concentrate towards mechanical/automatic watches with sophisticated design and elegance at competitive prices along with other categories of watches. It needs a Captain & a team of military ruthlessness and efficiency to meet the emergency of the situation. They should be given free hand to place the unit in the right track in a given time frame. This should be treated as an assignment given to our troops in case of an emergency. Such an effort will make us all see again out Time Keepers to the nation, the HMT Watches which will redeem its pride. Government, the main stake holder in these PSU’s should appoint men/women who can bring back the company to mainstream. There are many people like E.Sreedharan the wizard of Delhi Metro or many such zealous personalities who made a turnaround many sick industries. It will also brighten the hearts of many thousands like me who worked and still working and earned our livelihood honestly for many years which we owe to the company.
K.S.Someswara
No.633, 22nd Main
4th T Block, Jayanagar
Bangalore 560041
Friday, February 19, 2010
Rangoli - The Fine Art
Rangoli -an art for every home
Come this new festival season beginning from Shravana masa (Jul/Aug), we have a long list of festivals and other auspicious functions like marriage. Every house will be rejoicing this season with poojas, wearing new attires, exchanging sweets etc. There is also another ritual which can be seen during such occasions is the art of drawing different designs of Rangoli. This is not limited to these occasions only. They are followed by every Indian house hold every day by drawing the same in front of their houses. One should have watched that the lower part of the front door frame (Hosilu) is decorated permanently with the same. During the festivals, this will be a colourful page with varieties of multicolour designs are spread in the pooja room also. Drawing the same in front of the house is also a form of welcoming the guests.
Rangoli or Rangavalli is one of the popular artform. It is a form of sand painting decoration where finely ground white powder and colours are used. Ranga means colour and avali means row of colours. Its origin is traced back to legends recorded in Chitralakshana, the earliest Indian treatise on painting. In our ancient culture the concept of art, god and life were integrated with one another which are better exhibited in Rangoli.
This assumes different names in different parts of our land. It is Alpana in Bengal, Aripana in Bihar, Madana in Rajastan. The name Rangoli is popular in Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharastra. Chowka Purana is the nomenclature this in Uttar Pradesh and it is Kolam for Tamilians and Keralites. Telugu people call this as Moggu. The Aplana in North India refer to floor painting. In Karnataka this is popularly called drawing of ‘Hase’ and Halakkis call this as Hali.
Traditional motifs for the Rangoli are taken from nature itself. Peacocks, Swans, different flowers, fruits, creepers are used for the same. The colour used to draw is from natural dyes from the bark of tree leaves. Today, synthetic dyes are commonly used which is available in bright colours. Usually, flat surface is used for the base. However even walls are also used for this purpose. Finely grounded white powder is sprinkled uniformly. To give the same three dimensional effect different sized grains,cereals and pulses are used. Coloured powder can also be used for fancy decoration.
Normally the design employed is of specific geometric shape. Line,dots,circles,square, triangle, swastika are used here. One significant aspect of drawing the lines is that it should not be broken. This is with the belief that evil spirits will enter through the same. Rangoli is not something to be displayed in art galleries or to be exhibited in rich house as a symbol of status says B.P.Bayiri who can be called as an unique proponent in familiarizing this art to every modern day house hold in our state. His drawings of different designs and the art of drawing the same were published in the popular kannada weekly Sudha for many decades. Even its sister news paper Prajavani has brought out a special Deepavali edition of his collections in the year 1988 shows the immense popularity of this art form. Even today his books on Rangoli brought out from his Chitra Kuteera is a Bible not only for the beginners but for the experienced too.
Even in ancient heritage, in epics and in jain literature there is a reference to this art form. Even though Rangoli is based on a specific symmetry there is always a scope for the artiste’s imagination for development and creativity. Beauty takes the front seat in this art.
