News and reports from the sub-continent.
European tourists are once again romancing the breathtaking Sri Lankan beach of Nilaveli on the Bay of Bengal. Only two years ago, the scene here was of a bloody battleground. Nilaveli beach on Sri Lanka’s east coast is full of European tourists – the Germans, French, Dutch and the English. A rash of kids are […]
Continue ReadingPakistan’s President General Pervez Musharraf has called on the world’s Islamic states to form a co-ordinated attack against terrorism and extremism. Speaking to journalists in the capital, Islamabad, President Musharraf addressed the organisation of an Islamic conference, the Middle East, Pakistan-India relations and domestic issues. He underlined the need for the re-restructuring of the Organisation […]
Continue ReadingBefore the world could be wired up into a global village, it is already being converted into a wireless planet. But India’s red tape and bureacracy means frustrated users are having to wait to join in. The latest thing to shake up the communication world is WiFi. It is wireless protocol for device connectivity and […]
Continue ReadingMonday’s lunchtime bomb blasts marked the 10th anniversary of a bombing campaign that demolished Mumbai’s image as the New York of India in 1993. The implications are many… The most recent attacks killed up to 50 people and injured 140 others. Both bombs were placed in the trunks of taxi cabs. The blasts are the […]
Continue ReadingA poignant portrayal of the travails of India’s eunuchs. Revati, clad in a yellow sari with long black tresses left untied and standing tall at five foot eight inches, is like any other woman. “I want to have my family, I want to give birth to a child but…” her voice falters, and her eyes […]
Continue ReadingA key election pledge by Kashmir’s ruling party to stop "disappearances" and trace thousands of missing persons has been denounced as little more than a "hoodwinking" process. Indian-administered Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for more than 50 years. Many people have vanished, presumed dead or imprisoned without trial or record. Chief […]
Continue ReadingIndia’s erstwhile colonial laws outlawing homosexuality are out of touch with a changing society, Chinmayee Manjunath discovers. “Homophobia, and not homosexuality, is new to Indian culture,” says Vinay Chandran of Bangalore-based charitable trust, Swabhava, which works with gender and sexual minorities in the country. His argument has a sound basis considering homosexual acts have been […]
Continue ReadingThe carefully structured notions of India’s caste hierarchy have remained unchallenged for thousands of years but a power shift is dawning, says Sreerekha Pillai. The highest of the four main Hindu castes, Brahmins – the priestly caste – have enjoyed a lofty social status above Kshatriyas: Rulers and warriors; Vaishya: Farmers, merchants, traders, and craftsmen; […]
Continue ReadingMobile phone mania is sweeping Pakistan with a rapid increase in national subscribers due to low connection costs and cheap pre-paid packages and phone sets. Everyone from top business executives to daily wagers look busy on mobile phones in offices, on roads and in marketplaces in this developing South Asian country. “The number of cellular […]
Continue ReadingEvery summer, like the water in this parched land, young men ‘evaporate’ from the face of Bhilwara and other neighbouring districts in Rajasthan, West India, to look for work. It’s unusual, almost surreal, to see women take the mantle during this period in this otherwise patriarchal society, known for its tales of valiant Rajput warriors […]
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