· April, 2009

Stories about India from April, 2009

India: TEDIndia Fellows program

  30 April 2009

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...

India: Not On The Voter List

  30 April 2009

“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.

India: The Maoists-Naxalites And The Threat To Democracy

  30 April 2009

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...

The Conflict In Sri Lanka And The Indian Elections

  29 April 2009

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

  28 April 2009

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...

Indian Elections 2009: God and Country

  28 April 2009

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...

Indian Elections '09: On the Black Money trail

  27 April 2009

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.

Global Health: Swine Flu Threat Spreads Worldwide

  27 April 2009

Confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu, which was detected in Mexico earlier this month, have now been found in at least seven other countries around the world. The World Health Organization says that this outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern."

South Asia: Coping With The Heat And The Rolling Blackouts

  26 April 2009

Heatwaves during this time of year is not uncommon for countries in South Asia. But the recent dry weather has kept sufficient rain away from the region keeping the mercury rising. And load shedding (rolling electricity blackouts) due to power crisis in several countries have made the lives of millions of people unbearable.

Russia: Baymurat (aka Jimmy) Singing Bollywood Song

  25 April 2009

Videos of a rendition of a Bollywood song by Baymurat (aka Jimmy) – an ethnic Uzbek from Tajikistan, a gastarbeiter in a town near Moscow, and a YouTube celebrity: one of the earlier versions is here, and the performance at Asian Dub Foundation's April 4 gig in St. Petersburg, Russia...

India: Why Recycle When You Can Precycle?

  24 April 2009

India Climate Solution blog presents a new idea: “They have coined a word ‘Precycle’ to promote simple lifestyle based on refusal to buy any time that you can do without. Why buy a packaged grocery and then throw away the packaging material while you could perhaps go in for unpacked...

India: The Fake IPL Blogger

  23 April 2009

Arnab of Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind comments on the fake IPL blogger, who has created a lot more buzz in India than the original IPL (Indian Cricket Premier League) itself.

India: India Bloggers Directory

  23 April 2009

Rajesh Lalwani informs that the first edition of the India Bloggers Directory, a pocket guide to Indian blogs, will be published soon. “The book will also have a select listing of Twitter users from India.”, he adds. If you are an Indian blogger, you can submit your details here.

Indian Elections '09: Where The Shoe Pinches

  23 April 2009

When Muntadhar al-Zaidi hurled his shoes at the then US President George Bush, little did he know that his method of getting a point across would soon become viral across continents. In India too, the trend seems to have caught on. For indeed, the humble footwear has become the preferred...