Agam Sei - May 2016

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YOUR VOTE, YOUR VOICE

The Real Cost of ‘Free’ A hard-hitting reality of one of the most populist tactics of the election campaign- the freebie.

Set against her experience in a slum in Saidapet, Prithvi Mahadevan questions the real motives of a system that allows for a settlement to thrive in poor living conditions alongside an already polluted river. To add to this, the water gets worse due to residual debris being dumped from the construction of a railway line nearby. She traces the history of the origin of the freebie, its evolution and how it’s become a mandate of any campaign in the state today. The article elucidates the consequences of the growing trend and its contribution to supressing the voice of the downtrodden.

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NOT-A Chance Your complete guide to the consequences of a NOTA vote. Caution: it bursts all myths surrounding it. However, Keshav Suryanarayanan also talks of how it could really contribute to making a difference. This is a must read for everyone before they set out to vote.

Cartoon Characters are a Serious Matter Saranya Manoharan talks of the Tamil Nadu Election Commission’s 2016 campaign to get a full 100% on the voter’s turn out. She talks of its attempts to be inclusive, but how it falls short because of the excessive use of stereotypes.

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AGAM SEI

TNBIL/2014/59272 PONDICHERRY 3% 22,268 2 DELHI 59,97,054 SHILLONG 2.80% 30,624 Symbol for the NOTA BIHAR 2.50% 9 Lakhs option on the electronic voting machines (EVM’s) in GUJARAT 1.80% 4,54,880 India designed by NID CHATTISGARH 1.80% 2,24,889 Ahemdabad DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI 1.80% 2,962 ORISSA 1.50% 3,32,780 Keshav Suryanarayanan JHARKHAND 1.50% 1,90,927 DAMAN & DIU 1.50% 1,316 Breaking all myths clouding this option MIZORAM 1.50% 6,495 SIKKIM 1.40% 4,332 STATE % No. of People STATE % 1.40% No. of People TAMILNADU 5,82,062 PONDICHERRY 3% 22,268 PONDICHERRY 3% 22,268 MADHYA PRADESH 1.30% 3,91,837 DELHI 59,97,054 DELHI 59,97,054 TRIPURA 1.20% 23,783 SHILLONG 2.80% 30,624 SHILLONG 2.80% 30,624 KERALA 1.20% 2,10,561 BIHAR 2.50% 9,00,000 BIHAR 2.50% GOA 1.20% 9 Lakhs 10,103 GUJARAT 1.80% 4,54,880 GUJARAT 1.80% 4,54,880 RAJASTHAN 1.20% 3,27,902 CHATTISGARH 1.80% 2,24,889 CHATTISGARH 1.80% 2,24,889 UTTARAKHAND 1.10% 48,043 DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI 1.80% 2,962 DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI 1.80% 2,962 WEST BENGAL 1.10% 5,68,276 ORISSA 1.50% 3,32,780 ORISSA 1.50% 3,32,780 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 1.10% 6,321 JHARKHAND 1.50% 1,90,927 JHARKHAND 1.50% 1,90,927 PUNJAB 0.40% 58,754 DAMAN & DIU 1.50% 1,316 DAMAN & DIU 1.50% 1,316 LAKSHADWEEP 0.30% 123 MIZORAM 1.50% 6,495 MIZORAM 1.50% 6,495 HARYANA 0.30% 34,225 SIKKIM 1.40% 4,332 NAGALAND 0.30% 2,696 SIKKIM 1.40% 4,332 TAMILNADU 1.40% 5,82,062 TAMILNADU 1.40% 5,82,062 MADHYA PRADESH 1.30% 3,91,837 Table showing the percentage of NOTA voted in the different states of India MADHYA PRADESH 1.30% 3,91,837 TRIPURA 1.20% 23,783 TRIPURA 1.20% 23,783 KERALA 1.20% 2,10,561 Recently, news has been doing the rounds on But the NOTA is not a new feature of our voting process. We have In India, though NOTA is a provision to register voters’ 1.20%the Election 2,10,561 GOA 10,103 social media asking people to vote for NOTA saying 1.20% had the option for a long time, except that until 2 yearsKERALA back a disapproval of all available options, Commission has that if NOTARAJASTHAN accounts for 35 percent of the total 1.20% voter could enter his electoral serial number in Form 17AGOA and clarified that votes cast as NOTA are counted, but are considered 3,27,902 1.20% 10,103 votes polled, the present contesting parties cast a negative vote, under Section 49- O of the Conduct of 'invalid votes'. Therefore, votes made to NOTA will not change UTTARAKHAND 1.10% 48,043 3,27,902 cannot participate in the upcoming general Elections Rules, 1961. This was done to prevent fraudRAJASTHAN or misuse the outcome of the election1.20% and the next highest total votes will 5,68,276 election. WEST People BENGAL rushed to start sharing this 1.10% of votes. This provision was, however, deemed unconstitutional be declared the winner.