In our culture every auspicious occasion has a place for Rangoli. It is a pleasurable ritual in every house hold to draw the same not only in front of their houses but to offer pooja to the deities by suitably drawing Rangolis to the occasion. Each festival is uniquely significant. During Dasara all the ten days are celebrated as festival by drawing different Rangoli on each day. During Lakshmi pooja and Ganesha festival the pictures of the deities are drawn and are filled with suitable colours. Same is so on the Durga pooja. Holi, the name itself suggests colours are another festival for the people to express their festive mood with colourfully drawn Rangolis. Deepavali, is the festival of lights. During this time different designs of Lamps are drawn to welcome the guests. On Janmasthami, the foot steps of the Lord Krishna as child are drawn from the entrance of the house till the place of worship with the belief that the god will actually come into our houses to bless. Harvest season is another occasion where Rangoli takes prime place before offering pooja to the grains grown by the farmer.
This is also a form of offering pooja to the gods. Shakti pooja is the one which is performed by drawing different types of Mandalas depending on the pooja to be performed. Even Navagraha pooja where nine planets are identified with nine different types of grains and colours are arranged in accordance of their positions in the Mandala. Naga pooja is another which is perfomed to obtain the well wishes of the snake god with different forms of snake god is written and offered pooja. Thus, Rangoli has a significant place in our life right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Even, auspicious functions like welcoming new born, or during marriage ‘Hase’ is drawn beneath the seat where the baby & mother or the bridal pair will sit. In marriages Hase is also drawn in front of the banana leaves spread for the lunch offered to the guests. Thus this has become a part of our life which is a rare synthesis of joy, faith, art, protection and beauty.
Despite modernization, the art of rangoli has not lost its identity. Though, the laborious drawing of the same by hand been vastly replaced by using templates of different designs and shapes. This apart various designs are printed on a synthetic sheet with glue on one side which can be fixed at any place of one’s requirement. However, as B.P.Bayiri repeatedly notes, there is no alternative to the rich tradition where it is drawn by hand. Nowadays, many cultural organisations and women’s associations organize competitions for the Ladies in an effort to promote this undying natural art and keep its continuity. Recently, drawing of Rangoli has been made more attractive and artistic by using fluorescent coloured glues, kundans and small beads of various colours. The sketch is drawn on a white paper and it is enlarged to the desired size. By placing a thick transparent polymer sheet on the same coloured glue is spread along the outlines and kundans & beads are glued at appropriate places. With this many complicated designs and the forms of various deities are also prepared which gives entire drawing a three dimensional outlook. Thus, Rangoli, with its traditional form has come through the ages with appropriate changes but its basic nature and intention remain unaltered.
K.S.Someswara
No.633, 22nd Main
4th Block ‘T’
Jayanagar, Bangaore-560041
Come this new festival season beginning from Shravana masa (Jul/Aug), we have a long list of festivals and other auspicious functions like marriage. Every house will be rejoicing this season with poojas, wearing new attires, exchanging sweets etc. There is also another ritual which can be seen during such occasions is the art of drawing different designs of Rangoli. This is not limited to these occasions only. They are followed by every Indian house hold every day by drawing the same in front of their houses. One should have watched that the lower part of the front door frame (Hosilu) is decorated permanently with the same. During the festivals, this will be a colourful page with varieties of multicolour designs are spread in the pooja room also. Drawing the same in front of the house is also a form of welcoming the guests.
Rangoli or Rangavalli is one of the popular artform. It is a form of sand painting decoration where finely ground white powder and colours are used. Ranga means colour and avali means row of colours. Its origin is traced back to legends recorded in Chitralakshana, the earliest Indian treatise on painting. In our ancient culture the concept of art, god and life were integrated with one another which are better exhibited in Rangoli.
This assumes different names in different parts of our land. It is Alpana in Bengal, Aripana in Bihar, Madana in Rajastan. The name Rangoli is popular in Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharastra. Chowka Purana is the nomenclature this in Uttar Pradesh and it is Kolam for Tamilians and Keralites. Telugu people call this as Moggu. The Aplana in North India refer to floor painting. In Karnataka this is popularly called drawing of ‘Hase’ and Halakkis call this as Hali.
