· December, 2006

Stories about South Asia from December, 2006

Bangladesh: Starting Over

  8 December 2006

Morris the pen on starting over. “This is part of a series of articles in the press raising awareness about survivors of rape, trafficking and other trauma.”

Sri Lanka: Could political blogs be banned?

  8 December 2006

Moju links to a statement by Free Media Movement on New Emergency Measures and wonders – “Are we moving into a situation where people who criticize the government on blogs like Moju are deemed terrorists? Could Moju itself be shut down under the PTA?”

India: Bengal, culture and passion

  7 December 2006

Great Bong writes on the Bengali culture and passion, with some very sharp words on the Bengali attitude. “Her weapons are rhetoric, theatrics, bandhs, disruption and vandalism. In that she mirrors a vocal section of the Bengali bhadralok of today whose lack of substance is covered by a smokescreen of...

India: On kissing and the movies

  7 December 2006

A kiss in a movie between two stars causes quite a row. Jabberwock reflects on kissing and Bollywood. “What the self-appointed morality-keepers are objecting to, dear and earnest HT City, is the fact that a human male and a human female are locking lips on a big screen, and that...

Sri Lanka: Which Tamils does the LTTE represent?

  7 December 2006

indi.ca on which who the LTTE represents, along with a background on the diversity within the group of people who speak in Tamil. “The highest concentration of Tamils is in India (Tamil Nadu) and I know Tamils from Singapore, Malaysia etc who don’t identify with Sri Lanka or the Wanni...

Nepal: Going to be an ambassador

  7 December 2006

In the atmosphere of political change, United We Blog! comments on the a sought after job – that of an ambassador. “The ambassadorial positions have become such a job that there is no bar for anyone. We have seen former prime minister, former ministers, former chiefs of army staffs, and...

Bangladesh: Migrant workers in South Korea

  7 December 2006

imperfect world 2006 on Bangladeshi migrant workers in South Korea. “There are around two hundred thousand undocumented workers not registered with the authorities, many of whom are unemployed. They provide cheap labour, often in dangerous conditions.”

India: To be fair

  6 December 2006

The Straitjacket Diaries is rather annoyed with adverts run by fairness cream companies. “I mean, we're all supposed to buy that if a woman isn't possessed of a flawless, clear, peaches-n-cream, FAIR complexion, she is to be denied everything good in life, like a career and marriage and dates?”

India: Staring Back

  6 December 2006

Blank Noise Project compiles some testimonies from participants at a recent intervention aimed at increasing awareness about and combating sexual harassment on streets in a railway station in Mumbai. “At first, I found myself reflexively looking away when a man caught my eye. But once I got used to the...

India: Babri Masjid, memory and Syncreticism

  6 December 2006

On 6th December 1992, Babri Masjid, a mosque built in the 16th century was destroyed by fundamentalists. Synchroni-Cities remembers the day with much poignancy. “I was twelve years old when the mosque was destroyed. Why do I keep rememebering it? Because though I know it is a fantasy, an idealization,...

Sri Lanka: Preserving Old Buildings

  6 December 2006

True Sri Lankan writes on preserving old buildings in Colombo. “It is sad since we should be making an attempt to restore those old buildings since they are part of our history and we should make sure that they are preserved for the future generations.”

Bangladesh: Should India have helped Bangladesh?

  6 December 2006

Rediff, an Indian portal has a series on the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 – which had a direct hand in the independence of Bangladesh. Drishtipat links to the same and feels the Bangladeshi perspective is missing. The comments for the post have interesting takes on history and the nature of...

India: Wal-mart, Bangalore and BarCamp Bangalore II

  6 December 2006

National Interest, Wal-Mart, Internet, Barcamp, Bangalore and Bollywood are some of the topics we look in this week's round-up about all things Indian. There is a new group blog called Signal. The focus of this blog is on India's national interest. President Musharaff of Pakistan offered a new proposal to...

Pakistan: America and Islamophobia

  5 December 2006

My Chronicles... on Islamophobia and America. “Certainly, Muslims have an identity of their own and need to display it just like Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc. To fear Muslims for displaying their symbols and identities is not correct and only creates wrong perceptions of America in the eyes of Muslims.”

India: Saving Kerala

  5 December 2006

“Dog's Own Country?” lists issues that pose challenges in the state of Kerala. “Though Kerala has been able to achieve the standards of developed countries in relation to human development, the physical infrastructure and the manufacturing sector is more or less stagnant. This calls for effective and timely government intervention...

Nepal: Maoist camps all over the country

  5 December 2006

United We Blog! on the issues posed by the large scale presence of the Maoist camps all over the country. “In the bizarre scenario of two large armies bubbling inside barracks to explode in a country which doesn’t require one, or if it needs one for something which neither of...

Sri Lanka: Inflation and the Backyard

  5 December 2006

indi.ca on inflation in Sri Lanka and how burying money in the backyard is a better investment than saving it in a bank. “In Sri Lanka the surest investment seems to be burying your money in the backyard or putting it on a plane. This month inflation is almost 20%.”

Pakistan: A trip to North Pakistan

  5 December 2006

All Things Pakistan remembers a trip to North Pakistan in 1992. “For those of you who are familiar with Pakistan’s road transportation system of early 1990s, the bigger your vehicle was the later you reached your destination.”

India: Dignity and Sanitary Napkins

  4 December 2006

Cuckoo's Call on making sanitary napkins for women more affordable. “The key challenge is to design an appropriate product and define the manufacturing technology and business model. I would prefer localised production across the country, with poor women in villages and urban slums securing gainful employment from this.”

Bangladesh: Take Back Bangladesh and Democracy

  4 December 2006

Journal of a disturbed mind on the Take Back Bangladesh forum and event. “So far the concert was a great start for young generation’s involvement in encouraging clean democracy. The performers performed for free to support this new movement.”

India: Energy Needs

  4 December 2006

Satellite pictures of the earth at night reveal a lot about energy consumption and economic activity. At The Indian Economy Blog, a post on India's energy needs and its likely growth. “Japan looks like a shining moon in the middle of the pacific. The southern part of the Korean peninsula...

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Rezwan
Rezwan is the South Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.