UTTARAKHAND 1.10% 48,043 information with hope and energy from the by the SC as it did not protect the identity of the voter. Since the ARUNACHAL PRADESH 1.10% 6,321 WEST BENGAL 1.10% SY Quraishi 5,68,276 thought that their vote could actually count in 2013 ruling, the Election commission has provided an extra As former Chief Election Commissioner pointed out: PUNJAB 58,754 button in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) instead of "Even if there are 99 NOTA votes out of a total of 100, and changing the faces in the current political scenario. Ah, if only it 0.40% ARUNACHAL PRADESH 1.10% 6,321 signing in registers. candidate X gets just one vote, X is the winner, having obtained were that simple.

LAKSHADWEEP 0.30% 123 PUNJABthe only valid vote. The rest0.40% 58,754 will be treated as invalid or no votes."

HARYANA 34,225 But the percentage of NOTA votes in India has constantly Sadly this information is untrue and the system of NOTA remains 0.30% LAKSHADWEEP 0.30% 123been very low, between 0 and 3 percent signalling that an attitude unclear to people even today.

It is necessary for all of us to know 0.30% NAGALAND 2,696 The very purpose of introducing this option HARYANA 0.30% 34,225in our dismissing all candidates and parties is not really prevalent what exactly ‘NOTA’ means and the context in which the option is to empower the voter to reject all country and voter turnouts0.30% continue to be very high in Indian was provided in our election ballot.

NAGALAND 2,696 candidates if they do not like any of the

May 2016

NOT-A CHANCE

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In our country, it often happens that a voter does not support any of the candidates in the election, but they have no choice other than to select a candidate from the notable ones.

The Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court in 2009 that it wished to offer the voter a "None of the above" option on ballots as it would give voters the freedom of not selecting any undeserving candidate, which the government had generally opposed. The People's Union for Civil Liberties, a non-governmental organisation, filed a public-interest litigation statement in support of this.

candidates listed. Finally, on 27th September 2013, the right to register a ‘None of the above’ vote in elections was applied by the Supreme Court of India, which then ordered the Election Commission that all voting machines should be provided with a NOTA button so as to give voters the option to choose ‘None of the above’.

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The very purpose of introducing this option is to empower the voter to reject all candidates if they do not like any of the candidates listed. Finally, on 27th September 2013, the right to register a ‘None of the above’ vote in elections was applied by the Supreme Court of India, which then ordered the Election Commission that all voting machines should be provided with a NOTA button so as to give voters the option to choose ‘None of the above’.

There are two main reasons behind the provision of the NOTA option. First, there is a need to ensure 100 percent voting by giving a valid alternative to voters dissatisfied with all available candidates who would otherwise refrain from voting at all, giving rise to a number of instances of voter fraud. Second, the need to maintain the secrecy of the ballot; the addition of the NOTA button in the EVM maintains the anonymity of the voter where the earlier provision under Rule 49-O did not.

According to the judges of the Supreme Court of India, the introduction of ‘None of the above’ (NOTA) option to voters would lead to systemic change in polls to force political parties to project clean candidates. Candidates with criminal or immoral backgrounds would have no option but to abstain from contesting elections.

Many countries have introduced NOTA or similar provisions in their ballot systems: France, Belgium, Brazil, Greece, Ukraine, Chile, Bangladesh, State of Nevada (USA), Finland, Sweden, United States of America, Colombia and Spain.

elections.

Though NOTA does not affect the final result, it is a tool to help measure frustration with current politicians. NOTA is powerful when the number of NOTA votes is greater than the difference between the votes for the winning and losing parties. That says a lot as a measure of distrust.

Many of us today do not even know the candidates running in our own constituencies even if we’re voting, often voting for the party we’re most familiar with or choosing to vote NOTA as an easier option. NOTA is not an alternative to engaging with the political process, not an lazy escape from our responsibility as voters.

There are websites today with information on the candidates running in all the constituencies in all districts, compiling large amounts of information about their party, criminal record, assets etc. There are also portals where you can access the election manifestos of the major parties running. It is our responsibility as voters to be informed and make choices that shape how the decision making process happens.

We must do our part, otherwise we have no right to just complain and criticize what comes next.

Find details of candidates constituency-wise on www.myneta.info

May 2016

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POTATOLIVE PRESENTS 234 SEATS Udhaya Vauhini

Build you own virtual political party through this election fantasy league.

