That free feeling

There’s a lot in Bengaluru that gives its residents ample reasons to soak in the spirit of freedom, be it in the diversity of cuisines and languages, the cosmopolitan crowd or even a simple ride around town...

Srihari Nataraj, swimmer
I have lived in Bengaluru for 19 years and there are multiple factors that contribute towards my sense of freedom in this lovely city. First, we have a multi-cultural environment and friendly local population. The city also has an innate beauty to it, thanks to its salubrious weather and green environment. Bengaluru also knows how to empower one with knowledge and technology, and the city has a friendly mix of old culture and technological advancements. Lastly, but just as importantly, the variety of cuisines available in the city gives me a sense of oneness with all cultures. 

Sankeerthana Swaminathan, undergraduate student, Mount Carmel College
This city has a lot to offer – quiet early morning walks with the sound of just a few autos, knowing that you can get a biryani and ice cream till 3am. I have freedom to voice my dissent in the spaces that people in Bengaluru have created. The auto driver has just as much freedom to quote a price. This freedom that we have should be exercised to differentiate between right and wrong acts, to collectively approach authorities, and bridge that gap without the fear of being silenced.

Merissa Bose, social media influencer
Before Covid-19, freedom meant being able to go out with my friends and having a good time. Now simple things like taking the bike for a ride around the city, going for a run in the morning, meeting close friends and helping the family with household chores makes me feel free. Bangalore is a cosmopolitan city and there are diverse kinds of people. So there is a little more open-mindedness and acceptance, particularly in the way girls dress and move around. Even though eve-teasing is still rampant, we can, to a large extent, dress the way we want but within limits of modesty. 

MD Pallavi, singer and theatre personality
The city is such a beautiful melting pot. There are people from all over the country, there are so many classical traditions and art schools, such vibrant performance spaces and such diversity in the food on the streets. 

Nirmala Govindarajan, author and social sector documentarian 
I was 8 when my parents relocated to Bangalore from Madras. I spent hours in the sprawling sit-out in our one-bedroom rented home in Jayanagar, drawing, writing, talking to the birds, trees, also my neighbours. The neighbour to the right spoke Tamil. The neighbours to the left spoke Kannada, and their tenants, Malayalam. The people who lived in the government quarters opposite our home, spoke Telugu. And our house owners spoke Sankethi.

I had friends in these homes, and while all of us conversed in English, I was drawn to the diversity of languages that were spoken around me, and in time, picked up a smattering of Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Sankethi. Over the years, I have interacted with people from various parts of India and abroad in Bengaluru’s culture hubs, picking up smatterings of other tongues like Marathi, Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Tulu, French and German. To me, Bengaluru embodies the freedom of expression that diverse tongues bring with them, and the beauty of melding with people from so many different cultures. 

Neha Bagaria, founder-CEO, Jobsforher
Bengaluru gives women the freedom to ‘write my own check’, whether they’re at a social outing or on a date, to pay up bills, or invest in their own future. This indicates that self-reliance and financial independence is something the city ingrains in them from an early age. It instils in them a combination of humility and a go-getter attitude, which is a characteristic trait that you will see in every person who lives here. 

Manvita Kamath, actor
It might sound odd but being a foodie, city’s food culture signifies freedom to me. It’s one city which was always been ahead of its time and has accepted different cultures, which as a result has given us so many choices. But on a serious note, this is one city where people have always lived in harmony. The recent violence in the city was very unfortunate and people need to understand that living in peace and brotherhood comes before any religion. 

Peter Lalrinsanga, HR professional
Freedom to me is the right to make a choice without any obstruction and the right to live independently without feeling obligated to anyone. As a person from Mizoram, I think of freedom as the right to be accepted regardless of your appearance, roots and religion. These are things I find to be true in Bengaluru, where I have been living for more than 10 years. This city now feels like home away from home.