Traditional motifs for the Rangoli are taken from nature itself. Peacocks, Swans, different flowers, fruits, creepers are used for the same. The colour used to draw is from natural dyes from the bark of tree leaves. Today, synthetic dyes are commonly used which is available in bright colours. Usually, flat surface is used for the base. However even walls are also used for this purpose. Finely grounded white powder is sprinkled uniformly. To give the same three dimensional effect different sized grains,cereals and pulses are used. Coloured powder can also be used for fancy decoration.
Normally the design employed is of specific geometric shape. Line,dots,circles,square, triangle, swastika are used here. One significant aspect of drawing the lines is that it should not be broken. This is with the belief that evil spirits will enter through the same. Rangoli is not something to be displayed in art galleries or to be exhibited in rich house as a symbol of status says B.P.Bayiri who can be called as an unique proponent in familiarizing this art to every modern day house hold in our state. His drawings of different designs and the art of drawing the same were published in the popular kannada weekly Sudha for many decades. Even its sister news paper Prajavani has brought out a special Deepavali edition of his collections in the year 1988 shows the immense popularity of this art form. Even today his books on Rangoli brought out from his Chitra Kuteera is a Bible not only for the beginners but for the experienced too.
Even in ancient heritage, in epics and in jain literature there is a reference to this art form. Even though Rangoli is based on a specific symmetry there is always a scope for the artiste’s imagination for development and creativity. Beauty takes the front seat in this art.
In our culture every auspicious occasion has a place for Rangoli. It is a pleasurable ritual in every house hold to draw the same not only in front of their houses but to offer pooja to the deities by suitably drawing Rangolis to the occasion. Each festival is uniquely significant. During Dasara all the ten days are celebrated as festival by drawing different Rangoli on each day. During Lakshmi pooja and Ganesha festival the pictures of the deities are drawn and are filled with suitable colours. Same is so on the Durga pooja. Holi, the name itself suggests colours are another festival for the people to express their festive mood with colourfully drawn Rangolis. Deepavali, is the festival of lights. During this time different designs of Lamps are drawn to welcome the guests. On Janmasthami, the foot steps of the Lord Krishna as child are drawn from the entrance of the house till the place of worship with the belief that the god will actually come into our houses to bless. Harvest season is another occasion where Rangoli takes prime place before offering pooja to the grains grown by the farmer.
This is also a form of offering pooja to the gods. Shakti pooja is the one which is performed by drawing different types of Mandalas depending on the pooja to be performed. Even Navagraha pooja where nine planets are identified with nine different types of grains and colours are arranged in accordance of their positions in the Mandala. Naga pooja is another which is perfomed to obtain the well wishes of the snake god with different forms of snake god is written and offered pooja. Thus, Rangoli has a significant place in our life right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Even, auspicious functions like welcoming new born, or during marriage ‘Hase’ is drawn beneath the seat where the baby & mother or the bridal pair will sit. In marriages Hase is also drawn in front of the banana leaves spread for the lunch offered to the guests. Thus this has become a part of our life which is a rare synthesis of joy, faith, art, protection and beauty.
Despite modernization, the art of rangoli has not lost its identity. Though, the laborious drawing of the same by hand been vastly replaced by using templates of different designs and shapes. This apart various designs are printed on a synthetic sheet with glue on one side which can be fixed at any place of one’s requirement. However, as B.P.Bayiri repeatedly notes, there is no alternative to the rich tradition where it is drawn by hand. Nowadays, many cultural organisations and women’s associations organize competitions for the Ladies in an effort to promote this undying natural art and keep its continuity. Recently, drawing of Rangoli has been made more attractive and artistic by using fluorescent coloured glues, kundans and small beads of various colours. The sketch is drawn on a white paper and it is enlarged to the desired size. By placing a thick transparent polymer sheet on the same coloured glue is spread along the outlines and kundans & beads are glued at appropriate places. With this many complicated designs and the forms of various deities are also prepared which gives entire drawing a three dimensional outlook. Thus, Rangoli, with its traditional form has come through the ages with appropriate changes but its basic nature and intention remain unaltered.
K.S.Someswara
No.633, 22nd Main
4th Block ‘T’
Jayanagar, Bangaore-560041
Home Schooling
Home Schooling – Some positive & Negative thoughts
When it comes to schooling for children their parents have a daunting task of selecting the right school and the right method of teaching as they will come across many syllabis like state curriculum, CBSE, ICSE and International schooling etc.