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TN100percent is just one of the many trending hashtags that have surfaced with the upcoming elections. While there are the usual troll videos and memes, 2016 has seen political parties becoming social media savy by putting out their election manifestos and promotions on social media. Meanwhile, the election commission with

the help of a team of ad professionals has come up with celebrity videos, posters and hashtags that are trending. All of this, in order to generate interest amongst the younger population and to achieve 100 percent voting in the state.

Potatolive has gone a step further to get people to know their candidates. 234 seats is a fantasy league for the TN elections launched by Potatolive, a Chennai based startup run by a bunch of couch potatoes - Potato J, Potato R, Potato S, Potato G, Potato D and Potato M. The potatoes help media organizations engage with their digital and social media audience in an interesting way through mobile apps and digital products & services.

One observation, after having played the game myself and getting a few friends to play it, was the difficulty in obtaining information about the candidates. Potato S shared similar views, “Yes, we wanted to include the candidates profile as part of the game. But unfortunately the information was not consistently available for all the candidates. To avoid the bias, we let the players themselves research the candidates and restricted the game to 15 constituencies alone.” We were thankful when we found www.myneta.info that has compiled the sworn affidavits provided by the candidates themselves.

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234 seats is a fantasy league for the TN elections launched by Potatolive, a Chennai based startup run by a bunch of couch potatoes - Potato J, Potato R, Potato S, Potato G, Potato D and Potato M. The potatoes help media organizations engage with their digital and social media audience in an interesting way through mobile apps and digital products & services.

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While discussing the intent behind 234 seats, Potato S (Santhosh Kumar Subramanian) says, “We wanted to create something meaningful encouraging people to take a little more interest in the whole election process. Thanks to the wonderful campaigns by the Election commission, a lot of people are showing interest in voting. But we wanted to take it a little further where people make that extra effort to know about the different candidates, their background and vote based on their profile, rather than blindly opt for NOTA. 234seats is a step in that direction. Since sports fantasy leagues are quite popular among the youth, we created a similar one for the elections.”

The game works just like the sports fantasy leagues. As per the instructions on the website, you are given 10 star constituencies and allowed to choose 5 favourites summing up to 15 constituencies. You'll have to field candidates in each of the 15 constituencies and also predict the vote percentage each candidate would get in their respective constituency. Voila, your virtual political party!

The results of the game will be published on the 19th of May after the announcement of the election results. The winner will be computed based on the candidates’ actual performance in the elections. The winner walks away with a cash prize.

When we asked Potato S about how they plan to keep the game going even after the elections, “We recently discovered that there was something on a similar line in the US called Fantasy congress to keep check on candidates’ performance post the elections and again in the form of the game. We will just have to see how best we can use it here. Our idea post elections was quite simple. Is the candidate keeping up his/her promises and working for it and how can that be made interesting so that people get to be aware and involved in it”.

The Fantasy Congress ran from 2006 to 2009 and was looked at as a tool to make the government more accountable for itts actions. 234 seats, currently with 600 players, can go beyond gamifying elections to gamifying politics in Tamil Nadu.

Visit www.234seats.in to play.

Form your own team of super-hero candidates this elections

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CARTOON CHARACTERS ARE A SERIOUS MATTER Saranya Manoharan

Exploring Tamil Nadu’s Election Commission’s advertisement campaign and inclusivity in elections.

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amil Nadu Election Commission’s 2016 campaign is hard to miss. Even if you are not on social media, advertisement hoardings around the city have caught people’s eyes. Celebrities like Suriya, Siddharth, Ravichandran Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal can be seen on hoardings, urging people to vote and vote honestly. There are also cartoon characters representing commoners from various backgrounds on these banners. It is these characters I want to focus on in this article. What’s so special about them?

Well, these characters were not chosen so casually. The Election Commission has put in a lot of effort to make sure that the characters are inclusive: there are old people, youth, middle-aged people, women and men, physically challenged and able-bodied individuals. This is a significant step because democracy functions on participation from the citizens, and every citizen matters.

As applause-worthy as the Election Commission’s efforts are, there were still quite a few glaring stereotypes in the banners.

There were two middle-aged women: one was addicted to mega serials and the other went to beauty parlours.

This might seem like nitpicking a particularly catchy campaign.

Yes, these are individual cartoon characters, but we all know that these few characters represent us, the entirety of Tamil Nadu. It is our right to vote thumbs up or down on the TN Election Commission’s campaign, isn’t it?

This sincere officer who never takes leave looks like a typical Brahmin man. That is a demeaning stereotype, because Brahmins can be sincere officers or rockstars or cricketers.

Please write to saranya@schoolsofequality.com to share your thoughts on the campaign.

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In comparison, the middle-aged man went to office without taking leave. In reality, women also go to offices and men also go to beauty parlours and watch mega serials. It is also important to note that this sincere officer who never takes leave looks like a typical Brahmin man. That is a demeaning stereotype, because Brahmins can be sincere officers or rockstars or cricketers.

