Stories about South Asia from October, 2009
Pakistan: Students Protest Closure Of Educational Institutions
When the Pakistani leaders are seemingly not doing enough, local citizens and bloggers are filling the vacuum. Students in Islamabad and Karachi are protesting in the streets denouncing all acts of terrorism and the indefinite closure of educational institutions and some bloggers took interviews of the protesters. Kalsoom at CHUP!...
Bangladesh: Conference On 1971 Genocide
Mash attended the 2nd conference on the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide organized by the Human Rights Institute and the Bangladesh Genocide Study Group at Kean University and posted about it in his blog Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying. “The focus was on eyewitness accounts, documentation and memorialization of the...
Bhutan: Smooth Transition To Democracy
Tshering Tobgay, the Leader of the opposition party in the National Assembly of Bhutan, comments that: “the transition to our democracy has, indeed, been uniquely smooth. So smooth that most of us weren’t even paying attention.”
India: Brands On Blogs And Twitter
Bhatnaturally informs that increasing number of Indian brands are embracing social media including blogs, Twitter etc.
Nepal: The Maoist Insurgency
Neil’s Nepal, a Maoist expert, posts an analysis of the implications of the present Nepali conflict from the perspective of the US military.
Pakistan: Who Is Responsible?
Talkhaba opines that both civil and military establishments of Pakistan are responsible for the present deteriorated situation of the country.
India: Blogger Journalist Mediates Cop's Release
On the 20th of October dozens of Maoist insurgents attacked the Sankrail police station in West Midnapore district in India and abducted the officer in charge. Keeping him as hostage they demanded release of 14 tribal women as a swap and two BBC journalists including a blogger mediated his release.
Adoption: Securing the Rights of Mothers and Children
Women speak out from all sides of the issue: adoptees, natural mothers and adoptive mothers try to make sense of the legal, reproductive and human rights issues behind adoptions.
Online Tools to Monitor Climate Change
Leading up to the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) in December 2009, here is a sample of online tools to monitor climate change.
India: Life As A Single Woman
“Even in this day and age, even in urban India, people find it difficult to accept that a woman can choose to remain single and lead a healthy, happy and full life,” tells Ramapriya Gopalakrishnan at Ultraviolet. She explains the difficulties a single woman face in India.
Sri Lanka: Should We Believe Our Eyes?
Dan Verderosa at The Hub critically examines the alleged doctored video from Sri Lanka that shows eight men, stripped nude, bound, and blindfolded, coldly executed by soldiers on a muddy field.
Pakistan: A Dissenting Voice On War Against Terror
Liaquat Ali Khan at Pak Tea House opines: “under coercion, Pakistan has started a civil war that will consume its economy, national security, and tear apart its social fabric. [..] It is not yet too late for Pakistan to return from the precipice of national suicide. Pakistan must take a...
Bangladesh: Kali Puja In Shakharibazar
Bangladeshi Photoblogger Ideas R Bulletproof posts pictures of Kali Puja, a festival dedicated to Hindu Goddess Kali, which were taken in Shakharibazar, Dhaka.
India: Maharashtra Assembly Election Results
Offstumped site for Assembly Elections 2009 is live blogging the results of the Maharashtra Assembly Election in India.
Pakistan: Abuse Of Religion
“The trend of moulding religion to suit one’s needs instead of amending ones own behavior to suit the needs of religion is a symptom prevalent even amongst the so called liberal and educated classes of our country,” comments Pakistani blogger Tayyab at Deadpan Thoughts.
Bhutan: End Tobacco Ban
I am Drukpa brings to our notice “the rising insane and inhuman prices” of freely available smuggled cigarettes in Bhutan because of a outright tobacco ban in the country. The blogger advocates for “ban-free legalized tobacco that is reasonably taxed and regulated”.
India: Campaign To End Homophobia
“The Campaign for Open Minds is one of the many efforts to end homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in India and was created in response to the alarming surge in attempts at conversion therapy and other negative reactions to increased visibility of LGBT people, following Delhi High Court’s historic July 2...
Bangladesh: Difficult Time For Journalists
Mahadi Hasan Talukder reports that the Bangladeshi journalists are passing through a difficult time because local corporates, non-profits and multinational companies have gripped the Bangladeshi media sector and are exploiting their influence on them.
Maldives: Abolish Capital Punishment?
Maldives president Mohammed Nasheed suggested a moratorium on capital punishment in a recent radio speech which has sparked a debate in the country. His namesake blogger Mohammed Nasheed has details on this issue.
Pakistan: Routable GPS Map Available For Free
Teeth Maestro informs that “independent efforts by a group of volunteers have finally paid off to present a fully routable GPS map for Karachi (& Pakistan) available FREE to the general public.”
Pakistan: The South Waziristan Operation
Kalsoom at CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan updates on the status of the day 3 of the Pakistan army's South Waziristan offensive against the Talibans.
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