Stories about South Asia from January, 2010
Bangladesh: Cold Wave
Bangladesh is experiencing a cold wave which is bringing the temperature down to less then 10 degrees Celsius. Fahad at Finding Myself is thankful to God for being blessed with a home and warm blankets. He wonders what will happen to the street people who have nothing.
Pakistan: First Blog Awards
Tenezo reports that Google Pakistan and CIO Pakistan are organizing the first Pakistani blog awards. If you are a Pakistani blogger or write about Pakistan please submit your blog here.
Saudi Arabia: Honouring The Pakistani Hero Of The Jeddah Floods
At the end of November Saudi Arabia's second largest city, Jeddah, was hit by heavy floods, blamed on poor infrastructure and mismanagement of city works construction. Many lives were lost, and even more people would have died had it not been for acts of heroism such as that of Pakistani Farman Ali Khan.
Bangladesh: Living Dangerously
Asif Saleh and Jyoti Rahman at Unheard Voice criticizes the actions of India’s trigger happy Border Security Force (BSF), who are responsible for a number of death of Bangladeshis each year.
Bhutan: Everything Is Cheap In Phuentsholing
Penstar describes about Phuntsoling, the shopping paradise of Bhutan: “Everything comes cheap here. Garments are cheap. Utensils are cheap. Culinary items are cheap. Trust is cheap. Faith is cheap. Dignity is cheap. Human life is cheap. Quality of goods is cheap.”
‘Nepali’ not ‘Nepalese’
XNepali blog argues that the ‘Nepalese’ should be addressed as ‘Nepali’. The blogger also created a Facebook group titled “Say no to ‘Nepalese’”.
Sri Lanka: Election Violence
Centre for Monitoring Election Violence posts a video interview which discusses the news that supporters of Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka were attacked resulting death of one person and many were injured.
Pakistan: Battling for Hearts and Minds
Kalsoom at CHUP -Changing Up Pakistan discusses the strategy of the Pakistani security forces who are battling for hearts and minds “with a campaign that vilifies the enemy and sways potential Taliban sympathizers.”
Bangladesh: Exchange Rate Problem And Price Hike
J Rahman at Mukti thinks that Bangladesh taka has an exchange rate problem with Indian rupee: “There seems to be a pretty good relationship – taka depreciates against the rupee today, and rice prices in Dhaka rise a year or so later.”
Bhutan: Media Growth
Tshering Tobgay informs that the growth in mass media and other media forms of Bhutan has been exceptional: “Books, magazines, websites, blogs, cinema, music, cable TV, and overall connectivity have all expanded tremendously offering consumers of information a wide array of choices.”
Sri Lanka: Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam Released On Bail
Groundviews reports that: “Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam was enlarged on bail today pending the appeal of his conviction under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. “
India: A Critically Ill Marxist Leader Trends On Twitter
In India, social media was put under spotlight recently when tipped off by some online news sites a section of netizens fueled a rumor that critically ill Marxist leader and former Chief Minister of West Bengal Mr. Jyoti Basu was dead. This fiasco puts the pressure on social media users to be more responsible.
India: Caste Discrimination
Sparsh comments on the still persisting caste discrimination in India: “I always ask elders that society has become more feudal, caste oriented and communal than 60 years ago. No clear cut answers. People still ask with smile surname to map out the caste and ancestry in their minds.”
Sri Lanka: Rumor Mill At Work
“All I can wish for from now on till election-day is to permit all our eligible voters the chance to cast their secret ballot as they wish, and not be coaxed by monetary or illegal acts to go against their true wishes,” comments Serendipity on the upcoming presidential election in...
India: Rising Number Of Youngsters Dependent On Alcohol
TheBigThinkng at Indianblogger.com discusses the issue that rising number of youngsters in India are now dependent on alcohol.
Bangladesh: How To Get A Job After Graduation
Fahad at Finding Myslef cites an example how get a job in Bangladesh after graduation.
Sri Lanka: General Sarath Fonseka’s Election Manifesto
Ajith P. Perera at Dare to be different links to the election manifesto (English version) of General Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lankan presidential candidate of the common opposition.
India: Theft Of Condoms For Free Distribution
Santosh at Über Desi reports that condoms were stolen from 500 of 3000 vending machines installed in Mumbai for free distribution as a part of an HIV Aids prevention program.
Pakistan: Is Democracy Appropriate For The Country?
Which one is important – enabling basic human rights with corrupt justice and failed governance in democracy or enabling good governance with no democracy? Osama Bin Javed from Pakistan starts the debate whether democracy is appropriate for countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan.
India: Travesty Of Justice
“After 19 years and 450 hearings, though convicted for molesting Ruchika, a 14 year old school girl and a tennis player, SPS Rathore is still smiling,” informs Indian Homemaker.
India: On Racism In Australia
Madhavi at The Trajectory comments on the Government of India’s advisory for ethnic Indians in Australia and questions – who is over-reacting on the racism issue: India or Australia?
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