#TN100percent www.election.tn.gov.in

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May 2016

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PINK FROCKS AND BLUE SHORTS Saranya Manoharan

We know men and women are different, but how different are we exactly? In this edition of Bridging the Gap, Saranya Manoharan explores the ubiquitous concepts of sex, gender and sexuality.

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he Red Elephant Foundation ran the campaign #BreakingAGenderStereotype sometime around International Women’s Day to question the concept of gender binary. Gender binary refers to the two distinct gender categories: masculine and feminine. What is masculinity and femininity? How is this relevant to gender equality or violence against women? Let’s get to that in just a while.

The #BreakingAGenderStereotype campaign asked individuals to simply send a photo of theirs with a caption of how, in their everyday lives, they are breaking a gender stereotype. What started off with the team’s WhatsApp group soon spread and entries came pouring in from different countries. Currently their campaign album on Facebook has 397 photos of ordinary citizens of the world, challenging gender norms by breaking one stereotype at a time.

We all know stereotypes. When we come across a Tamil Brahmin, we naturally assume that they must love curd rice. We presume that every Keralite has the “mallu” accent. When we picture an American, it is someone with white skin, although 45,672,250 of US citizens are Black. The truth is, some Tamil Brahmins love curd rice; some Keralites will have the accent; and some Americans are White. The important point is that not ALL of them will fit in to the stereotype. As the popular Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie puts it, “…the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

So the problem with gender stereotypes is that they create very narrow spaces within which men and women are expected to play their lives out. There are constraints placed on what colour to wear (blue for men and pink for women), what subject to major in (science for men, arts and humanities for women), what emotions to feel (fear, embarrassment and sadness for women, anger for men)…all based on genitalia. So the question becomes,

society, because gender, like fashion, changes from place to place and time to time. It is a dynamic social construct, not a biological state. If we want to describe the fact that we have different bodies, the term to be used is sex. Sex is why we call Deepika a woman and Deepak a man. Sex refers to biological differences between a male and female body. Again, it is not a neat division.

There are people in the middle with both male and female parts.

They are called intersex people.

If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.”

There’s gender and sex. What about sexual orientation? We’ve often seen girly men being portrayed as gay and tomboyish women being portrayed as lesbians. So what is the connection between gender and sexuality? This illustration puts it quite succinctly.

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is this biological? Are boys wired to like cars and engineering? Are girls predisposed to enjoy playing with Barbie dolls and cooking?

Science has been debating the influence of nature and nurture on gender differences for many decades now. What we do know for sure is that gender is much more fluid than we thought. Men and women are not from Mars and Venus, as the bestselling book title claimed. More like, men are from Anna Nagar East and women are from Anna Nagar West. Yes, there are differences, but not as much as we thought.

The campaign urges individuals to shatter gender barriers, by being more themselves, and less the idealistic masculine or feminine version of themselves, as prescribed by their current

If gender is a spectrum, and men and women can feel free to choose the colours they want to wear, subjects they want to specialize in and emotions they want to feel, the gender boundary between men and women is slowly erased. Once that happens, we can unite under the umbrella of humanity and inequality will diminish. If you’re wondering about how breaking gender stereotypes can reduce violence against women, here’s a pertinent quote from the eloquent actress Emma Watson: “We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes, but I can see that they are, and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.”

Gender Equality Women

Genderqueer

Man

Gender identity is how you, in your head think about yourself. It is the chemistry that composes you and how you interpret what that means.

Gender Expression Feminine

Androgynous Masculine Gender expression is how you demonstrate your gender through the ways you act, dress, behave and interact.

Biological Sex Female

Intersex

Male

Biological sex referes to the objectively measurable organs, hormones and chromosomes, Female = vagina, organs, XX chromosomes; Male = penis, testes, XY chromosomes; Intersex = A combination of the two.

Sexual Orientation Heterosexual

Bisexual

Homosexual

Sexual orientation is who you are physically, spiritually and emotionally attracted to; based on their sex / gender in relation to your own.

I am #BreakingAGenderStereotype by wearing the veil because society is unkind when my wife chooses to take hers off.

Mohammed Iqbal

The Red Elephant Foundation

Source : www.ItsPrononcedMetrosexual.com

Illustration elucidating the difference between Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation

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THE REAL COST OF FREE

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Prithvi Mahadevan

The why, what and how of freebies.

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Anna Nagar Slum, on Abdul Razzack Street, Saidapet (Photo Courtesy: Muthukumar, CTC and Prithvi Mahadevan)

ucked into tiny gaps along the heavily populated banks of Adyar River, is a community like no other.