Home is the first school and mother is the best child goes an old adage. In line with this principal many parents in our cities are opting for Home schooling or their children. Though their percentage is very miniscule when compared to traditional schooling the concept is slowly catching up. Some of the reasons attributed by such parents are pressurised or overloaded atmosphere in the regular schooling. Despite many system , each one of them has its own lacuna and lack stimulus.
In this concept of Home schooling or Learning at Home the child is made to study at home. The syllabus is selected from the curriculums of different boards or following their own by taking the best of these methods. The child will have his own time for learning and he can also concentrate on other extra curricular activities like sports or other programmes. He will have freedom to make his own time table for both studies as well as other activities. The parents will take care of guiding their children. In case they are not able to teach a particular subject they have their own forums through which they will exchange those people (another parent) who can teach such subjects. Since they are not professionally qualified there are some associations who guide them the method of teaching. In case, the child needs extra coaching they are going for specialized tutors.These children can register themselves to any of the board to take up their Class X or Class XII examinations and to continue their career.
In Western countries this concept is prevalent since many years and has been recognized by many countries. An analysis of such children’s educational level shows that they have fared better in competitive examinations than those who studied in traditional schooling. Despite such encouraging results the percentage children who opted for Home schooling is still very minimal.
Many educationalists like John Caldwell Holt, Raymond & Dorothy Moore are critical of traditional schooling especially for those upto 12 years of age. Their primary assertion is that a home can provide better environment for the children at that age. In this age a child can learn a lot of things from the nature he is watching every day. However, Holt also says that Home schooling is not an answer to badness of schools.
There are many negative aspects in the system of Home schooling in respect of overhaul development of the child. In this system first and foremost is the precious period of childhood is totally lost as he will not be growing and studying along with other children of his own age group. The sweet memories of that age cannot be experienced at any point of time in the later stage. The child’s social networking is totally reduced. They may grow individualistic and not as a group where children coming from different strata of society are mixed together.
Such a method, may also give one sided view as their parents by knowingly or otherwise may block all points of view and try to put in their own views on the young minds. As they are not professionally qualified they may lack the child psychology to teach them. Another is the cost factor. It may be more than the cost of regular schooling as they have to engage special tutors for special subjects especially mathematics and Science. In any society, Home schooling needs full time attention of any one of the parents for the child. In the Indian context, it is only the mother who have to do this and the father choosing such job may be an exceptional case. Otherwise, the child may stray away from his assigned work. In our cities where majority of bothe the parents are working professionals it is debatable who will sacrifice their career to go in for Home schooling of their children.
According to John Holt, ‘Real learning is a process of discovery and if we want it to happen we must create the kind of conditions on which discoveries are made’. This includes time, freedom and unnecessary pressure. I think this principle needs real application for our children which our educationalists should think of while adopting the best method of education for the youngsters. At the same time one should keep in mind that there is no idealistic method in this field.
K.S.Someswara
No.633, 22nd Main
4th Block ‘T’, Jayanagar
Bangalore 560 041
When it comes to schooling for children their parents have a daunting task of selecting the right school and the right method of teaching as they will come across many syllabis like state curriculum, CBSE, ICSE and International schooling etc.
Home is the first school and mother is the best child goes an old adage. In line with this principal many parents in our cities are opting for Home schooling or their children. Though their percentage is very miniscule when compared to traditional schooling the concept is slowly catching up. Some of the reasons attributed by such parents are pressurised or overloaded atmosphere in the regular schooling. Despite many system , each one of them has its own lacuna and lack stimulus.
In this concept of Home schooling or Learning at Home the child is made to study at home. The syllabus is selected from the curriculums of different boards or following their own by taking the best of these methods. The child will have his own time for learning and he can also concentrate on other extra curricular activities like sports or other programmes. He will have freedom to make his own time table for both studies as well as other activities. The parents will take care of guiding their children. In case they are not able to teach a particular subject they have their own forums through which they will exchange those people (another parent) who can teach such subjects. Since they are not professionally qualified there are some associations who guide them the method of teaching. In case, the child needs extra coaching they are going for specialized tutors.These children can register themselves to any of the board to take up their Class X or Class XII examinations and to continue their career.
