Stories about South Asia from March, 2007
Sri Lanka: Terrorism and Communication
indi.ca reflects on the recent LTTE attack on an airport. “When I say terrorism as communication, I mean that terrorists don’t usually occupy land as much as media. Al Qaeda didn’t start any occupation of New York with 9/11, but they have occupied the media from Fox News to clerical...
Bangladesh: Perils of Tourism
Unheard Voices points to the experience of tourism in other countries and warns of similar consequences in Bangladesh. “I fear Bangladesh faces similar fate like the neighboring countries as tourism develops there unless measures are in place to deter child sex trade catered to foreign tourists. Based on a report...
Bangladesh: 1971, as I saw it
Shahidul Alam, a photographer talks about “1971, as I saw it”, an exhibition of photographs taken as Bangladesh declared independence. “Today, those photographs join them in protest. Peering through the crisp pages of the newly printed history books, they remind us, “No, that wasn’t the way it was. I know....
Nepal: Gaur Massacre
The unthinkable happened on March 21 in Gaur in the central Terai plains. Two political groups clashed, and violence followed. 29 were dead, more than 40 injured. This incident has shaken Nepal. Democracy For Nepal condemns the violence but it also takes the Maoists to task for disrupting the MPRF...
Bangladesh: The Middle Class
Salam Dhaka talks of the person in the middle. “The middle-class is where the best of the country's talent lies. Yet, they are in a very tight corner when it comes to financial options. The capital markets in Bangladesh are rigged and almost non existent.”
Bangladesh: The BBC and Cricket
a bengali in TO doesn't take kindly to the BBC's patronizing view of Ireland and Bangladesh's entry into the World Cup Super 8 round. “The BBC has always been a patronizing old white men's club. Yes, they do deliver (mostly) fair and balanced coverage of the Middle East, but when...
Pakistan: Back in 1959
Light Within has a wonderful collection of advertisements from a 1959 publication. “I own a copy of Pakistan Railway's time table published in November of 1959. Besides train timings, it has a section of advertisements which is a great glimpse into our national past. I've selected following 8 advertisements from...
India: Nandigram, it could get worse
Even as the media appears to be forgetting about Nandigram, SacredMedia Cow has a post by a journalist who says that the real carnage is yet to come. “Though the report is yet to be made public, CBI sources very clearly detail out the following – a. police did not...
India: On TATA
International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal provides a rap sheet for a corporate giant TATA. ” Until the onset of liberalisation, Tatas remained the undisputed king of the license-raj, covering its trail of human rights, labour and environmental violations with liberal philanthropic give-aways.”
Pakistan: Lawlessness and the President
chapati mystery on the situation in Pakistan, and how it threatens Musharraf's seat of power. “Two weeks ago, General Musharraf suspended the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on vague corruption charges. Since then, daily riots and protests have broken out in major cities; the...
Pakistan: At the Badshahi Mosque
MumbaiGirl, who is an Indian living in London, travels to Pakistan. “At the Badshahi Mosque I was immediately reminded of Fatehpur Sikri. There’s something so right about the squareness that the Mughals achieved. The body feels right enclosed in a space like this, precisely because it doesn’t feel enclosed.”
Sri Lanka: Dictatorship Rankings!
Biting satire at Broken News. Wonder what would happen if there was a competition for the top tyrant? “World number one Kim Il Jong of North Korea commented on the challenge being made on his position saying, ‘Mugabe doesn’t frighten me – he’s been playing this game for decades and...
Sri Lanka: Playing with India
janantha's home asks rather hopefully if Sri Lanka would beat India in the cricket match. “After loosing to Bangladesh, the angry fans caused chaos in India! Destroying cricketers houses and stuff. Will it happen again?”
Nepal: A public mourning
A photo essay at United We Blog! capturing the Maoist public mourning for those who lost their lives in the Gaur massacre. “It was a day for mourning not only for the Maoists of Nepal but also for those who are praying for the success of the peace process. And...
Bahrain: Storms and D-cups
Bahrain was enveloped in a heavy dust storm on Thursday night, the beginning of the weekend, and TechZ wrote about getting caught in it: I couldn’t see anything ahead, other than for the windshield and my wipers. Headlights were useless in this much sand and rain drops. I had to...
Nepal: Roar against Internet Shutdown
The decision of the Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal (ISPAN) to shut down internet services for two hours – one each in morning and evening – didn’t have good effect on bloggers. The shutdown was a part of the protest program announced by the Nepal’s industrialists against the Maoists’...
India: Development of Choor Dhar Hills
myHimachal on an effort by citizens for local development. “Setting a rare example of ‘peoples action for the development’ by crossing all the social, cultural and area boundaries , thousands of resident of Himchal Pradesh and Uttrakhand have joined hands to develop Choor Dhar Hills known as heaven of adventure...
India: For Nandigram
Cuckoo's Call on Nandigram – “Nandigram is a symbol of humble people’s defiance, protest, militant resistance and sacrifice against the globalising local state. It has broken the stupor, apathy, cynicism and mute, opportunistic acceptance defining the intelligentsia and middle classes in Calcutta and West Bengal.”. This comes at a time...
India, Pakistan: Google and Local
I, Me, Myself on how even as organisations cater to an international audience, they don't always get the local preferences right. “The text on the Google Pakistan page in Punjabi has been written in the Gurmukhi script, which most Punjabis in the Pakistani part of Punjab can not read (except,...
Nepal: An impulsive nation
Nepal Monitor on Nepal as an impulsive nation. “All sorts of crazy stories develop in Kathmandu. If it suits your agenda, you don’t have to verify them. You don’t have to second-guess them. They help in news media’s feeding frenzy. You don’t have to explain them. They help create a...
Nepal: Art and Truth
Deepak's Diary on an artist – Laxman Shrestha. “He says he embarked on the journey searching for the answer for his question of truth. “I found it in art,” he says, “therefore painting for me is a penance.”
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