It is located in an area called Anna Nagar at the end of Abdul Razzack Street in Saidapet, behind the railway line crossing the river. Post the 2015 floods, their homes, previously made of asbestos located in between the huge embankment wall, were lost to the growing levels of water. The embankment wall and the housing board houses three floors high tower over the little space the slum dwellers squat. The floods have washed away the asbestos, leaving behind four posts wrapped in sari or tarpaulin that they now call their home. At their backyard, along the banks of the river is the space for daily activities. The shrubs along the riverbank act as their toilets and bathrooms: the open banks for men and the ‘private’ shrubs for women. This is just one of the many fundamental functions of the river bank. Where it acts as the beginning of the drainage system for the slum, it acts as the end of it for the housing board. The sewage from the houses is openly expelled into it, instead of being linked to the mains.

If you look beyond the smothering embankments of Anna Nagar and in another open ground on the other side, you’d see the river suffocated with the remains from laying the railway line. Large amounts of concrete and gypsum boards are dumped blocking a quarter of the river carriageway. The children play amidst the debris. Even a child’s right to play is neglected and all that it would take is an empty patch of land.

Amidst the sheer walls, a faint jingle, the buzz of a television is heard. As the buzzing grows, you realize that there are many other appliances within. The irony- they don’t have the electricity to use them, in the legitimate sense at least. They find their own means of drawing it. For those who can’t, it decorates their existing homes.

As you dissect their lives, you’d realize it’s laden with ironiesappliances without electricity, no basic sanitation, water or even a proper house for that matter. In the wake of the 2016 elections, we see manifestos continue to be laden with freebies. It's imperative to stop and think what these freebies are actually for and how this practice began.

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Has the government grown lethargic, letting the over enthusiastic privates take over some of their pivotal roles? Are freebies a means to merely pacify those whose needs have been neglected amidst all this? Or silence their protest altogether?

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The three primary areas of focus for welfare schemes are health, education and public distribution systems. “Oru piddi arsi oru ruba” during M.G.R.'s regime was one such pioneering scheme in distribution of goods for subsidized rates. Political parties took it a step further with giving away veshti, sattai and sari, during elections and festivals. Today, freebie is an accepted part of the state budget. The Tamil Nadu budget for year 2015 – 2016 has allocated 499 crores for distributing saris and dhotis, 2000 crores for mixer-grinders and fans and 1100 crores for laptop.

However, the new health insurance scheme accounts for only 371 crores of the total fiscal projection. Not only is this a small fraction of the total, but is targeted for only one section of the population- those with an annual income of 72,000 rupees or more which renders those in the Anna Nagar slum, for instance, ineligible for the scheme. What’s more, there is no mention of expenditure to improve existing government medical facilities.

The children of the slum are an enthusiastic bunch. When asked, they said they disliked going to school, as it is boring.

We instantly laugh and dismiss the remark, but on further contemplation it makes me wonder- is it a reflection of the

existing quality of education provided? There have been no new government schools or government-aided schools built for the past decade and the funding for the existing is sparse. They lack the required staff to cater to the growing number of students. Education and health care are just one of the fields facing a setback. When one digs deeper there is a similar attitude of negligence in others, irrespective of the ruling party.

The economic liberalization of 1991 led to a surge of private sector industries in India. They took over the manufacture and service sectors alike, inclusive of heath, education and insurance.

Consequently we see a reduction in government investments in these sectors over there .

It only makes one wonder, has the government grown lethargic, letting the over enthusiastic privates take over some of their pivotal roles? Or has there been a shift of priorities within- from increasing social welfare to increasing profits of independent institutions? So then are freebies a means to merely pacify those whose needs have been neglected amidst all this? Or silence their protest altogether?

It’s those who fall outside the privileged milieu that get affected by the government’s failure to deliver. It renders them dependent on poor and haphazard infrastructure and facilitates, as they cannot afford the inflated prices of the private institutions. Basics such as medical care and education should be the government’s primary areas of focus, especially since a sizable population is dependent on it. However, the government’s move to provide a list of household appliances for free doesn’t effectively solve the bigger plight of the general public. In this era of ever-increasing populations, rising cost of living, severe heath issues and poor quality of even the basic medical care and education, what could a free TV really solve?

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BUT FIRST... LET US TAKE A SELFIE Sahaana Sekhar

How a modern trend can go a long way in supporting a cause

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e all take guilty pleasure in trying out the new snapchat filters. The animation brings to life a possibility of our appearance that we have never imagined. Whether it is puking rainbows, or realising your childhood dream of turning into a Super Saiyan, taking a selfie is a disease we love and embrace.