In Western countries this concept is prevalent since many years and has been recognized by many countries. An analysis of such children’s educational level shows that they have fared better in competitive examinations than those who studied in traditional schooling. Despite such encouraging results the percentage children who opted for Home schooling is still very minimal.
Many educationalists like John Caldwell Holt, Raymond & Dorothy Moore are critical of traditional schooling especially for those upto 12 years of age. Their primary assertion is that a home can provide better environment for the children at that age. In this age a child can learn a lot of things from the nature he is watching every day. However, Holt also says that Home schooling is not an answer to badness of schools.
There are many negative aspects in the system of Home schooling in respect of overhaul development of the child. In this system first and foremost is the precious period of childhood is totally lost as he will not be growing and studying along with other children of his own age group. The sweet memories of that age cannot be experienced at any point of time in the later stage. The child’s social networking is totally reduced. They may grow individualistic and not as a group where children coming from different strata of society are mixed together.
Such a method, may also give one sided view as their parents by knowingly or otherwise may block all points of view and try to put in their own views on the young minds. As they are not professionally qualified they may lack the child psychology to teach them. Another is the cost factor. It may be more than the cost of regular schooling as they have to engage special tutors for special subjects especially mathematics and Science. In any society, Home schooling needs full time attention of any one of the parents for the child. In the Indian context, it is only the mother who have to do this and the father choosing such job may be an exceptional case. Otherwise, the child may stray away from his assigned work. In our cities where majority of bothe the parents are working professionals it is debatable who will sacrifice their career to go in for Home schooling of their children.
According to John Holt, ‘Real learning is a process of discovery and if we want it to happen we must create the kind of conditions on which discoveries are made’. This includes time, freedom and unnecessary pressure. I think this principle needs real application for our children which our educationalists should think of while adopting the best method of education for the youngsters. At the same time one should keep in mind that there is no idealistic method in this field.
K.S.Someswara
No.633, 22nd Main
4th Block ‘T’, Jayanagar
Bangalore 560 041
Monday, April 7, 2008
dog's days
Every Dog has its day says an adage
Here is one such list for a week
Spaniel for Sunday
Mongrel for Monday
Terrier for Tuesday
Whippet for Wednesday
Toy poddle for Thursday
Foxhound for Friday
Setter for Saturday
I think pet lovers will relish with this info (courtesy Deccan Herald)
Here is one such list for a week
Spaniel for Sunday
Mongrel for Monday
Terrier for Tuesday
Whippet for Wednesday
Toy poddle for Thursday
Foxhound for Friday
Setter for Saturday
I think pet lovers will relish with this info (courtesy Deccan Herald)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
traffic
Traffic in City
It is a routine exercise in recent months for us engaging ourselves with protracted discussions on the problems that this ever growing city is facing with regards to its infrastructure especially the city roads. Many people and agencies who has a stake in the city are often putting their ideas to the Government and its effectiveness after implementation. Recently, a leading news paper had one such discussion under the caption Unlock Bangalore. Despite all this one feels that much of these thoughts are more in paper than in action.
Take for example the new Airport, where every body is keen on opening its gates as early as possible. But, no single agency or person connected with the same is insistent that it should happen only proper connectivity is provided from the city. This is not to talk of expressway or the Metro which is still in nascent stage. Atleast proper road to reach the place in a reasonable time. For every project tobe successful public participation is necessary. In this case the public have to bear the brunt of inconvenience to reach the Airport. The BMTC has plans to introduce dedicated buses from different points in the city with further plans to have call taxi / Auto for the people to reach halting points of these buses. In the existing road connectivity there is every doubt if any of these buses reach the airport in less than 2 hours. Take for example the route from JP nagar 6 Phase. In this route the bus has to clear three traffic signals to reach Jayanagar 4th Block which is at a distance of about 4 kms and the time taken will be not less than 15 to 20 mts. From then on, it has to cross seven signals to come to Corporation junction which needs another clean 30 minutes as it has to steer through a busy route negotiating with other vehicles on the road. Its further route is also not smooth sailing. Alternate road maps suggested by the police recently are meant for users of Taxi and own cars.
