Stories about South Asia from April, 2009
India: TEDIndia Fellows program
The TED Conference is now accepting applications for 100 TEDIndia Fellows to participate in the TEDIndia Conference in Mysore, India. Approximately 75% of the Fellows will represent the South Asian region, and 25% will represent other regions of the world. For information about how to apply please visit this and...
Bangladesh: Value Achievements Not The Ancestry
Citing the example of Dr. Atiur Rahman, the newly appointed governor of the central Bank of Bangladesh who made a life out of nothing, Shada Kalo urges Bangladeshis to stop the practice of “inferring the quality of a human being based on his or her family background.”
India: Not On The Voter List
“There are many I know who won’t be able to vote because their name is not on the electoral rolls”, wrote Rajesh Jain in his blog. Later during the day when the blogger went to vote in South Mumbai, he found that his name was missing in the Voter list.
Bhutan: Flood Threat
Tshering Tobgay reports that the river Gotu-chu, a tributary of the Pho-chu river had swollen which could trigger a possible flood downstream along the Pho-chu and Punasang-chu rivers in Bhutan. The blogger comments: “We now know that we are ‘not prepared’ to handle a flood in Punasang-chu.”
Sri Lanka: Living In Fear
Indi.ca sheds a light on the lives of Tamils in Colombo as some of them are living in fear of being arrested for questioning without prior charges. The bloggers comments: “Perhaps this is necessary in the short-term (this being my lifetime) but it’s important to remember that this is a...
India: The Maoists-Naxalites And The Threat To Democracy
On 16th of April, 2009, just as the Indian elections began, the Maoists attacked police and poll booths in Latehar district of the eastern state of Jharkhand in India. Words From Solitude provides background of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its factions and the naxalite movement to understand...
Israel: ‘Slumdog’ Star Films Movie About Palestinians and Israelis
Frieda Pinto, the female star of Slumdog Millionaires, is in Israel preparing for a film about the interconnected lives of Palestinian and Israeli women from the founding of Israel through modern times. Checkpoint Jerusalem has the story.
Pakistan: Pak Voices
Pak Voices is a crisis reporting tool for Pakistan based on the Ushahidi engine. The website is mapping the recent unrest in Karachi city. “Submitted incidents will appear online [pending approval]” reports Dr. Awab in his twitter account.
Bangladesh: Summer Pickles
Its hot and humid in Bangladesh now and the perfect season for hot and sour pickles. Dhaka Dweller Shahnaz shares her recipes for Mango pickles and posts mouth watering pictures.
Pakistan: This Is Not Islam
Pakistani blogger Faisal K. at Deadpan Thoughts questioned an enlightened scholar of Islam to confirm that what the Talibans are preaching is “hardly the Islam brought by the Quran and taught by the Prophet through his teachings.”
The Conflict In Sri Lanka And The Indian Elections
Madhu at Indian Election 2009 blog comments: “Tamil Nadu elections have been hijacked by the conflict in Sri lanka, all the political parties raise this issue and only this issue.” The blog also reports that the hunger strike of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr. Karunanidhi was an alleged ploy...
India: Showing The Middle Finger
Über Desi reports that according to “a new ruling by The Election Commission of India, voting officials in certain polling stations are now marking middle fingers with the purple ink, instead of index fingers.” This has sent vibes across many bloggers who are trying to analyze what the voters are...
Nepal: Politics of Energy
Nepali Perspectives comments on the failed power supply deal between India and Nepal: “Nepal’s.. interest will be best served by ensuring energy security and being self reliant in the matters of energy – from our own water resource.”
India: A Peek Into The Young Voters
Kamla Bhatt profiles an young voter from Trivandrum, Kerala to understand who the young voters of the Indian elections 2009 are and what are their issues.
India: Analysis Of Elections 2009 – Phase 2
Offstumped Campaign for Elections 2009 provides an analysis of the second phase of the Indian elections 2009.
Indian Elections 2009: God and Country
The ongoing elections in India have exposed deep fractures in the country's religious landscape. Blogs are buzzing with allegations and counter allegations of religious persecutions in the land where you can find devotee of every major religion in the world. Persecution of Christians is a hot topic among Indian and foreign...
Pakistan: Death Penalty Mandatory for Blasphemy
KO blog reports that according to a new law in Pakistan penal code, death penalty is now mandatory for blasphemy convicts.
Sri Lanka: Provincial Council Election Results
Lanka Libertarian posts updates of the results of the elections of the Western Provincial Council in Sri Lanka.
India: Why Vote For Congress?
Harini Calamur at the Point Of View gives logic why she is voting for the Congress Party in the Indian Elections 2009.
Bangladesh: Ramakrishna Temple in Dhaka
MysticSaint at Inspirations and Creative Thoughts visited the Ramakrishna Temple of Dhaka and wrote about Sri Sri Ramakrishna (February 18, 1836 – August 16, 1886), a remarkable mystic saint of Bengal.
Indian Elections '09: On the Black Money trail
Black money stashed away in overseas tax havens/secret Swiss bank accounts - is not a new topic in India. However, the very same topic is generating quite a bit of heat in the ongoing parliamentary Elections in India. The Indian blogosphere weighs on the issue.
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