But can this epidemic be used to motivate people to do good? A version of this has been tested and proven when the ice bucket challenge trended. Awareness for ALS skyrocketed. But what about a known devil we choose to ignore? What about the basic life necessity of food that some people around us have to live without? According to the latest FAO estimates in ‘The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2015” report, India is home to the largest undernourished and hungry population in the world.

15.2% of our population is undernourished and 194.6 million people go hungry everyday.

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If you want to be part of the mission, here’s what you have to do.

the first step towards making a difference would be added to a whatsapp group based on which locality they are from. The people in the group can either volunteer to help out in the distribution, or simply participate in providing home cooked meals.

Depending on which group they are a part of, the members assemble on a particular day of the week, at a well known spot in the area (for example, the anna nagar group, meets in tower park at 7pm on Thursdays) and collect the food packets. The volunteers then go on to distribute these food packets to homeless people in those places who are in dire need of food.

But on the 28th, Food Bank aims to have a massive drive, in which all teams, not just in Chennai, work in unison and simultaneously touch lives. Their goal is to have a hunger free society on that day. But accomplishing that in just one city is not the ultimate goal. The FoodBank has chapters in a few cities all over the country, but the social media campaign is to spark this initiative in every knook and cranny.

Step 1: Decide the number of people you would want to help.

Step 2: Take a selfie with the number.

This challenge gathers more people into the FoodBank fold as you could join the team in your own locality. The different teams are a platform for people from all walks of life, and every cranny of the city to effectively donate food. Anyone who wants to take the first step towards making a difference would be added to a watsapp group based on which locality they are from. The people in the group can either volunteer to help out in the distribution, or simply participate in providing home cooked meals.

This was exactly the notion behind the “FEED THE HUNGERS CHALLENGE” says Sneha Mohandass of FoodBank India. It is a social media challenge, targeting the trends of our modern age to build momentum for their large scale event for “World Hunger Day” on the 28th of May. Any person willing to take up this challenge needs to post a selfie with the number of food packets they are willing to donate. After that, they tag five friends, asking them to take up the challenge. But more importantly, they satisfy their own pledge and feed people who do not have access to enough food. To spread the word on a more massive scale, a simple inclusion of a few hashtags (#FightAgainstHunger, #FoodBankIndia, #FeedTheHungerChallenge), would spark the curiousity of anyone observing.

Food Bank Chennai has been making a positive impact in Chennai for quite sometime. The original goal with which Food Bank – Chennai was started, was to make food donation a regular affair.

A more primitive way was to do it on special occasions, say a birthday. People would normally consider it an obligation that they agreed to do, rather than actually believing in doing some good. It was partly because it would involve going to some place and spending a significant amount of time in the act. But these days, we can hardly muster up enough time to catch a breather, to continue running in our own versions of the rat race.

Passion for donating food and a penchant towards social media are the only prerequisites for the Food Bank Chennai. It is effective mainly due to its simplicity. The first step? Simply creating a facebook page!

This challenge gathers more people into the FoodBank fold as you could join the team in your own locality. The different teams are a platform for people from all walks of life, and every cranny of the city to effectively donate food. Anyone who wants to take

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This movement, since its initiation on May 1st has already started gaining momentum. Several pledges from Singapore has marked its advent onto the international scene. This is the next social media trend. This is a band wagon, originating in our own roots that is absolutely worth getting on. After all, it extends gentle arms to aid the needy. Why not support the creative thinkers and do-ers? The ones who actually make a difference in our society.

Nothing feels better than the feeling of content after touching someone's life and spreading light. Why not be a part of a greater whole? And in the process, lets take a selfie that actually matters.

Step 3: Upload it on the Food Bank India group on Facebook by the 28th of May. I n di a i s t h e h o m e to t h e l a rg e st u n d e r no u r i s h e d a n d h u ng ry po p u l at io n i n t h e wo r l d

Step 4: Keep your word on the 28th of May and aid Food Bank in their mission to feed the hungry.

1 One in four children are malnourished An illustration showing the severity of malnutrition in India

Sketch courtesy : Sri Krishna & Tharun P

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AN EVENING AT A CAFÉ THAT BREWS DIVERSITEA! Preethi Alma Francis

A eulogy of a space that breaks its mould and redefines the notion of ‘eating out’.

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ow do you prefer to spend an evening with your colleagues, especially if you are a fan of F.R.I.E.N.D.S? In keeping with the coffee culture in vogue, an array of exclusive concepts in cafeterias is being home grown in Chennai. ‘Vidya Sagar’ an NGO which was formerly ‘The Spastic Society of India’, goes the extra mile to step beyond the realm of the stomach and the eyes and stride right into our hearts, while serving food at Kalakkal Café!

