Stories about India from December, 2013
Contemplating Nelson Mandela's Legacy in South Asia
"Nepali leaders have a lot to learn from Mandela's statesmanship, integrity, and lack of political ambition."
An Open Letter to Arvind Kejriwal
Satire blog AmreekanDesi writes an open letter to the newly elected chief minister of Delhi, anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal: Now that you’ve given us this hope, please don’t let us down. Please don’t become another party that goes giddy with the prospect of power. Please don’t become a party that...
PHOTOS: Humans Of South Asia
"It reminds me to love and respect everybody-- something many people here tend to have forgotten."
Impact Of Social Media In The Delhi Elections
Prior to the Delhi Legislative Assembly election (4 December 2013) the Delhi Election Commission vowed to monitor the social media for political campaigns looking for breach of model code of conduct by the candidates. However the commission later said that there were loopholes in monitoring and it is virtually “impossible”...
“Dekh Le” – Reminding How Men Look at Women In Public Places
Whistling Woods International (WWI), an institute for studies in film, media and fashion, released a YouTube video on December 16, 2013, exactly a year after the much talked about rape case in Delhi to aware people to think, reflect & act on violence against women. Vinaya Naidu at Lighthouse Insights...
River Yamuna Needs Its Own Manifesto
Yamuna, the only major river flowing through Delhi is deteriorating in health over the decades. In the recent Delhi Assembly elections major political parties mentioned Yamuna saving plan in their election manifesto. South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (sandrp) blog analyzes these manifestos and suggests that the parties...
Despite Passage of India's Anti-Corruption Lokpal Bill, Public Mistrust Remains
The bill in its current form is disputed as toothless and has serious loopholes, which puts the complainant in a disadvantageous position.
Don't Just Retweet Blood Donation Requests. Donate!
Dr. Roshan Radhakrishnan at Godyears asserts the importance of donating blood and wonders about the fate of all the blood request retweets in his Twitter timeline: Does anyone ever come to the aid of those tweets? Do you honestly know anyone who has seen a retweet and taken a break...
Without Regulation, India's Domestic Workers Face Low Pay and Other Abuses
The dramatic arrest of India's deputy consul in New York Devyani Khobragade on charges of visa fraud for overstating the wages of her housekeeper has renewed concern for domestic workers.
Indian Diplomat Devyani Khobragade's Arrest, Strip Search Earn Apology from US
US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly expressed regret in a phone call to India's National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon over how the arrest of Devyani Khobragade was handled.
Why Homosexuality Should Be Encouraged in India
Amit at Mashed Musings thinks that the decriminalization of homosexuality would have turned Indians into better humans over the coming decades and would solve a lot of problems like overpopulation, lesser dowry deaths, fewer female foeticide, etc. The Indian Supreme court recently reversed a Delhi High Court judgment and reinstated...
Aam Admi Party Emerges As A Cleaner Option In Indian Politics
The new political party led by anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal is making waves in Indian political arena after it emerged as the second largest party in Delhi Assembly Polls.
100 Awesome Things From The Indian 90′s
Blogger and SEO expert Mani Karthik takes a trip down the memory lane and lists 100 things an average Indian cherished during the 1990s.
Gay Sex is Once Again Illegal, India's Supreme Court Rules
"I was not a criminal yesterday, today I'm one. I intend to remain one. Wont ask for lordships permission before loving."
India Loves Gold. So Why Did Actress Rima Kallingal Get Married Without It?
"I want to use this beautiful life that I have...to send out my strong vote of protest against the dowry system that we still shamelessly and silently follow."
Jurrat – Marking First Anniversary of the Delhi Gang-rape
From 10-16th December Jurrat (courage), a campaign on violence against women, is marking the anniversary of the heinous Delhi gang rape. One year ago a 23-year old medical student was gang-raped in a Delhi bus. A mobile music concert by Swaang (a Mumbai based theatre and protest music group) and...
Awareness Helps You Clean Indian Streets… Guaranteed!
Blogger Atanu Dey argues that to keep the locally produced garbage out of Indian streets you have got to make it culturally unacceptable to throw trash everywhere. Combined with efforts like assigning places to deposit garbage, ensuring regular garbage collection and some punitive actions for littering, the authorities can make...
High-Profile Editor Tarun Tejpal Accused of Sexually Assaulting Young Reporter
Tejpal is editor-in-chief for Indian magazine Tehelka, known for its groundbreaking investigative journalism and coverage of issues such as corruption and sexual violence.