Mirror Now TV Confers Social Activist Gerard Towers with ‘Best Person with Pro-People Concern’ Award
Mangaluru: The secret of bringing a change or making a difference in the society, they say, is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Social change starts with an individual, and can slowly transform the fabric of society. And even though we may decry many ground realities in here, the fact remains that numerous individuals are being the change they wish to see in the world.
And here we have an energetic, active and hard-working Social Activist Gerard Towers from Mangaluru, who for the last 28 years has been raising his voice, and fighting for justice on civic issues that haunt the City on daily basis- and he has been successful in rectifying many of these civic issues by his determination, commitment and hard work- and all his efforts in such social service activity has brought him a laurel from one of the popular TV news channels in India- MIRROR NOW!
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Gerard Towers, the Founder of Mangaluru Nagarika Hitha Vedike, and also a founder member of MCC Civic Group, and also an RTI activist, has been conferred with the ‘Best Person with Pro-People Concern’ Award by TV Channel Mirror Now, and Towers is one among the other five recipients of this Award, who have been active, caring and dedicated citizens trying to solve various civic and social problems faced by the citizens. Towers personal commitment, temperament and sacrificing his precious time, with the pace of life, to solve some of the civic issues in the City need to be appreciated and commended. When the MCC corporators in the certain Wards couldn’t take action in solving the civic issues, Gerard Towers stepped forward and did his best to bring in positive results many times- especially in the Kadri and Shivabagh areas in the City.
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It could be his passion or compassion, and his efforts and hard work have made a difference in society, where he had strived in solving many civic issues. One may wonder, why Yours Truly of Team Mangalorean finally decided to do this report on Towers, even though the Award announcement was made a couple of days ago-the reason was simple- I was waiting to get the right information from the concerned people at the Mirror Now office, but unfortunately all my efforts were in vain. But as they say, “Better Late Than Never”, it is still a pleasure to congratulate and dedicate this report to the GREAT SOCIAL ACTIVIST of MANGALURU, GERARD TOWERS, who has become the Voice of the City!
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The association between Mangalorean.com/Team Mangalorean and Gerard Towers has been for the last so many years, and it is always the FIRST call that Towers make to Mangalorean.com or Yours Truly (Alfie D’Souza) of Team Mangalorean whenever there is a civic issue, either pertaining to a bad drainage or footpath; potholed or dilapidated roads; illegal sand deal; issues with city buses and the behaviour of the bus crew with the passengers; issues with Mescom and MCC water supply; unscientific infrastructure and development of Smart City-Mangaluru; and the list of civic issues goes on. And many a time Towers had staged his protests in unique and funny ways, to draw the attention of the concerned officials who had turned a blind eye towards civic issues.
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Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Gerard Towers said, “Even though I am busy with my event management business, I have always made time towards civic issues and highlighting them either on newspapers or TV channels, along with photos/video footage. For the last few years I have contributed news to TV channels, and also debated live on civic issues that put hardships on citizens. I have posted comments, and many times called the TV channels, after watching civic issues shown on TV. For the last 2-3 years, I have been a regular viewer of Mirror Now TV Channel, and have been responding to various civic issues that the TV Channel highlighted”.
“Two years ago, I watched the news of a couple falling into a pothole in Bengaluru, and I quickly posted my comments on Mirror Now TV News Channel, highlighting the carelessness and ignorance of The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is the administrative body responsible for civic amenities and some infrastructural assets of the Greater Bangalore metropolitan area, and I even raised my voice so that the family of the couple gets the right compensation from BBMP, whose negligence caused the couple’s death. Apart from this incident that happened in Bengaluru, I have highlighted many civic issues on Mirror Now occurring throughout the nation, including Mangaluru. Recalling, ten years ago, seven civic issues that I highlighted appeared in quite a few local newspapers in Mangaluru on a SINGLE DAY” added Towers.
“Getting this Award from Mirror Now was indeed a surprise for me when I got a message from the TV channel office that I was one among the five recipients to receive the ‘Best Person with Pro-People Concern’ Award, the other four identified as Piyush Saha, Susmit Chakraborty, Akanksha Verma, and Ayush Gupta. I was not aware that Mirror Now had this recognition award planned, and even though this Award has been award to me, I have no idea as to when the TV channel will hand over the Award to me. But I am very grateful to Mirror Now for recognizing my efforts towards the citizens on civic issues. Quoting Saint Mother Teresa ” I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”- in a similar manner, I alone cannot rectify all the civic issues that arise, but if many people unite and raise their voices and fight for the good cause, we all surely can make a change in the society for a better and safe living”, added Gerard Towers. .
Team Mangalorean extends heartfelt congratulations to Gerard Towers on his biggest achievement for being recognized and conferred with an Award from a Top National TV Channel, for being one of the catalysts in the journey towards Change!
