Bengaluru man asks politicians in viral post: 'Do you walk on our streets? Don't you feel embarrassed?'

Bengaluru resident Sudhakar Rao also highlighted the personal struggle of explaining the poor conditions to his son, who questions why other countries boast clean, safe, and open pedestrian spaces. (File photo)

A Bengaluru resident has ignited a debate online with a poignant post on X, directly challenging the city's politicians over the dismal state of its roads. His viral message appears to echo the deep frustration felt by many citizens, who are being increasingly vocal about the everyday chaos on Bengaluru's roads and footpaths.

"Dear Bangalore politicians, do you ever walk on our streets? Don’t you feel embarrassed by the chaos — the broken footpaths, the garbage-strewn sidewalks, the sheer hostility of our stinking public spaces to anyone on foot?" former journalist Sudhakar Rao (@sudhakar10) asked. He highlighted the personal struggle of explaining the poor conditions to his son, who questions why other countries boast clean, safe, and open pedestrian spaces. For Rao, this isn't just an inconvenience; it's a profound lack of dignity and safety in what should be a global city.

"I have no answer for my 9-year-old who keeps asking why other countries are so clean and have open/pedestrian spaces for children to walk without fearing they’ll end up under a vehicle. Don’t you get asked the same by your own children — or by the foreign delegates you host?" he wrote, tagging Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and other ministers in his post on X.

"We need a city that lets us walk with dignity. Please, look beyond political compulsions," Rao said, adding that the elderly stumble on broken pavements, children haven't been able to walk to school safely, and millions of others haven't been able to enjoy the once vibrant and green streets of Bengaluru.

"Your families enjoy world-class pedestrian infrastructure when they travel abroad. Why can’t we have that here? Why must dignity and safety be a privilege? Bangalore deserves better. Its people deserve better," he said.

This sentiment is far from isolated. Earlier, Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw also publicly shamed Bengaluru's infrastructure, drawing a stark comparison to the well-maintained streets of San Cristobal Island in Ecuador. Sharing a video of the pristine stone roads, she wrote, "Clean and well-designed streets in San Cristobal Island in Ecuador. Bengaluru, hang your head in shame," directly tagging the city's civic body, the BBMP.

The frustration is also boiling over into legal action. Dr. Kiran Jeevan, a 43-year-old doctorate professor from Bengaluru, has served a legal notice to the BBMP, demanding Rs 50 lakh in compensation. His claim stems from the "deplorable" road conditions that he asserts have caused him significant physical pain and considerable mental stress, leading to severe neck and back pain medically linked to commuting on treacherous roads.

Dr Jeevan emphasized that his lawsuit is not merely a personal grievance but a "collective one that demands urgent attention," aiming to support the many others who "silently suffer" due to hazardous roads. His lawyer's legal notice clearly states that "despite being a tax-paying citizen with a right to safe public infrastructure, he has been subjected to continuous physical hardship and mental agony as a result of BBMP's blatant failure to maintain basic civic infrastructure."