This apart consider the plight of everyday commuters on the city roads. Lakhs of people are using public transport to reach their work place or for other works. No road is clear which includes suppossedly subsidiary business centres like Koramangala, Indiranagar, Jayanagar and other places. The elevated roads, the underpasses, the one ways which has been created in many places are nothing but sqeezing the existing capacity and not more. The vehicles once cleared up through these places are bottled up at next junctions. All these are attributed to bad planning or no planning all these years. We have reached a point of nowhere. We have many successful stories in many cities in South America which are similar to Bangalore where it is managed without Metro or other sophisticated transport but with public transport through dedicated lanes, creating awareness to the public the benefits of using the same and also sufficient room on the road for walkers and for cyclists. Perhaps many of our civic officials must have also studied the projects and made reports. Bangalore had the ample opportunity to have a circular railway using the existing line. Nobody gave a worthwhile thought to make this a reality.
To the present chaos, there are some remedies which may look out of the box. Though, these seems tobe of short term it may bring in long term benefits over the period. Despite the existing 33 lakhs or more vehicles which are choking the city roads we cannot bring a blanket ban on the entry of new vehicles. It is an easy remark that public cooperation is necessary. There is no second thought on this point. But who cares for them. The Law makers and its implementors are blind eyed which helps bending of laws very easily. Two wheelers running on footpath, jumping of signals are common phenomenon. Zebra crossing is boldly painted on the roads. Even at automated signals people have to think twice to cross the road as drivers try to scare them by raising the engines of their vehicles. The city roads can breathe to some extent if the Government uses its will power to ban all private vehicles atleast once in a week. This should also apply to Autos. This would encourage people to use public transport on these days which saves fuel apart from good contribution for the environment.
Further, every Government official which includes the top bureaucrats should compulsorily utilise the public transport shunning the dedicated vehicles meant for them. Initially, for one month they should ply in city buses by purchasing tickets. This will give them first hand experience of an ordinary commuter. Subsequently, they should travel atleast for 20 days in a month in ' city buses only' for their official work or otherwise. Now, every top official from certain grades are provided with individual Official vehicle. This would also give them earthy ideas to implement. It is not uncommon to see many of the government vehicles are used for non-official purposes also which includes utilising the same by their family members. With that much government vehicles off the road there will be a drastic improvement of city roads which will also help government save money on precious 'black gold'. This rules should be applicable to all government officers including Central undertakings.
'Charity begins at Home' says an adage. Likewise, the BMTC executives should come forward voluntarily to make use of public transport as of other passengers which help them understand the problems the public face every day. Their sitting in offices and making rules will not solve the problem. Using advanced technology like GPS and other technologies will sure help improvement but basic structure should be experienced and corrected if needed. Shortage of buses during the lean hours, crowd during peak hours, jumping of stops are common phenomenon which can be addressed with their onhand experience. Top officials using public transport will be a morale booster to their staff which can be motivating for better service. This will encourage other public who are using their own transport to make a beeline into city buses. This should invariably applicable to our elected representatives also who are eager to serve the people. All this will help lessening the burden on the city roads to a large extent. . A Government institution like transport, school or hospital can perform better only when its own top people use them as ordinary people. Such attempts will give a confidence to the public to utilise the system better.
It is a routine exercise in recent months for us engaging ourselves with protracted discussions on the problems that this ever growing city is facing with regards to its infrastructure especially the city roads. Many people and agencies who has a stake in the city are often putting their ideas to the Government and its effectiveness after implementation. Recently, a leading news paper had one such discussion under the caption Unlock Bangalore. Despite all this one feels that much of these thoughts are more in paper than in action.
