· January, 2010

Stories about South Asia from January, 2010

Sri Lanka: ‘Lanka E news’ Banned

  30 January 2010

Journalists For Democracy In Sri Lanka blog informs that “the office of the ‘Lanka e news’, a prominent news website operating from Sri Lanka, has been sealed off by the authorities. [..] Two days before the elections, another regular contributor to the website, Prageeth Eknalogoda, went missing.”

Pakistan: Depleting Water Resources

  30 January 2010

Owais Mughal at All Things Pakistan discusses about the depleting water resources of Pakistan and urges the decision makers to “invest in Pakistan’s Water Resources for the stability of the country and the region.”

Bangladesh: A Trial Ends After 34 Years – Closure At Last?

  29 January 2010

Bangladesh authorities executed five ex-army officers for their role in the 1975 assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - the country's independence leader and its first President. Bloggers share their reactions on the long awaited trial and the method of punishment.

Sri Lanka: Latest Updates On Twitter

  28 January 2010

“The short window for freedom of expression is now closed. It is unclear when and to what extent it will open again. #srilanka #lka” reads one Tweet by the Sri Lankan citizen media site Groundviews. Follow the Twitter account of Groundviews for more latest info.

Pakistan: In Search Of A Pakistani Identity

  28 January 2010

In a recent survey three quarters of Pakistani youth viewed themselves as Muslims first, Pakistani second. Raza Rumi talks about the identity crisis of the Pakistani younger generation, which deviates from the views of the founding father of the nation.

South Asia: The Dream Of Visa-less, Peaceful Coexistence

  28 January 2010

Pakistani blogger Raza Rumi attended the SAARC folklore festival held in Chandigarh, India and commented: “It will take years, perhaps decades, but the dream for a visa-less, peacefully coexistent countries of South Asia will be realized. We will wait, but not give up.”

India: I want my country back, says Munna

  27 January 2010

Environmental blogger Hemant Anant Jain aka Munna, writes a thought-provoking post on 26th January, the nation's 61st Republic Day, urging people to look beyond the commercial “growing market” tag and work towards restoring the rich environmental heritage of the amazing country that is India.

Sri Lanka: Presidential Election Results Online

  26 January 2010

Lanka Libertarian will start to update the district-wise results of today's Sri Lankan presidential election as soon as they are gradually published. The Sri Lankan election department website will update the official results.

Sri Lanka: Election Irregularities

  26 January 2010

Indrajit Samarajiva at Indi.ca comments that with the presence of election monitors and somewhat independent election commission, rigging elections in Sri Lanka is tough. However: “the main method of influencing elections is intimidation, and that’s what’s going on.” Read his reports on explosions in Jaffna and irregularities in Batticaloa.

Nepal: Renewed Focus On Indo-Nepal Relations

  26 January 2010

Following two high profile visits from New Delhi-Foreign Minister S.M Krishna and Army Chief Deepak Kapoor, the India Nepal relation is being discussed with renewed vigor in both Indian and Nepali blogs.

India: The Dak Harkara

  25 January 2010

There was a time in Indian subcontinent when the Dak Harkaras (Post runners) ran 8-10 miles in each direction and back to carry letters and news. Maddy looks back at the golden age of the only type of postal service available in those days.

No IPL Transmission In Pakistan

  24 January 2010

Spring Of Autumn reports that the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan will not show any match of Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket because they felt that Pakistani players were deliberately excluded from the tournament.

Sri Lanka: Tamils And Democracy

  22 January 2010

Lankanyyz at Musings from Toronto explains the reason for the claim that the Tamils in Sri Lanka don't have a voice: “the Tamil population don't have a strong political presence to represent them democratically.”

Bhutan, China: Of Cyber And Border Wars

  22 January 2010

With quiet diplomacy and tact the tiny Himalayan state Bhutan took on giant China over encroachment and border issues recently. The Bhutanese officials and netizens are usually cautious to protest these issues with China, the powerful neighbor, but some netizens are voicing their dissent anonymously or under pseudonyms.

About our South Asia coverage

Rezwan
Rezwan is the South Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.