After an initial slow start, more than 500 independent applications have reached the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office for role in ward committees. Many of these nominations came through civic groups such as Citizens for Bengaluru (CFB), Lancha Mukta Karnataka, and B.PAC. While BBMP remains silent on the basis for selection of candidates and how many who have applied independently to the Commissioner’s office will be chosen, residents hope that the ward committees, when formed, will have active participants who will push for a positive change.
The list of those who have dipped their toes in participatory democracy include an 84-year-old retired history teacher from J.P. Nagar and a chip designer who drove down from Mahadevapura to the Commissioner’s office a day before his wedding.
Many received multiple nominations in an online campaign to identify civic leaders suitable for the role, and are already active citizens in their respective wards. People turn to them to get potholes, street lights repaired, and other similar problems. Like consultant Bharathy Jayaprakash, who has been active in cleaning up the city and rejuvenating the Chinchigunta lake in her neighbourhood in Konanekunte ward, these residents feel it is better to be a part of governance than to blame others for inaction.
The Hindu spoke to a few ward committee hopefuls.
‘I thought I should also try’
Born in 1933, H.S. Ramachandra Rao, decided that after 40 years of teaching, 2017 was a good year to try a hand at citizen democracy. If nominated, the 84-year-old retired school teacher could be the oldest member on Bengaluru’s ward committees. “People need motivation to change things ... every one says public work is the government’s job and does not intervene,” he said. Mr. Rao has been actively involved in helping out in old age homes and orphanages, where he gives talks and tries to arrange material required by the institutes. Mr. Rao, who hails from Ramanagaram, worked as a high school teacher in Bengaluru till his retirement. “There are so many problems in our locality — garbage, badly repaired roads, inflated amounts of property tax. Governance is something that affects all of us, so I felt I too should give it a try,” he said.
‘Best gift to my wife’
He hemmed and hawed on whether to throw his hat in the ring, and finally on the morning before his wedding, K.B. Pradeep drove down to the Commissioner’s office to file his nomination. “I decided this would be the best gift to my wife, who serves society as a doctor,” said the 31-year-old chip designer from Devasandra. “It’s been 25 years since the 74th and 75th Constitutional amendments were passed, but even today, to fix a road, one needs to fall at the feet of the local councillor or MLA. Tomorrow, if ward committees become a success, it will change democracy,” he said. For Mr. Pradeep, garbage segregation, civic infrastructure, and transparency in urban spending are the three main goals to tackle. If citizens of a ward were asked what they want to spend on many will agree on a few things, like a walkable footpath, and proper drainage lines, says Mr. Pradeep. “Imagine the change we could create,” he added. Mr. Pradeep is confident he will find the time between his busy work hours. “I have filed 600 RTIs in the last 10 months to bring transparency on many issues. I can challenge anyone who says I won't be able to give time, even the Chief Minister,” he said with certainty.
Keen to improve schools
If the online nominations had been an election, Abdul Rahman from Anepalya ward just might have won the popular vote. Twenty citizens suggested his name for the committee in a online form started by CfB . The double postgraduate (he has a CFA and an MBA) who worked in agarbathi factories from the age of nine to make ends meet has faced many difficulties in life. Possibly owing to his own childhood experience, he is passionate about improving the condition of schools and has got a drinking water facility set up in a government school in Neelasandra. Mr. Rahman feels that greater accountability from officials and councillors was the need of the hour. “Many schools do not have proper pumps, and parking violations are the norm. Every day, I upload at least four complaints to the traffic police Facebook page. It becomes very difficult for children to cross the road,” he said. Another thing that motivates him to join the committee is the ability to meet people who are making a difference and to learn from them.
