Stories about South Asia from April, 2006
India: Election time economics
Lucky has a conversation with an auto-rickshawdriver before elections on the economics of the populist policies.
Nepal: Youth and democracy
Samudaya.org has a report on a gather of non-aligned youth meeting to discuss Nepal's state – “participants discussed the significant role young people can play, and resolved to form an independent youth/ student coalition that will dispatch humanitarian aid and play the role of a watch dog body.”
Nepal: Restoring the legislature
As Nepal prepares itself for some form of democracy, the King grants audience to the Chief Justice in Nepal to discuss legal matters pertaining to restore the legislature says Legal News From Nepal.
Bangladesh: Abducted in Dhaka
Bangladesh may have to explain its human rights record. Shobak on “On April 17th, Ehsanul Islam Sadequee was abducted by armed special forces police officers in Bangladesh.”
Sri Lanka: Gay Pride in Colombo
Colombo gets an opportunity to be proud. Portrait on the Gay Pride in the city – “Colombo pride is going to happen over a week beginning on the 21st of may, and the activities are going to include a film marathon, a kite festival and of course, the essence of...
Sri Lanka: Obscatles to development
Janapathi lists out the obstacles and myths that hinder development in Sri Lanka.
India: Sex and the Internet
Asian Sex Gazette on rape in India, the notion of friendship and a crucial question – “Women in the city question why men often interpret friendly gestures as a sign of promiscuity. “
India: Animals and their rights
Trivial Matters has photographs from an anmial shelter in Mumbai. Stories of dogs and a camel follow.
India: The last of the line
The last Mughal Emperor in India and the final legacy that remains leglected - at Indian Muslims.
Sri Lanka: Violence in the University
Moju on University politics and the violence on campus in Colombo. “At the same time, the sort of violence in which students engage is becoming more and more harmful and has spawned a new culture of violence among youth everywhere.”
Pakistan: Baisakhi
Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan via Metroblogging Islamabad – “Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from across the world, including India, Britain, Canada, Afghanistan, Germany and Switzerland, arrived early in the morning to participate in the three-day celebrations.”
Bangladesh: Military Blogs
imperfect world 2006 points towards a blog run by the Bangladesh Military Forces.
Nepal: Choices and Revolution
United We Blog! on the choices before Nepal - “Nepali people are in a historical juncture to decide on what they want: constitutional monarchy or a republican Nepal”
Nepal: Revolution and International Relations
More photographs of protest from Nepal at Democracy For Nepal and Nepali Netbook comments on the apparent changing face of the King's diplomacy.
Sri Lanka: A shrinking world
London, Lanka and Drums muses on how technology makes information easy to access and shrinks the world. However somebody ” pointed out that, when Columbus, Sir Walter Raleigh and Hong Kong Phooey were bringing their discoveries back from far flung corners of the globe, the populace felt like the world...
India: Actors and Dams
The Narmada Bachao Andolan finds more support in the celebrity crowd. Dateline Bombay has more on the actor Amir Khan lending his voice to the cause of those displaced by the dam.
India: Agriculture and Technology
Clean Slate on a project called Aaqua by IIT Powai that functions as a user/expert exchange targeted at the Indian agricultural community.
India: Delhi and Mumbai for the stomach
While comparisons between Delhi and Mumbai tend to get rather emotional, Dhoomketu takes a grastronomic look at the cities and rates them on the basis of the food and cuisine they offer.
India: News and Adverts
Adverts disgused as news seem to run on headline tickers. I don't know what's worse – that companies resort to such advertising, or that media organisations need money that bad. Youth Curry has more.
Sri Lanka: Run-up to Geneva II
Even as the second round of negotiations are underway at Geneva, Moju examines the recent spate of violence and wonders if Geneva II could have had a worse start.
Bangladesh: Playing cricket
Bangladesh plays cricket, however the Police seems to be weilding the stick. Rezwan on “The tension mounted during lunch break when the DC North of Chittagong Police started using his fist against a journalist (Jahirul Haque) aged like his father (65) and kicked him continuously to show that this kind...