With the surge of disabled population in India by 22.4% in the past decade, concentrated substantially in urban areas, inclusive public spaces that offer ease of access and usability for the physically challenged are very few and far between in metropolitan cities. It’s about time for this section of the society

to be conjoined with the mainstream life in a city, by empowering them to manoeuvre unaided or with minimal facilitation through the design of unrestricted common spaces. In this regard, the perception of leisure for the differently abled has to be metamorphosed from a charity based to a rights based approach.

Nestled in the quiet alleys of Ranjith road in Kotturpuram, the Kalakkal Café is a venture conceptualized by the ‘Vidya Sagar’ team, to create a model barrier free cafeteria where the differently abled can navigate without any assistance and relish their coffee while making new acquaintance, thus carving its niche as the First Inclusive Cafe in India.

The Kalakkal Café is not a standalone cafeteria, the space functions as a parking bay for the school during the week, and switches gears during the weekends, as the place gets remodelled into a quintessential evening hangout spot, with fairy lights, lilting music by a live rock band, lots of chatter and yummy happy food!

One fine evening in Kalakkal Cafe Photo courtesy : Kalakkal Cafe

As one enters the café, the slip resistant ramps and a poster of a painted mug with the caption “Diversitea?” acts as a preface to what one could expect few steps further- tactile walls which are vivid in colour to be easily distinguished, hand railings along the wall, doors that can be moved without a hitch, ergonomic furniture that can be paired up

with wheelchairs and brightly hued menu cards which speaks for itself graphically and also in braille for the visually challenged-the first of its kind! The café not only caters to the inmates of the school, but also welcomes youth who appreciate diversity, thus doubling up as a forum where creative exchanges between people from all walks of life could take place. A place that would not just fill your stomach, but also feed your soul!

The holistic realization of this feat by the ‘Vidya Sagar’ team is sustained by the enthusiastic participation of public who acknowledge diversity and brought to fruition by mutual synergy for a larger good. The proponents of this project look forward to replicating this archetype into the design of all the potential public areas in the city and thus interpreting disabled-friendly spaces not as exclusive but inclusive spaces knitted with the fabric of the city.

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To create a model barrier free cafeteria where the differently abled can navigate without any assistance and relish their coffee while making new acquaintance, thus carving its niche as the First Inclusive Cafe in India.

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THE TABOO WE SHOULD BE TACKLING, Sahaana Sekhar

In conversation with Vidya of Tulir

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hild sexual abuse. Just bringing it up causes an involuntary flinch.

Talking about it is considered uncomfortable. Which is probably why we are yet to fathom the magnitude of it. Some of us learn about it far too late, so much so, that we are no longer children.

convinced that somehow, all these monstrous things that happened to them is their own fault. Tulir - Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse urges for society to rise to the challenge. First and foremost they I spoke to Ms. Vidya, Head of Tulir five years ago and had some questions.Do strive to get people to acknowledge that child sexual we truly know what constitutes as sexual abuse? Why do we only address abuse is very common and that proactive steps HAVE to the aftermath of the offence? Why do we turn a blind eye to it until we hear be taken to respond in a timely and appropriate way. It is paramount that the child feels safe. of an incidence as severe as a rape?

embraces the fragile victim and sets them on the path of healing. They strive every day to beat this evil, even if prevention fails. Vidya had statistics of various incidents at her finger tips, because Tulir, researches and documents vigilantly. Creating and raising awareness and sensitization is a key priority of Tulir - CPHCSA. But printing posters and flyers, along with audiobooks to educate people is only the tip of the iceberg.

Since then I have started to understand the issue better every day and “Prevention is better than a cure”. This is a proverb drilled maturity to grasp the message she wished to convey when I got the chance into our heads as children. So why not apply it here as well?

Prevention has increasingly gained recognition as the most to interact again a few days ago. prudent and cost effective strategy for addressing child She emphasised two of the biggest misconceptions about child sexual abuse: sexual abuse. On this prevention front, Tulir provides the assumption that it is an interaction with strangers and that the victims “personal safety education” so that from the very are only girls. We fail to understand that boys are equally abused. Only beginning, children know when something is not right. Our controversial cases of this offence are covered by the media. What about society cowers from talking about the issue, but children domestic cases? I know I have ruffled a few feathers here, but a number of need to know the difference between a safe, confusing and abuse incidents by a family members are almost always covered up. And that unsafe touch. They also provide training and consultancy services for teachers, social workers, doctors, parents & only enables its frequency to increase steadily. other stakeholders as they all have a part to play. Society as Crude comments and verbal body shaming may seem harmless, but all big a whole should not tolerate this perverse offence. things have a small root cause. The worst part about all of this is yet to come.

In our so-called empowered, modern life, the victim is almost always But should this terrible thing happen, Tulir intervenes and

After all our current society is trying to fix a bullet hole with a bandage.

