· August, 2012

Stories about South Asia from August, 2012

India: Dowry And The Boys

Nitisha Pandey at Youth Ki Awaaz discusses the current market rates for grooms in India and asks:

Does a boy’s parents’ give him good education only to get a handsome dowry?

31 August 2012

Pakistan: Conflicting Reports in #SaveRimsha Blasphemy Case

The blasphemy law in Pakistan has been the focus of a heated debate yet again, after a minor christian girl named Rimsha was accused of blasphemy and was sent to jail. There have been a few conflicting reports about the case, and the most significant one being a picture of a girl being used, that has now become the face of the #SaveRimsha campaign.

31 August 2012

Pakistan: Long Road to Peace and Security

As Pakistan enters its 66th year of Independence, it is a good time to take stock of the security situation within the country - in order to understand what role the nation will continue to play in the overall security and stability of the region.

29 August 2012

India: Social Media Blamed for Fueling Assam Unrest

'A temporary ban was put on bulk SMS and MMS. Local police swung into action and began arresting people forwarding ‘hate' SMS examples. Social media sites were warned to monitor and remove inflammatory content. About 310 webpages were blocked.'

23 August 2012

Vibrant Maldives Eid Celebrations – Despite the Political Wrangling

When the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of the Maldives announced that the 2012 morning Eid prayers in the capital Malé were to be celebrated in an open space, it created much controversy and debate. The news was met with skepticism from people who saw it as a political publicity stunt to show numbers, as support for the ruling government.

22 August 2012

India: Assam Riots – Truth Vs Hype

In July, clashes between indigenous Bodo tribes and Muslim settlers in the Indian State of Assam broke out which lead to riots, killings and mass displacement. After almost a month the situation is yet to calm down as politicians and organisations on both sides resorted to spread fear and exaggerated claims on the issue of illegal migration.

19 August 2012

India: Bullying in Educational Institutions

Mahitha Kasireddi at Youth Ki Awaaz writes about a perennial social problem in Indian higher secondary education and beyond. Ragging or abuse/bullying of the freshers has become a culture in...

19 August 2012

India: Pictures of Varalakshmi Vratham Festival

Anuradha Shankar posts a photo essay on the Varalakshmi Vratham (a festival to propitiate the goddess Lakshmi), which is popular in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamilnadu.

17 August 2012

Nepal: KFC and Pizza Hut closed in Nepal

Chandan Sapkota informs that the closure of KFC and Pizza Hut in Nepal due to militancy shown by ad-hoc committee of All Nepal Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union-Revolutionary (ANHRWU-R) will...

17 August 2012

Pakistan: Shia Target Killings Continue

On August 16, 2012, gunmen stopped a passenger bus in Mansehra, pulled 20 Shia Muslims off and killed them in cold blood. This is the third incident of targeted killing against the Shia community in Pakistan in the last 6 months. A netizen comments: "Imagine if the first target killing incident in #Pakistan was dealt with judiciously, we would not have been mourning #gilgit today!"

16 August 2012

Pakistan: Attack on Military Base in Kamra

In the early hours of August 16, 2012, gunmen launched an attack on Minhas, a high value air force base located in Kamra, near the capital Islamabad in Pakistan. After a fierce battle that lasted five hours, Pakistan's military was able to regain control of the base.

16 August 2012

Pakistan: Economics And Secularism

Ayusyha Khanna at Pak Tea House argues that if Pakistan truly wants to realize its potential as far as economic performance is concerned, then it should adopt secularism to create...

14 August 2012

Bhutan: Women Talents Galore

Tenziniesta at Writers Association Of Bhutan Blog celebrates the recent feats of women in Bhutan. For the the first time a female Dzongda was elected and the Supreme Court of...

14 August 2012

About our South Asia coverage

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