Stories about South Asia from March, 2007
India: Flower-Lane
A flower market in photographs at Trivial Matters. “A kaleidoscope for your senses. Dadar Phulgalli [flower-lane] takes your traditional Bombay smells of sweat, toil, paint, iron and turns them into the smell of marigolds.. Wipe your brow and you find petals in addition to sweat.”
India: On the shariah
Indian Muslims on the shariah, law, state and culture. “I firmly believe that in this present day world shariah laws cannot be enforced on people because Muslim society in general has diverted away from religion. Concepts which invite death punishment in Islam are now acceptable in many cultures, like live...
Pakistan: On Rawalpindi
Light Within on the history of Rawalpindi. “The bustling city of Rawalpindi has a lot more to offer than a traffic mess, broken roads and haze-filled atmosphere. The city’s history spreads over several millennia. Archaeologists believe that a distinct culture flourished on this plateau even 3,000 years ago.”
Bangladesh: On Hizbut Tahrir
Rezwan on the Hizbut Tahrir. “Hizbut Tahrir, a global student organization which is very active among UK (including Bangladeshi community there) established their base in Bangladesh a few years ago. They could so far infiltrate in many high profile public and private Universities of the country and could motivate many...
Bangladesh: The death of a Grandfather
Sajeeb Wazed (also the grandson of one of Bangladesh's founding fathers – Sheikh Mujibur Rehman) writes an account of the killing of his grandfather and other family members due to political reasons. “Mohiuddin and his cohorts killed the security guards and made their way into the house. They confronted my...
India: Reservations, Law, Bollywood and Peanuts
So far this month the major topic of discussion in virtual India was the world cup cricket match in the West Indies. Now that India was unceremoniously bowled out of the world cup, bloggers have turned their attention to other issues. Yesterday the Indian Supreme Court temporarily stopped the implementation...
Hindi Blogosphere: Hi-tech Blogger Meet and Match Making over Blogs!
Its no use telling that I've been quite busy off late with some unexpected emergency at office & the usual banter!! ;) So without much ado, lets have a peek into the world of Hindi blogging & know whats going on there!! Shrish asked some frequently questions from the Inscript...
India: The mother of two children
Motherhood and two children at The Mad Momma. “I held her against my chest and made him put his head down in my lap and comforted both and tried to fight the sense of utter despair. How would I protect one from the other without destroying one? She is so...
Nepal: On Monarchy and Monarchs
Khatmandu Speaks responds to a comment made at Global Voices Online on the issue of monarchy in Nepal. “You don't know how he runs his businesses. He manipulates the state mechanism to avoid taxes among other things. Stories of vehicles lost in the country of manufacture- to being sold to...
Pakistan: A harsh look
Behind the Chairman's Door takes a harsh look at Pakistan. “In Pakistan, the only goal is to get more money, no matter it be by honest or dishonest means. The traffic police take bribes to not write a citation. The city police take bribes to register cases, real or false....
India, Bangladesh: Lessons from Nandigram
Unheard Voices takes a look at the violence in Nandigram in India. “What is remarkable in this tragedy is the arrogant attitudes and brutal actions of a government that is democratically-elected and that is filled with nominal socialists and communists. In true deshi fashion, the police forces’ brutality has been...
Bangladesh: Development Against All Odds
Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Bideshi Blond provides the relevant statistics proving the claim. Being a developing country with limited resources it is really tough to take the country forward. No wonder many development activities are being carried out by the government and...
India: Feminism and Bangles
Jag's Blog points out to the ways that people take to insulting the cricketers who didn't make it to the World Cup. In this case they were shown as wearing bangles. “Does it mean that those who wear bangles – women – are … what? Useless? Incapable? Weak? Unskilled? Unable...
India: Women Sufis
Indian Muslims on women sufis in and from Delhi. “Among the other early women mystics are Umm Haram whose tomb is in Cyprus, Rabia bint Ismail of Syria, Muadha al Adaiyya of Syria, Nafisa of Mecca, Zainab and Ishi Nili of Persia. These women made major contributions to the vitality...
Sri Lanka: Women and Work
True Sri Lankan adds his take on the issue of women with children below the age of five years not being allowed to seek employment abroad. “This is a careful line to tread and I believe that the ban while solving some problems will only increase other problems such as,...
Pakistan: Dangerous Construction
Metroblogging Islamabad points out how unregulated construction activity is dangerous. “The death of an Indian national in a traffic accident caused by the construction of an underpass at Islamabad's China Chowk is tragic. Regrettably, it has taken a death for the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the local administration to...
Pakistan: What's the news?
the olive ream takes a gut-splittingly funny look at News. “A ministerial committee met recently, in essence, to declare war. Eight months in arrears. Apparently Ehud Olmert, apart from all his other screw-ups, also forgot to officially declare war last July. The first Lebanon war was classified ‘Operation Peace for...
Haiti, India: Becoming a local
Haitian blogger Pascale Doresca reflects [Fr] on the ways she is settling into life in India: “For while now I have not found the time to write, to be moved or to be shocked by India. Maybe it finally happened. Although I didn't see it coming, I am now from...
France: Line Crossed in the Hunt for Immigrants
(photo via broyez) Here is a sombering follow-up to the post regarding the hunt for illegal immigrants and their following arrests in France. It seems that things have gotten worst in a hurry with the French presidential elections fast-approaching. Series of sudden arrests prompted many French people to take action...
India: Qualitative Research and Blogs
Conversations with Dina discusses if blogs will kill focus groups in qualitative research. “Because blog conversations are viral on the other hand, and often there is no way of ‘checking’ back on the demographics. Its difficult for an ‘outsider’ (read marketer who isn't into blogging) to trust this conversation then,...
Sri Lanka: Cycles of a wartime blogosphere
cerno isn't impressed with the Sri Lankan Blogosphere's opinions on the ongoing conflict. “Perhaps we might spot the rarest beast in the Sri Lankan blogosphere: a discussion on how badly the rulers of the north and south need this war for their survival. And the sheer absurdity of expecting them...
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