Vidya of Tulir

AGAM SEI

May 2016 A R T I S T ’ S

C O R N E R

TNBIL/2014/59272

S T A R T U P S contemporary. For her, "The most rewarding part of the creative process is the fact that you’re creating something with your head, heart and hand and people connect with it."

Another series that she has worked on was inspired by a trip to her native Chettinad where she was captivated by the simplicity of village life and the scorching heat of the Indian summer.

With no hard and fast rule on how she approaches a new project, most of her projects involve working out a concept, developing sketches and experimenting with technique and material. Sometimes she abandons all thought while creating a piece of work following which she then analyses her gravitation to the project. For example "The other day I saw some animal shapes out of randomly splashed ink that I drew out with pens and created a fun composition. This makes me want to explore more from natural shapes and do work with less planning and more spontaneity."

She dabbles with various mediums, including oils, acrylics, watercolour, ink, charcoal and more, choosing one which best suits the “Collect $200 as you pass GO” is about a childhood thought that we’re all a part of a live board game controlled by forces unknown. theme portrayed. With works being exhibited in Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, she has Sanjana Maria John also worked on several projects for private clients. Apart from focusing on her art, she also undertakes other creative projects including the likes of creating murals, freelance designing for firms and clients, and lamelu Annhamalai describes herself as complexities of human nature and their has conducted arts classes for children and someone having 'a constant motion picture in interaction with the society. guest lectures. my head." With a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts from Stella Maris Chennai, Alamelu is an Her most recent work was inspired by Alamelu firmly believes that space and artist who explores concepts that relate to literature- a series of pen, ink and charcoal money shouldn’t stop anyone from buying society, people and her own personal drawings on old printed pages of the book art. "I believe art isn’t only for the elite as The Art of Remaking Men by Paul Campbell many think so - it is for everyone, and I hope experiences. where she used minimal line and drawing to to encourage people to #becoolandbuyart."

Alamelu firmly believes that art is limited only represent her interpretations of certain by the imagination of the viewer. She creates words and lines on the page that most stood Do visit her website and Facebook page for paintings that encourage viewers to look out. (Exhibited at the group art exhibition updates on her work. beyond what is visually represented. A lot of ‘One Show, Many Stories’ at Lalit Kala her work is figurative or representational, Akademi, Chennai) Several people found the www.alameluannhamalai.weebly.com. drawing inspiration from everyday life as she concept of art inspired by literature and https://www.facebook.com/alameluannham studies people, their behaviour, the done on the text itself very interesting and alai.artist

Alamelu Annhamalai

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www.agamsei.in Archna Menon : 9962972426 (archna@agamsei.in) Reeveezee Antony : 9962895678 (reeveezee@agamsei.in)

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HELLO, MIKE TESTING, ONE, TWO, THREE Nilofer Afza

The pen is mightier than the sword, but the microphone is the mightiest of them all.

W

arhorse is a skill-based start-up in Chennai, aimed at empowering students in the art of public speaking.

Since its genesis three years ago by CEO Vishal Vasant who is currently a final year student of Mechanical Engineering at SSN College of Engineering, Warhorse has gained strong footing post the collaboration with co-founder Sidhaanth K Dharmadheeran (final student of Electronics and Communication Engineering at B.S.Abdur Rahman University)tt in July 2015. Currently functioning as a six member team based in Chennai, the company offers a variety of training programmes and workshops to develop public speaking skills amongst students. The team is comprised of individuals of highly skilled orators, each having accomplished a variety of feats ranging from delivering prestigious talks at International destinations to winning competitions at the National level. From students, young graduates to a stand-up comedian even, the interesting mix of talents amongst its core committee sets Warhorse apart.

Since 2013, the company has completed over 36 workshops, training over 1200 students, its primary audience being school students from classes 8-12 as well as college students. Through integrated and activity based experiential workshops conducted in association with educational institutions, the team strives to benefit each student by empowering their ability to orate. Aimed at boosting self-confidence and the ability to orate by overcoming and eradicating stage fear, the team has already started changing the students’ communication abilities. One such experience as the CEO recalls is of one of his trainees from September 2014 who went on to secure the position of School Pupil Leader after delivering an outstanding speech to a crowd of 2000.

With a vision of growing into a Pan-India enterprise, the company also hopes to reach 5000 students and effectively equip them with communication and public speaking skills by the end of the academic year 2016-17.

*Owned, published and printed by Reevezee M. Antony. Printed at Meera Offset Printers, 104, V.R.Pillai street, Triplicane, Chennai - 600 005 and Published from 207/9, Asiad colony, Anna Nagar West Extension, Chennai - 600 101.

EDITOR : Reevezee M. Antony

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