Issue 7 | 30 Dec. 2006

2006 WRAPUP

The Great Fraud of the Year
After Vini Vinc the year before, one would have thought we have seen the end of blade companies, but 2K6 saw more, and on a ViniVincish scale. In Koramangala, a blade company called Invest Tech “invested” in the gullibility of the ordinary citizen and shaved off more than 4,000 depositors of Rs 400 crore. The tragedy was a majority of those cheated happened to be senior citizens and nearly 30% were women. While the promoter vanished, five of the victims reportedly ended their lives. Just like Vini Vinc, this company too used to initially be prompt in their repayments thus winning over the confidence of the public. The moral of the story: Bangalore has a flourishing market for blade companies…

A 'Spiritual Olympics'
Were you there when the "Olympics" was held in Bangalore in Feb 2006? The Art of Living Foundation's silver jubilee celebrations at the Jakkur Airfield was really a spiritual Olympics, proving if any proof was required the enduring mass and class appeal of Sri Sri Ravishankar, more popularly described as the Guru of Joy. Over 25 lakh gathered for the event which went off like a breeze, thanks to the organizers and the thousands of AoL volunteers.
Active in over 140 countries, the Art of Living Foundation offers unique programs that eliminate stress, create a sense of belonging, restore human values, and encourage people from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions to come together and develop to their highest potential.

The Flop of the Year
It was a good intentioned flop of the year. Faced with all round criticism about the state of the roads, the BMP hit upon a bright idea - a Pick-a-pothole award where citizens would be rewarded with a hundred bucks for identifying a pothole. By all reckoning, the scheme should have been a super duper hit, given that the city's roads are overflowing with potholes. Strangely, it didn't take off with the response being poor. Perhaps, it's good the scheme flopped, for we the taxpayer would have had to foot a fat bill in the end…

The Tragedy of the Year
April - was the day when the light went out of Karnataka. Dr Rajkumar, the state's uncrowned king and the eternal darling of the masses breathed his last. He may be no more, but he continues to live in the hearts of his innumerable fans. Annavru, quite simply, stands alone, for no one has popped the question, then and now: Will there be another Dr Raj?

A Real Life Story of Gandhigiri
After Lage Raho Munna Bhai, reports of real life stories of Gandhigiri were heard from different parts of the country, and Bangalore was no exception. Raza Educational & Social Trust purchased land for setting up a school in Bismillanagar, Bannerghatta Road, but another company Methodex Systems Ltd claimed to be the owner and encroached upon the land. Refusing to take this lying down, Benazir Baig, the founder-secretary of the Trust a la Munna Bhai, staged a sit-in protest before the company's godown and sent them flowers daily. At the company's corporate office in Indiranagar, a group of teachers held "classes' in front of their office. The company officials eventually relented and provided Baig a place behind their godown and assured him that they would look for an alternate place.

BMTC is hip!
For the BMTC, 2006 was a great year. It became the first and the only urban transport service in the world to make profits, when it raked in a profit of Rs 114 crore for the quarter ended September, after incurring huge losses as the arm of the KSRTC.

Metro Rail derails I'nagar traders
For Indiranagar traders especially those on CMH Road and 100 Feet Road, the Metro Rail derailed all their hopes of retaining their business in one of the most commercial districts of the city. They tried everything to stop the Metro Rail from coming on CMH Road/100 Feet Road - bandh, protest rallies, engaging a highly successful lawyer (Pramila Nesargi), petitioning the CM, etc. They threatened to meet Sonia Gandhi with their demand, and even self-immolate. But the State Government was unimpressed, and apart from making the right noises about taking everyone's opinion along, gave the green signal to the project. What they wanted was to relocate the rail route from CMH Road as envisaged, to Old Madras Road, as this would leave Indiranagar's booming commercial hub intact and impact lesser number of people.