An attempt to save children. Please help.

When I opened my blog on Blogger, I was not only glad with all the UI and the features that Blogger had to offer but also happy about SocailVibe which is such an easy way to spread the word and help the needy. As you can see in my blog’s sidebar (to the right) that I have added the SocialVibe badge. Through Blogger and SocialVibe.com, I have joined the “Keep A Child Alive” Cause that fights for children with AIDS in India and Africa. Please do click on the badge in the blog sidebar and give those children few minutes of your time. This cause has earned around $2000 till date and we need more. Just a free click, and you can save a child’s life! Don’t look at this as an advertisement, or those irritating surveys for torrents, etc. Its not!!! This is just an intelligent idea to save and contribute towards a good cause, by using the internet to its full extent.

I have joined the “Keep A Child Alive” Cause which provides free treatment to the AIDS affected children in India and Africa. India is one of the worst AIDS affected countries in the world and also, being an Indian made me choose this cause. After all, little children have no reason to suffer like this. So please… all I’m asking of you is ONLY 3 minutes of your time.

Click the badge in the sidebar to you right and follow the instructions. Its not going to take you more than 3 minutes to complete the whole process. The company that is enrolled with us for sponsoring will ask you a few questions for their surveys and to advertise their products (within 3 minutes). You will have an option to choose whether you want to move further for the next activity. The more activities you try out, the more treatment hours will be added to the counter and therefore, more help to the helpless children. So please make your contributions.

Again, my earnest advice to you is not to look at this as an advertisement because it’s not!! Just 3 minutes of your time, and your contributing to an ocean of help that is going forward to save these innocent lives. For more info, visit SocialVibe.com. Thank you so much. Let’s make this world a better place to live in, in whatever small or big way possible.

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Mangalore's City Centre: Reality or Rumour

Today we all are witness to the undoubtedly most marvellous man-made structure in the city of Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Never did Mangaloreans ever see such a location in this small city before. City Centre is that one more feather in Mangalore's hat! But there are certain realities or rumours that one must know while there is a great part of the world that still lives in poverty and they cant afford to even look at such structures.

City Centre and buildings like these don't stand up on their own and with straight ways. This is known truth and in India many kinds of such "truth" go unnoticed for a long LONG time. But I want to shed light on certain things that at least all Mangaloreans must know:

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  There was a big furore and quarrel on the land sharing or land acquisition before the construction began. Built close to Lighthouse Hill in Mangalore, posed a risk to acquiring more land than given. Now this was a danger to the buildings near by, apartments and houses that stand on the Lighthouse Hill and have been there for years. By 'digging the land' below for the mall, could have loosened the ground and could have led to the collapse of the nearby buildings. We don't know how this case was pushed under the table, or how did the nearby residents keep silent later, or whether the case is still pending!
  
  


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  There were rumours that the management of the mall did not submit the completion report on time and hence the Municipality did not approve of electricity to the building. Yet, the mall was opened without it and supposedly is running on diesel ever since using electricity generators! What a waste of fuel!
  
  


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  The disputes did not stop there. There are sources from the Mangalore Corporation who have said that City Centre was supposed to have three more floors above those of the parking lot. If that had been done it would have been the 5th biggest mall in India. Currently its at 10th position. The reason being that the corporation again did not give the necessary permission to build those additional floors. Hmmm so do we have a strict Corporation here? I hope so.
  
  

Mall culture is increasing at a rate that is just not necessary at times. If it adds to the economy without hampering anything else and eating through other important resources like land, etc... then we need more malls! Mangalore is a small city and there seems to be race of "mall building" and its crazy! Currently there are 3 malls open (including City Centre) and 3 (or more) under construction! Here is how we stand in Karnataka:

1. Mantri Square Mall, Bangalore, 1,625,000 sq ft


2. City Centre, K S Rao Road, Mangalore, 800,000 sq ft


3. The Forum, Bangalore, 625,000 sq ft

The Plama Mall, Kulshekar, Mangalore is under construction with an estimated area of 900,000 sq ft which will make it the second largest in the State and thus Mangalore will be that city having two of its malls in the state's top 3! Here are the stats for the malls across India:

All said and done I love malls and its the best place to meet up with friends or spend time when you have no other place to decide on, especially in this "busy" world today. My concern is to the incredible speed of just 2-3 years that change the faces of small cities, States and India too. And while we're at the topic of malls, Mantri Mall is not going to be the biggest by the end of next year, because its position will be taken by the upcoming Mall of India, in the National Capital. Check out the list of malls in India.

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