“It is an eerie feeling to be here,” said Prathibha as she started the conversation on a reflective note. The last time she had been to Freedom Park, she came to meet convicts in the jail, do a documentary, and to conduct workshops.
Prathibha introduced the book and Malini, expressing amazement at the vast amount of data in the book. Malini had interviewed more than 650 people and interacted with many government officials and members of the public. Prathibha said that people usually think when you write about Bengaluru, it is history, whereas this book is about the future.
Why this book?
When Malini came to Bengaluru as a journalist, there was a dichotomy in her head— a question on what is special and what brings people to the city. This journalistic curiosity grew into the book.
Making of the book
Malini was an outsider to the city, which presented both a challenge and an opportunity. She saw it with a fresh pair of eyes. She shared three highlights about the making of the book:
- She used a bottoms-up approach – meeting people on the ground – vendors, people in slums, etc.
- She leveraged social media proactively to connect with and reach the masses. This helped craft the chapter “Young and single in the City”.
- Malini put out a social media post to the women of Bengaluru to hear their stories.
Prathibha admitted she had initially been prejudiced, seeing Malini as an outsider who had come from Delhi to Bengaluru. However, after reading through two to three pages, she realized the hard work that Malini has put into the book. She added that the honest reports Malini has included are essential.
Responding to Prathibha’s question on how we are adapting ourselves to the paradigm shift every year, Malini spoke about how Bengaluru, being the tech city and startup capital, has helped her love the city even more.
The roles reversed, with Malini asking Prathibha, “As someone who has been a Bengalurean, what is the new perspective that emerged after you read the book?”
The difference between an insider versus outsider view was one perspective that Prathibha noted. She also said that the journey of people coming to Bengaluru and building it into the startup capital is not so simple.
Plan versus actual
Malini’s initial plan was to write the book and return to Delhi. However, life kept her in Bengaluru. She sold her house in Delhi and never went back.
Unboxing Bengaluru – the initiatives
Malini spoke about UnboxingBLR, the non-profit she has created with co-founder Prashanth Prakash. Bengaluru is a city of migrants, and their aim is to build a sense of belonging to the city.
She highlighted some of the key projects under the initiative:
– BLR Hubba, an annual city festival, coming up between January 16 to 25 at Freedom Park. The festival will have more than 250 performances with free access to all.
– Museum of Innovation and Technology, coming up in NGEF layout – this will document Bengaluru and India’s journey on the world tech map. It will be an interactive, immersive experience.
– Namma Bengaluru Challenge – to solve some of the city’s critical challenges. The second edition focuses on climate change. They have received around 600 applications, and the winners will receive grants of up to Rs 25 lakhs to implement their solution.
– Data report on India’s top cities – the report compares Bengaluru to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Kolkata. The intention is to look into how we can build the city’s soft infrastructure and build a connection.
At this point, Prathibha took a step back and reflected on how centuries can co-exist in Bengaluru. She spoke about UB City, Annamma Utsava, and Dollars Colony.
The Ripple effect and Parallel economy
Malini observed that techies get maximum attention in Bengaluru and there is a ripple effect that tech jobs have created across other industries, however, others remain invisible. People from all parts of the country have come in for the other industries – for example, people from Odisha, Assam etc. are in the construction industry. Real estate is booming. Bengaluru is a dream city for these people, though their food, language, and lifestyle are very different.
Questions from the audience:
There was time for just one question. An attendee asked how since most events take place in central Bengaluru, organizers could bring together people from other parts of the city.
Malini acknowledged that various silos exist – tech and Non-tech, young and old. Their attempt is to bring people together. They organize “Hubba in your park”, an event with musical performances, where one can see the diversity of people.
This conversation, which had indeed unboxed Bengaluru from multiple perspectives, left the audience with much to think about and take away.
Usha Ramaswamy
Usha is an IT professional who loves to read, vlog (Usha’s LENS) and travel. She is an amateur mobile photographer who shares her snaps on Instagram. Her philosophy is to make the most of life and relish every moment.