Take for example the new Airport, where every body is keen on opening its gates as early as possible. But, no single agency or person connected with the same is insistent that it should happen only proper connectivity is provided from the city. This is not to talk of expressway or the Metro which is still in nascent stage. Atleast proper road to reach the place in a reasonable time. For every project tobe successful public participation is necessary. In this case the public have to bear the brunt of inconvenience to reach the Airport. The BMTC has plans to introduce dedicated buses from different points in the city with further plans to have call taxi / Auto for the people to reach halting points of these buses. In the existing road connectivity there is every doubt if any of these buses reach the airport in less than 2 hours. Take for example the route from JP nagar 6 Phase. In this route the bus has to clear three traffic signals to reach Jayanagar 4th Block which is at a distance of about 4 kms and the time taken will be not less than 15 to 20 mts. From then on, it has to cross seven signals to come to Corporation junction which needs another clean 30 minutes as it has to steer through a busy route negotiating with other vehicles on the road. Its further route is also not smooth sailing. Alternate road maps suggested by the police recently are meant for users of Taxi and own cars.
This apart consider the plight of everyday commuters on the city roads. Lakhs of people are using public transport to reach their work place or for other works. No road is clear which includes suppossedly subsidiary business centres like Koramangala, Indiranagar, Jayanagar and other places. The elevated roads, the underpasses, the one ways which has been created in many places are nothing but sqeezing the existing capacity and not more. The vehicles once cleared up through these places are bottled up at next junctions. All these are attributed to bad planning or no planning all these years. We have reached a point of nowhere. We have many successful stories in many cities in South America which are similar to Bangalore where it is managed without Metro or other sophisticated transport but with public transport through dedicated lanes, creating awareness to the public the benefits of using the same and also sufficient room on the road for walkers and for cyclists. Perhaps many of our civic officials must have also studied the projects and made reports. Bangalore had the ample opportunity to have a circular railway using the existing line. Nobody gave a worthwhile thought to make this a reality.
To the present chaos, there are some remedies which may look out of the box. Though, these seems tobe of short term it may bring in long term benefits over the period. Despite the existing 33 lakhs or more vehicles which are choking the city roads we cannot bring a blanket ban on the entry of new vehicles. It is an easy remark that public cooperation is necessary. There is no second thought on this point. But who cares for them. The Law makers and its implementors are blind eyed which helps bending of laws very easily. Two wheelers running on footpath, jumping of signals are common phenomenon. Zebra crossing is boldly painted on the roads. Even at automated signals people have to think twice to cross the road as drivers try to scare them by raising the engines of their vehicles. The city roads can breathe to some extent if the Government uses its will power to ban all private vehicles atleast once in a week. This should also apply to Autos. This would encourage people to use public transport on these days which saves fuel apart from good contribution for the environment.
Further, every Government official which includes the top bureaucrats should compulsorily utilise the public transport shunning the dedicated vehicles meant for them. Initially, for one month they should ply in city buses by purchasing tickets. This will give them first hand experience of an ordinary commuter. Subsequently, they should travel atleast for 20 days in a month in ' city buses only' for their official work or otherwise. Now, every top official from certain grades are provided with individual Official vehicle. This would also give them earthy ideas to implement. It is not uncommon to see many of the government vehicles are used for non-official purposes also which includes utilising the same by their family members. With that much government vehicles off the road there will be a drastic improvement of city roads which will also help government save money on precious 'black gold'. This rules should be applicable to all government officers including Central undertakings.
'Charity begins at Home' says an adage. Likewise, the BMTC executives should come forward voluntarily to make use of public transport as of other passengers which help them understand the problems the public face every day. Their sitting in offices and making rules will not solve the problem. Using advanced technology like GPS and other technologies will sure help improvement but basic structure should be experienced and corrected if needed. Shortage of buses during the lean hours, crowd during peak hours, jumping of stops are common phenomenon which can be addressed with their onhand experience. Top officials using public transport will be a morale booster to their staff which can be motivating for better service. This will encourage other public who are using their own transport to make a beeline into city buses. This should invariably applicable to our elected representatives also who are eager to serve the people. All this will help lessening the burden on the city roads to a large extent. . A Government institution like transport, school or hospital can perform better only when its own top people use them as ordinary people. Such attempts will give a confidence to the public to utilise the system better.
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