· January, 2013

Stories about History from January, 2013

Pakistan’s Forgotten Hindu Heritage

  31 January 2013

Shiraz Hassan recently visited dilapidated temples and gurdwaras of Rawalpindi and appeals that these old heritage sites, which depict the secular past of the country, need to be preserved. There are still more than 25,000 Hindus living in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

‘Student Hair Revolution’ in Thailand

  30 January 2013

Kaewmala writes about the complaint of many Thai students against the official school hair policy of “crew cut for boys and ear-lobe-length bob for girls.” Some student groups want to scrap the hair policy which is criticized as a violation of children's rights. The author added: “If Thai teachers had...

Two Versions of Mao's China: History Retouched as Propaganda

  30 January 2013

A collage of historical photos showing two versions of Chinese history during the Mao's era (1949-1976) published by micro-blogger @Pongyoung with a brief comment: "How history has been amended?", has been retweeted 13362 times with 2237 comments within one day.

Tibetans Outraged by Chinese TV Drama on Tibet

  29 January 2013

A recent TV drama, Tibet's Secret, has outraged many Tibetans who criticize that the director Liu Depin for distorting Tibetan culture and religion. As the drama was broadcasted in the state-run China Central Television (CCTV), the conflict is inevitably political in nature.

Meeting the Mummy at the Museum in Mumbai

  27 January 2013

Anuradha Shankar at ‘A Wandering Mind’ writes about the ongoing Egyptian Mummy exhibition in Mumbai, India. These mummies started a global tour from the British Museum to educate people across the continents about their ancient civilization.

“Stop Erasing Hong Kong's History”

  25 January 2013

To prevent Hong Kong's government from destroying public records, citizens call for legislation to protect public archives and the citizens' right to access government information. As one of the supporter puts it, "a place without history is always a colony," and Hong Kong should be decolonized by efficiently documenting the city's own history.

Parallels Between Religious and Copyright Wars

  24 January 2013

Rick Falkvinge, the founder of Pirate Party, reinterprets the wars of religion that devastated Western Europe in the XVI and XVII centuries in terms of the current struggle to control information through overbearing legislation related to copyright and freedom of expression: The religious wars were never about religion as such....

Turkish President's Letter To Bangladesh Denounced

  20 January 2013

Last month Turkish President Abdullah Gül sent a letter to the president of Bangladesh requesting for “clemency” of the accused Islamist leaders who are under trial for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. There has been a lot of reactions online and offline against the letter and the visit of a Turkish delegation to investigate the trial.

Rajoelina Steps Aside for Madagascar's Presidential Race

  20 January 2013

With interim president Rajoelina announcing that he withdraws from a bid to run for the presidential elections following a similar announcement by former President Ravalomanana in December 2012, Malagasy people are likely to have a new president in 2013, provided that elections take place as planned in the electoral agenda. Many of the observers are skeptical about the elections timeline in light of the statements of Rajoelina after his announcement and his wishes to change the electoral agenda.

Gabon to Mali: History of French Military Interventions in Africa

  18 January 2013

The French military intervention in Mali, known as Operation Serval started on January 11 following the advance of terrorists groups towards Bamako. Lauded by a substantial part of the Malian population and many outside observers, the military intervention diverts, however, from the non-interventionist line professed by French President Hollande in Africa.

Brazil's World Cup Construction Threatens Indigenous “Living Museum”

  16 January 2013

About six years ago, the abandoned building of the First Museum of the Indian, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil turned into a “living museum” and became home to several different indigenous communities. On the morning of January 12, 2013, the military police arrived ready to evict the community. Activists soon arrived on the scene.

Belize, St. Vincent: Garifuna Culture

  16 January 2013

…the Garifuna language, which integrates Arawak and Carib, and which was declared a ‘masterpiece of the oral intangible heritage of humanity’ by UNESCO in 2001, is severely threatened. It possesses forms and structures used exclusively by males, and is the only survivor of the island languages descended from Arawakan. In...

Oral History Of The Indian Constitution

  13 January 2013

Rohit De at ‘Law And Other Things’ informs that journalist, blogger and writer Sidin Vadukut has uploaded a series of podcasts on the oral history of the Indian constitution, beginning with the reforms of 1858.

2012: A Year of Revolt and Social Change in Francophone Countries: Part 1 of 2

  11 January 2013

The year 2012 was marked by armed conflicts in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. There were elections in Senegal, Quebec and France, while demonstrations for change took place in Chad, Madagascar and Togo. Debates raged on issues such as immigration, the economic crisis and equality in marriage laws. This is the first part of a review of the year 2012 in Francophone countries.

Students Revisit the Unique Link between Corsica and Puerto Rico

  10 January 2013

Puerto Rico and Corsica (France) share a common bond that is often revisited by an exchange program led by the university of Puerto Rico [fr]. Notwithstanding their similar geographic and agricultural traits (Cultivation of Corsican Citron), the islands are also link by history when hundreds of Corsicans immigrated to Puerto Rico as early...