Roti, kapda aur makaan...may be a slogan from the "garibi hatao" times of the 1970's. But the need for the roti, kapda and makaan is as real now as it was then.
We began the issue wanting to understand the lives of the homeless. As we went along, we felt the distinction between house and home acutely. We met those who dwelt on pavements, playgrounds, shanties and realised it was home. Just not a house.
We chose a few parameters- sanitation, water, a roof that can tolerate the vagaries of nature- to define a house. We spoke to those who don't have houses to live in, those who didn't once but now do, and those who have dedicated their lives to providing shelter to others.
In this issue, we have

• A ground reality account of homelessness in through personal accounts of those for whom the open skies are shelter.
• A story of how well intentioned government schemes can cause serious problems. The case in question is the Deshyanagar slum rehabilitation project, in which the lack of transit housing meant residents were on the streets for a year.
• A feature on the challenges faced by those who work to provide shelter to those on the streets. Best intentions can be doubted. Paucity of funds means many struggles. But these brave warriors silently carry on providing shelter to all they can.
• A look at a low cost housing project of AVAS, an association that has built houses for low income groups, in consultation with the beneficiaries.
• An interview with Rajesh Joseph of LabourNet on the problems faced by migrant workers with respect to housing.
• A conversation with Arul Selva of Slum Jagattu, the magazine that has given slums of Karnataka a voice of their own.

Of those without a house to dwell in, migrant workers constitute a large number in Bangalore. Flyovers, Metro Rail and the many multiplexes- symbols of urban growth- is what has brought them here in the hope of better lives. Lakshapathy, executive director of APSA told us, "there is much talk of making Bangalore Singapore and Bangkok. Do that by all means. But in the process, remember it takes human beings to do that...and they will have needs".
On that note, we leave you with this edition of the Offbeat- To nest, to rest