Stories about South Asia from April, 2010
Bangladesh: Best Weblog Bengali At The BOBs
Ali Mahmed (Shuvo) won the best weblog Bengali award at the BOBs – Deutsche Welle Best Of The Blogs Award.
India: Web Only TV Ads
Bhtanaturally analyzes that the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket is helping web-only TV ads take shape in India.
India: First Bengali Cinema Available At iTunes
Muhammad at Cadet College Blog is excited to report that Suman Ghosh's Dwando (2009) created history by being the first Bengali Cinema available for rent at iTunes.
Pakistan: A Mysterious Plane in Karachi
Teeth Maestro questions “what’s a Meridian Jet doing in Karachi?” Similar planes have been used in ‘rendition’ program “in which the CIA uses private aircraft to ferry prisoners to various countries.”
Bangladesh: Images Of Pahela Boishakh
Ershad Ahmed at Dhaka Photo blog shares some colorful pictures of Pahela Boishakh – Bengali new year (1417) festivities. Expat blogger Paagli Didi, the Fulbright Scholar has more pictures.
Pakistan: Abbotabad Riots
Kalsoom at CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan writes about the recent riots in Pakistan which claimed at least seven lives: “mobs in Haripur, Mansehra, and Abbottabad (in Hazara) blocked roads, chanted slogans, and burned tires — all in the name of a name”.
Sri Lanka: A Predictable Election
On 8th of April Sri Lankan voters went to vote to elect 225 representatives in the parliament to form a new government. The election saw a low turnout and was marred with violence. Sri Lankan bloggers analyzes the result and question the election process.
Pakistan: First Female Cartoonist
Faisal Kapadia at Deadpan Thoughts interviews Nigar, Pakistan's first female cartoonist.
Maldives: The Upcoming Akon Gig
Light After Dark reports that US R&B singer Akon will perform in the Maldives on the 23rd of April. The Maldivian Facebook Community has set up a group called “we support Akon live in maldives” (997 Member) and to counter it there is a group Called “we DONT support Akon...
India: ‘The First Cry’ Blog Contest
Chennai Moms.com has announced a blogging competition to celebrate International Mother's Day in May. The contest has been named as “The First Cry”, which will choose the best from mothers’ blog posts describing their first baby birth experience.
Pakistan: Karachi Literary Festival
Raza Rumi at Jahane Rumi comments on the Karachi Literary Festival: “It is heartening to see how events such as this can take place, and the hope they can instill, in the land of suicide bombers, adventurers and charlatans.”
India: Introduction to Seven Notes Of Indian Classical Music
Likhati, a blog on classical music, introduces us to the seven notes of Indian classical music.
India: Longing For The History Of The Indian Emigrants
Lekhni at The Imagined Universe writes about Amitav Ghosh's novel ‘Sea of Poppies’ and reminds that “the book shows how little we know about emigrant Indians”.
Nepal Scraps MRP Print Deal with India
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal reports that on public protest the Nepali cabinet has canceled the arbitrary MRP (Machine Readable Passport) print deal with India and decided to select a supplier through a competitive bidding process.
Sri Lanka: A Blogger Elected As An MP
Ajith P. Perrera, a leader of the UNP party from Bandaragama, Sri Lanka and a prolific blogger has been elected as a member of parliament in the recently concluded general elections in Sri Lanka. Mr. Perrera thanks his readers for their support and is pleased to be the first blogger...
Pakistan: Current Crisis In Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa
Faris Kasim at Teeth Maestro reflects on the current crisis in all the conflict affected areas of Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa.
India, Pakistan: Sania-Shoaib Mania Rolls On
The Shoaib Malik and Sania mirza wedding controversy rolls on as the media is feeding on the mania and millions of people in India and Pakistan remain engrossed with the story. As the couple prepares for their marriage overcoming obstacles, the diatribes continue elsewhere.
Bangladesh: On Ideologues
Jiten Roy at Mukto-Mona comments: “It’s not easy to have a discussion with an ideologue because they believe in the absoluteness of their views, and their minds are closed; there is no room for accommodation.”
Bangladesh: Bangla Blogs At The BOBS – Meet Ali Mahmed
Bangla (Bengali) language blogs have been included for the first time in the Deutsche Welle's 2010 BOBS awards. We have interviewed Ali Mahmed (Shuvo), a leading nominee for the best of the Bangla blogs category, to learn about his blogging and the blogging scene in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh: Women Must Not Be Forced To Wear Veils
Shamim Ashraf at Straight from Bangladesh informs about a recent court ruling in Bangladesh which asserts that “none can force women, working at public and private educational institutions, to wear veils or cover their heads against their wills.”
India: An English-obsessed Nation?
Purba at Desicritics asks whether Indians are an English-obsessed nation.
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