Communities and Civic Campaigns . .

How do you organise a civic campaign and create space for the voices of the community so that they can be heard?
There are many different ways to do this.
But are there bodies which can come to the aid of a community when it wishes to raise issues in a city like ours?
The City Traffic Police introduced changes in the traffic systems in the Alwarpet-Raja Annamalaipuram neighbourhood last Saturday.
Perhaps central to the changes was the intention to decongest two main roads and to help motorists drive freely and smoothly.
Less than a week hence, residents and shop owners are agitated and some of them have got together to articulate their views.
On one evening, some of the owners of the local stores got together at a local restaurant, debated the issue and jotted their comments on the problems created by the new traffic system.
When residents began to feel the effect of the changes on the roads and streets - especially the problem of seniors unable to cross the main road because motorists were now zipping on the 'one-way' road - they too got together for a meeting to express their views.
But how would they make their views known to the Traffic Police?
What should they do next?
Some of them turned to me.
The 'Mylapore Times' had reported the plans long before they were implemented. Readers who e-mailed their reactions to the plans had got their letters published.
More letters came in the mail last week. We published them too.
The Traffic Police must have studied the traffic patterns to plan the changes. But they did not arrange for public meetings at which they could have got sharper comments and suggestions from people who live in this area.
Here is the problem - state agencies rarely interact with the community and people too keep away from engaging with the state.
The group in Alwarpet and R. A. Puram succeeded in getting a call across to the Jt. Commissioner in charge of Traffic. A sharing of views took place.
How about engaging the councillor of the area? A contact was made.
And why not get the local MLA involved too?
A signature drive is now on. 100 signatures are not enough. So the forms are still doing the rounds.
Meanwhile, the group got other ideas - establish contact with the media, send them a press release, invite them to do on-the-spot stories on the issue . . .
But sustaining a campaign is tough, said one group member.
Very true. Sustaining civic campaigns in communities is a challenge and few people are prepared to keep on track and be in for the long haul.
Fewer still want to stick their necks out.
Groups are fighting for the protection of the Pallikarnai marshlands. Residents of surburban Chrompet and Pammal have run a series of agitations against the state's move to acquire their properties for an airport project. Groups in north Madras continue to challenge the Corporation for dumping garbage from the rest of the city and forcing local people to live with stink and poison.
It is tough.
If your local association or civic group has been on a campaign, do share your experience.

Natyanjali Dance Festival

It is that time of the year when I park myself in Chidambaram.
To cover the annual Natyanjali Dance Festival at the famed temple dedicated to Lord Nataraja.
For three years now, our team at KutcheriBuzz.com has been web casting this unique festival which begins on Mahasivaratri evening.
Now in its 27th year, the fest started in a small way when a few arts enthusiasts joined hands with the local administration to launch a dance fest in the outer yard of this great temple.
When we first came here, we began the coverage with reportage.
Then we posted dozens of pictures every day.
Later, we hopped across to places like Thanjavur and covered the fest from the magnificent Brihadeswarar Temple.
And when we joined hands with Premanand of ChennaiStream, we began web casting excerpts of the performances.
This is a new and challenging experience. Recording the recitals, jumping off to get soundbytes, shooting pictures and uploading the clips from an abandoned nandavanam close to the stage.
The web cast and daily coverage provide an audience anywhere in the world the opportunity to get close to a unique festival.
Ten days from now, the same team will be at Mylapore.
To web cast at least two key events of the annual Brahmotsavam of Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple.
Capturing the festivities and web-casting them almost instantaneously, with a running commentary done as we shoot inside the temple. On the mada veedhis and from roof-tops, it is a great way to bring the atmosphere close to people anywhere in the world.
Technology has made all this quite easy to execute.
But you need to be innovative and enterprising.
So, if there is a unique event in your backyard, go out with a digital camera, a mike and a smart commentator and bring these local events live to the world!

Worth discussing footpaths?

Is it worth discussing issues like footpaths?
Or relaying of inner streets.
It is.
But as citizens, we simply do not care to do so.
Lakhs and lakhs of rupees of the taxpayers monies are spent on civic projects. A good fraction of it is wasted.
But as taxpayers we do not care.
Last month, the city Corporation spent a tidy sum on advertising its tenders calling for contractors to lay footpaths in different neighbourhoods.
Such documents can astonish you if you read closely.
In Adyar, our photographer went out to shoot pictures of footpaths in four different areas. He came back with a sample which told a story.
A stretch of a path which was rarely used had been dug up - to be re-laid.
Elsewhere, the height of one section was taller than the other.
In another place, the pavement had atrophied into the wall of a company.
Time and again, all our newspapers receive letters from senior citizens who discuss footpaths. And we know why these letters are so strongly worded.
Senior men and women go out to shop, take short walks to loosen up or walk across to a kutcheri or to a library. And they dread the traffic and try to find pavements which are either not there, encroached on or in bad condition.
When we built our flyovers, our engineers got rid of the pavements alongside the flyovers to widen the service roads.
And now, after a simple investigation in my neighbourhood I find that the Corporation intends to lay pavements where they are simply not required - in the inner streets.
How do we deal with such atrocious development?
How do we ensure monies are spent on genuine civic needs?
One thing is clear - the civic body does not provide space for interested citizens who wish to play a role in community development.