Covering Policy Issues from South Asia
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Western Accolades Are Egging Autocrats On0
- Blog
- September 17, 2019
Western Accolades Are Egging Autocrats On The Gates Foundation is giving an award to Narendra Modi. That’s a big mistake. By Azad Essa | September 17, 2019 On Sept. 2, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it was honoring India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts to build toilets and end open
Drone Attack Threatens Global Oil Supplies0
- Blog
- September 16, 2019
By The Maritime Executive 2019-09-15 A drone attack on two of Saudi Aramco’s oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on Saturday has threatened global oil supplies. Saudi Aramco emergency crews contained fires at its plants in Abqaiq and Khurais as a result of the terrorist attacks which have resulted in production suspension of 5.7 million barrels
An Indian journalist’s struggle for a free media0
- Blog
- September 16, 2019
Ravish Kumar wins Magsaysay Award for his efforts to preserve and promote critical, socially responsible journalism Mark Saludes India September 16, 2019 In the age of instant information via social media, an Indian journalist has been working to create a “space for ethical journalism” in the so-called mainstream media. For his “people-centered reporting,” Ravish Kumar
Kashmir-Government Detains Farooq Abdullah Under Draconian PSA0
- Blog
- September 16, 2019
The former chief minister had been under house arrest since August 5. The Wire Staff 16 September 2019 New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, currently a member of the Lok Sabha, has been detained under the Public Safety Act. The PSA allows detention for up to two years
India’s Democratic Dictatorship0
- Blog
- September 15, 2019
September 16, 2019 The Daily Star Shashi Tharoor Amid much fanfare, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has completed a hundred days of its second term. Despite his government’s poor record, Modi remains immensely popular personally. This does not bode well for Indian democracy. The Modi government’s supporters tout a slew of new repressive legislation—including
What is Ashura? How this Shiite Muslim holiday inspires millions0
- Blog
- September 15, 2019
Noorzehra Zaidi, University of Maryland, Baltimore County 15 September 2019 Tens of millions of Shiite Muslims from around the world will visit Iraq on Sept. 10 this year to see the shrines of Hussain, grandson of Prophet Mohammed, and his brother Abbas on the day of “Ashura.” This annual pilgrimage marks the 10th day of
Commentary
Pitra-Paksha: Remembrance & Observance for Forefathers0
- Commentary
- September 17, 2019
Prof. Sudhanshu Tripathi 17 September 2019 The fortnight period just prior to auspices Sharadiya Navaratri every year happens to be equally pious as this period is called as Pitra Paksha or a period of two weeks meant for remembering our deceased parents and forefathers and also extending our due service as living mortals according to
Sri Lanka: Propriety, thy name is what?0
- Commentary
- September 17, 2019
N Sathiya Moorthy 17 September 2019 Definitely, it is not a sin under the moral code, and even under the law, it is a simple offence, punishable with a fine of Rs 1,000, or a year in prison in the case of default. Yet, for aspiring presidential candidate, and thus president, Sajith Premadasa not to
Pakistan’s Skepticism on India’s NFU Policy Stands Validated0
- Commentary
- September 17, 2019
By: Haris Bilal Malik 17 September 2019 The South Asian region is widely regarded as vulnerable to the threat of nuclear war. This is largely because of the Kashmir issue’s dangerous potential as a ‘nuclear flashpoint’ between India and Pakistan. This is evident in how the use of nuclear weapons is currently being debated at
Arms Build Up, War Mongering and Critical Debate in Pakistan0
- Commentary
- September 15, 2019
By Muhammad Adil Sivia 15 September 2019 Historically from birth Pakistan was overwhelmed by the conventional military superiority of India. After the separation of East Pakistan and birth of Bangladesh, the narrative and policy building nuclear weapons was sold to the national as panacea by the military establishment to the millions of destitute Pakistanis. The
Tradition defies the Law. Ancient Hindu practice called Chhaupadi0
- Commentary
- September 15, 2019
by Laabhesh Thapa 15 September 2019 The ancient Hindu practice called Chhaupadi is an example of religious belief which has edge over the law the deeply rooted belief states that menstrual blood is impure. This practice is one of the form of seclusion of women from the society, social consequences of this pure-impure binary is
Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 passed by the Lower House of the Indian Parliament0
- Commentary
- September 15, 2019
by Ashna D and Arya Warrier 15 September 2019 The Lower House of the Indian Parliament, the Lok Sabha, passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 in August by a voice vote. [1] The Bill places a blanket ban on all forms of commercial surrogacy, promotes a model of altruistic surrogacy and imposes penal sanctions on
ISSN 2471-9501 (print)
ISSN 2471-951X (online)
Featured
Counting to Segregate: Behind Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC)
On 31 August, India released the final iteration of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a list of “genuine Indian citizens” that is being updated on order of the Supreme Court. The final version, which comes after two preliminary drafts published in 2017 and 2018, identified close to 1.9 million as “illegal immigrants”. The second
The Kashmiri narrative
Columbia Journalism Review by Rozina Ali August 28, 2019 In mid-February, a young man named Adil Ahmed Dar killed 44 Indian paramilitary officers in a suicide bombing in Kashmir’s Pulwama district. It was the deadliest attack against Indian soldiers in three decades. Dar was from a local village, but the militant group that claimed responsibility