In a unique initiative, a group of volunteers called the ‘The Ugly Indian’ has invited volunteers to paint and beautify 10 pillars of the Swami Vivekananda Namma Metro Station in Bengaluru.
The exercise will be conducted on March 26 and 27 from 10am to 1pm. The metro station is located at the junction of Old Madras Road and Indiranagar 80 feet road. For more details, you can visit their Facebook page.
This is not the first time that this group has undertaken such an initiative. The group has earlier worked with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited and painted the pillars at Indiranagar and Trinity stations.
“The Ugly Indian volunteers will guide people with their brushes so as to bring in homogeneity, more than looking for a meaning into the painted pillars,” said U.A. Vasanth Rao, Chief Public Relations Officer, BMRCL.
A volunteer of the group says, “It’s the attitude that can solve matters. If you take Namma Metro pillars, for example, it is the Indian attitude to abuse public property that has to be tackled. We asked BMRCL to allow us to make the pillars look beautiful so that people looking at them in awe will never attempt to destroy its beauty. In response, Mr. Rao told us, ‘You are attempting to deal with a behavioural psychology challenge, go on!’”
Most of the members in the group wear masks while cleaning to avoid exposure to dust.
“Most of us wear them to avoid dust. Some are allergic to strong smell of paints,” said a volunteer.
“The work on the 10 pillars at Swami Vivekananda Station will take two days to complete,” said Rao.
“When we see people of all ages and all walks of life come together, it is rewarding. We are inviting proposals from art schools across India to take up art works inside metro stations. It will be considered by a team of experts,” Rao added.