· November, 2013

Stories about South Asia from November, 2013

A Durian Village In Sri Lanka

  30 November 2013

In Southern parts of Sri Lanka the cultivation of Durian, regarded by many in southeast Asia as the “king of fruits”, is becoming popular as it has export demands. The Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps to commercially cultivate Durian, reports Ajith Parakum Jayasinghe. A 30-acre Durian village...

Brain Drain Or Brain Save

  24 November 2013

Indrajit Samarajiva refutes the notion that Sri Lankan talents invariably end up migrating in a foreign nation resulting in brain drain. In fact talent is there among: Not only professionals but also many innovative village youth who would be National assets elsewhere, unseen and unrecognized in Sri Lanka. The issue...

Sri Lanka: Debate On Legalizing Sex as a Profession

  24 November 2013

“Sex work finds its place in the underbelly of most societies, more so in conservative cultures like that of Sri Lanka,” comments Shilpa Samaratunge at Groundviews. The question remains whether the sex workers can demand their rights confronting stigma.

Bangladesh: Is Restorative Justice the Best Way Forward?

  19 November 2013

In the backdrop of Bangladesh’s violent history of birth, ongoing violent political practices, and high rates of homicide, mob violence, neighborhood/street violence, violent labor unrests, family violence and intimate partner violence, the need for restorative justice is paramount. Without an intervening model aimed at resolution, we will remain a nation...

Bhutan's Hydroelectric Projects and a Kingfisher

  18 November 2013

The Bhutanese people are slowly beginning to realize that the hydropower projects will, over time, not only ruin our environment but will also be the cause of the loss of our nationhood. Yeshey Dorji, a photographer in Bhutan,  visited Berti, Zhemgang, in search of the white-bellied herons that are under...

Discovering the Bouquinistes of Colombo

  17 November 2013

Paris may be famous for its bouquinistes, stalls selling second hand and antiquarian books lining the banks of the River Seine, but Colombo also has them. They don’t line the banks of the Beira Lake and tourists seldom find them but they are invaluable for the traveller. In this lovely...

Tendulkar's Retirement: ‘Cricket Will Never Be the Same’

  16 November 2013

In some ways my feelings towards Tendulkar were ambivalent and they oscillated between love and dislike, depending whether he was playing against Pakistan or not! Whereas the feeling has oscillated, my respect and admiration for Tendulkar both as a great cricketer and a human have always remained constant. […] Today...

India: Sixty Million Diabetics And Growing

  15 November 2013

With over 60 million diabetics [pdf] and another estimated 77 million people being considered pre-diabetic, India is caught in the throes of a diabetes crisis. On World Diabetes Day on November 14, India renewed its pledge to fight the growing diabetes menace in the country. Writer and blogger Prem Rao...

Infographic: Pakistan's Failing Education System

  13 November 2013

Sixty-nine percent of women and 50 percent of men in Pakistan cannot read or write according to Alif Ailaan (A for announcement), an alliance for education reform leading a communication campaign in the country. Only 67 percent of Pakistani girls and 81 per cent of boys go to primary school,...

About our South Asia coverage

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