Stories about South Asia from April, 2008
Nepal: Holi Festival
Nepali Photo blog PHALANO.com posts pictures of the Holi or Fagu festival, an important festival of the Nepalese people, which is celebrated by smearing Abeer (red vermilion powder) and throwing colour and water-filled balloons at each other.
Sri Lanka: Status Symbol
“Your degree of access to an air conditioned environment indicates how close (or far away) you are to the vast underclass of permanent poverty,” comments Cerno on third world’s biggest status symbol -Air Conditioning.
Pakistan: A Filmmaker’s Perspective
CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan interviews Mehreen Jabbar, a Pakistani filmmaker for her perspectives on Pakistan and thoughts on her film, based on a true story of a Pakistani Hindu boy and his father.
India: Cricket without substance
After watching a cricket match of Indian Premier League in Chennai Kartik Kannan comments that its “all fun and no substance”.
Bangladesh: women's equality vs. religion
Tahmina Shafique writes on the recently announced women’s development policy in Bangladesh which has triggered religious protests by Islamist groups and forced a retreat by the government on rights issued by the constitution.
Bhutan: Photographer’s Paradise
Richard Ishida, a world renowned web designer based in UK writes after visiting Bhutan: “The whole country is a photographer’s paradise. The dzongs and monasteries are all beautiful. But so are the people. So calm and friendly.”
Sri Lanka: Solution to the Ethnic Conflict
The Titular Republic writes in Groundviews giving an insight into the ongoing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka: “The fundamental cause for this conflict is the perception by one race that the other race was privileged; there was a general perception racial inequality was prevalent…and for the ethnic conflict to be...
India, Pakistan: Review of ‘Khuda Ke Liye’
Pass the Roti on the Left Side reviews the internationally acclaimed Pakistani movie ‘Khuda Ke Liye‘ (For God's Sake), which was recently released in Indian Theaters.
Bangladesh: Motivation for Corruption
Asif Anwar at Ideas for Brighter Bangladesh opines that corruption cannot be prevented by law, rather it should be discouraged: “Corruption is motivated from the aspirations for ‘better life’. Remove the ‘better’ from ‘life’ or both, you would never be motivated.“
India: Rongali Bihu Festival
Anita Bora of Just a little something blog was in Assam during this year's Rongali Bihu and posts some photos. Rongali Bihu Festival takes place on the onset of the Assamese New Year and is celebrated with food and dance for several days.
Pakistan: All about security
The security frenzy in the city has Metroblogging Islamabad telling a story about how innocent walks and lunches are viewed with suspicion.
India: Food in Bolivia
30 in 2005 goes to Bolivia and samples the culinary delights.
India: Teaching them about reservation
nanopolitan on how the school textbooks in India deal with the issue of reservations.
Bhutan: Lost in Democracy
Lost in Democracy, an online documentary about how Bhutan is coping with westernization and its transition to a democratic state.
Pakistan: A deal with militants
Five Rupees asks some questions about the deal just made with Mehsud's militants in Pakistan.
PangeaDay: Videos to change the world on May 10th
On May 10th 2008 at 18:00 GMT, 24 films will be broadcast during a 4 hour event. What makes this different is that this event, PangeaDay will be broadcast from six locations worldwide in seven different languages worldwide to be viewed through internet, television or cellphones with one unique purpose: to make each other know about the lives of others and focus on what makes us similar, instead of what makes us different and let us work together towards peace.
India: Education and Schooling
Sudipta's Life takes a closer look at one's schooling experience, to explore what is wrong with the education system.
Sri Lanka: Censoring the war
Free Media Sri Lanka on the government barring photographers from entering hospitals where soldiers injured in battle are being treated.
Sri Lanka: Ethnicity and Sentiment
groundviews explores the issue of ethnicity as a subjective group sentiment – delving into the idea of being Tamil or Sinhalese in Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh: Cheerleader trouble
The new cricket league – IPL in India has its share of teething troubles. One of them being the imported cheerleaders that some politicians find too vulgar for their taste. More at a bengali in TO.
Pakistan: Food crisis and electricity
CHUP! on the food crisis in Pakistan – and one of the main reasons is the shortage of power.
About our South Asia coverage
