Stories about South Asia
Islamophobic post on Facebook leads to deadly violence in Bangalore
India experiences another episode of real-life violence triggered by online hate speech.
Natives’ or ‘outsiders'? A mob attack in Meghalaya throws questions of belonging into sharp relief
The ethnic tensions of Meghalaya – and many more of India's north-eastern states – can be traced back to the 'outsider' narrative.
Is India's digital ID system, Aadhaar, a tech solution for a socio-economic problem?
The world's largest biometric ID system was intended to provide a technological solution to socio-economic problems; instead, it has further ostracised marginal and vulnerable communities.
A rare, golden turtle — first of its kind — discovered in Nepal
The recent discovery of a yellow turtle in India drew a lot of attention, but it's not the first time one has been spotted.
In Pakistan, a man accused of blasphemy was shot dead in a courtroom. His killer was hailed as a hero.
Extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy aren't uncommon in Pakistan.
Calls, SMS, and radio: How pre-internet tech helps low-income children's schooling in India's lockdown
An award-winning non-profit start-up from the city of Cuttack, in the state of Odisha, is providing low-cost remote education to over 5,000 children from 400 villages.
Moderate globally, impact locally: A series on content moderation in the Global South
''Even as the platforms have grown and spread around the world, the center of gravity of these debates continues to revolve around D.C. and San Francisco.''
Journalist's abduction raises concerns about media freedom in Pakistan
On July 21, renowned Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan was abducted in Islamabad. Though he was released about 12 hours after, fingers are being pointed at state security agencies.
Sri Lankan wildlife threatened by poaching during the pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, rising unemployment has been linked to the surge in illegal wildlife poaching.
‘Invisible hands': How millions of domestic workers fare under COVID-19
"We are the invisible hands. Our work is not valued. We don’t exist for the families we serve nor do we exist for the state."
Construction of first Hindu temple in Islamabad faces opposition
The construction of the first Hindu temple in Islamabad was stopped after protests from different quarters, but rights activists and minority politicians are hopeful that the temple will be built.
#BlackLivesMatter resonates in South Asia as Unilever drops ‘Fair’ from ‘Fair & Lovely’ cosmetic line
In the wake of the Black Lives Matters movement, Unilever announced that they would rebrand their leading skin care product ‘Fair & Lovely’ to 'Glow and Lovely'.
The state of LGBTQ+ rights in India: An interview with Supreme Court Advocate Saurabh Kirpal
Global Voices interviewed Saurabh Kirpal, a Supreme Court advocate, to find out the state of LGBTQI+ rights in India two years after the country decriminalized homosexual acts.
Indian activists publish the first online magazine in the Santali language
Language activists from the eastern Indian state of Odisha have recently published the very first online magazine in the Santali language.
COVID-19 leads to closure of popular bookshops in Bangladesh
"There are so many second-hand books with probably no more copies in the world… many valuable documents of Bengali literary culture will be lost like this."
Indians create awareness with #DalitLivesMatter
Inspired by the activity of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Indians are paying attention to one of the country's most disadvantaged populations.
India bans TikTok, 58 other apps amid rising anti-China sentiment, border clashes
The border clashes and the stand-off between India and China reached naught after India decided to ban video-creation platform TikTok and 58 other apps due to “security issues”.
India's digital ID system deepens exclusion of vulnerable communities amid pandemic
The use of Aadhaar-based authentication makes exclusions more likely.
Students arrested for demanding internet facilities in Balochistan
A number of students were manhandled, baton-charged and arrested in Quetta, Balochistan, for protesting against non-availability of internet after their classes shifted online due to COVID-19 restrictions.
WHO urges Pakistan to reimpose lockdown after surge in cases
Pakistan has implemented new lockdown restrictions after a letter from the WHO urged the country to improve testing and control outbreak numbers.
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