Stories about South Asia from June, 2010
India, Bangladesh: The Other Side Of Rabindranath Tagore
Words From Solitude highlights the other side of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
India: The Battle Of The Have-nots
Nila-kantha-chandra at Cuckoo's Call comments on the Maoist insurgency in India: “it seems we are living under the shadow of looming violence. A civil war, where the have-nots finally turn against the haves”.
Sri Lanka: Why Do Online Brand Communities Fail?
Ami's space explains the reason why most online brand communities fail – because they don’t define success the right way.
India: What Does It Mean To Be Indian?
What does it mean to be Indian? Priya Ramani is editor of Mint Lounge, the weekend magazine of business newspaper Mint, and an article she wrote recently about her feeling that she wasn't really Indian provoked heated debate online.
India: Fallacy Of English Medium Education
Ram Bansal at India in Peril criticizes some Indian English medium educational institutions which forbid Hindi and have no provision of Hindi to English translations or vice-versa in the curriculum.
India: A Special Day for the Son-In-Law
In India, Bengali mothers-in-law traditionally celebrate, with great fanfare, an occasion/social custom called jamai shashthi - a special day for their jamai [son(s)-in-law].
Bangladesh: Netizens Surprised By Bandwidth Export Move
Bangladesh has one of the slowest and most expensive internet connections in the world and only about a quarter of the bandwidth capacity available is being used. Now the government has issued an international tender to lease out a big chunk of that capacity which irked some netizens.
Bangladesh: Law Makers Guilty Of Not Paying Phone Bills
Abu Saeed Khan at LIRNEasia informs that there are almost US$10 million phone bill dues from present and previous lawmakers of Bangladesh parliament.
Sri Lanka: Reflections On The Problems In Gaza
Sri Lankan MP and blogger Rajiva Wijesinha reflects on the adjournment of resolution on the problems in Gaza: “the world is desperately in need of consensus based on universally accepted principles of justice, rather than continuing indulgence to old victims by old victimizers.”
India: Groundbreaking Verdict On Maternal Mortality
Chhaya Path informs about two groundbreaking court cases on maternal mortality which will have immense health policy implications in India.
Sri Lanka: Forgetting Those Killed
Sanjana Hattotuwa at ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) points out that “post-war Sri Lanka is very far from a just peace, or meaningful reconciliation” as the celebrations of the victory over the LTTE did not include commemoration of the loved ones killed during the war.
Bangladesh: Turnaround In Mayor Election
Shada Kalo analyzes the reasons for the surprise win of the BNP supported Monzur Alam over the Awami League candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury in the Chittagong City Corporation mayor election.
Pakistan: Millat Facebook
Simbsi at Lawanai Sparashawe reviews Millatfacebook, Pakistan's answer to Facebook. An excerpt: “Millatfacebook was a very pathetic attempt to cash in on the anti-Facebook sentiment.”
Bangladesh: Save Dhaka Now
Anwarul Kabir at Mukto Mona blog analyzes Dhaka's unplanned growth which is causing many dire consequences like water-logging, pollution, changes in hydro-geological system, and building collapse.
India: Surat Science Centre
Rajesh Jain visited the Surat Science Center and opines that every Indian city should have one such science center.
Bangladesh: First Digital Voting System
GuruMia.com informs that digital voting system is being introduced in Bangladesh for the first time in the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls.
Pakistan: Global Political Economy
Anas Muhammad at Pakistan Foreign Policy blog discusses about Pakistan's global political economy.
Indians And Racism
“Are Indians the most racist in the world?” Supidta Chatterjee answers the question.
Bangladesh: The Toll Of Eve teasing
Pinky wrote this note before taking her own life: “when [my tormentor] pulled my scarf and harassed me physically in front of the house, onlookers at the scene laughed. Nobody protested.” Blank Noise blog highlights the eve teasing menace prevailing in Bangladesh.
Bhutan: Breast Envy
Bhutanese blogger Passu feels that if he only could breastfeed his newborn daughter, he would feel like a complete father.
India: Desipundit Is No More
Über Desi informs that the favorite Desi blog aggregator Desipundit has shut down today. “This is a sad day in the desi blogosphere and for blogs in general”, reacts the blog.