· September, 2012

Stories about South Asia from September, 2012

Sri Lanka: The New Displaced Peoples

  30 September 2012

Dilrukshi Handunnetti reports in Groundviews that Sri Lanka’s largest internment facility was officially closed last week and its 346 interns were relocated to other confinement(s) instead of being resettled.

Nepal: New Media Gufa – A New Experiment

  29 September 2012

Blogdai reports: Dharma Adhikari's Media Foundation held a “New Media Gufa” or “cave” where 5 of Nepal's top tech-savvy journalists chained themselves to their computers for three days in a heroic attempt to determine the extent of internet penetration in Nepal and to see if Nepali stories could be accurately...

Sri Lanka: The Rights Of The Homosexuals

  29 September 2012

Sri Lanka and India, despite our pre-colonial religious and social accommodation of differing sexuality, have remained Victorian in attitude long after the colonial powers have changed. In terms of gay rights, we really need to catch up, and be more honest to ourselves and each other.

India: Build Your Own Map to Improve Your City

  29 September 2012

Transparent Chennai is a platform for citizen engagement to help the citizens of Chennai counter inaccurate or incomplete government data with crowdsourced maps, and make better claims on the government for their rights and entitlements.

Nepal: Another Plane Crash Dips Optimism

  29 September 2012

Lex Limbu used to share his optimism and hope for the domestic airlines industry of Nepal. But the recent Sita Air crash, and the death of 19 people on board, puts all optimism in despair.

The Pain of Being Physically or Mentally Challenged in Pakistan

  23 September 2012

Being a physically or mentally disabled person in Pakistan is a very painful existence because society finds it exceedingly hard to accept people who are a bit different, and who need a little special care. In this post, differently abled people from Pakistan talk about their experiences.

India, Pakistan: Let People Meet

  21 September 2012

Visa restrictions prevent citizens of India and Pakistan from visiting families in the other country. There isn’t even a tourist visa protocol between these two biggest neighbours of South Asia. Journeys To Democracy promoted the Aman ki Asha Milne Do petition to change this.

Sri Lanka: The continuing occupation of a school by the Navy

  21 September 2012

The villagers living at the Malankaadu temporary resettlement camp were evicted in 2007 by the Sri Lankan Navy. Most of them are being resettled in an adjoining village, however, the Mullikulam Roman Catholic Tamil Mixed School continues to be occupied by the Navy. Groundviews has more.

Pakistan Bans YouTube Over Controversial Video

  20 September 2012

In an attempt to appease the growing unrest in the country, the Government of Pakistan decided to block the social networking site YouTube as of Monday, September 17, 2012. The move came hours after protests in the southern city of Karachi turned violent, leaving two protesters dead.

India: Hurrah For Hornbills – Defence Project Stalled in Narcondam

  19 September 2012

A proposal from the Indian Coast Guards to install coastal surveillance equipments in the Narcondamm Island in the Andaman Sea, has been stalled by the Indian government. This news, coming after months of intensive campaigning against the proposal, has been welcomed by birders, ornithologists, ecologists, conservation activists and wildlife enthusiasts.

Bangladesh: First Ever Youth Tech Camp In Dhaka

  19 September 2012

The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka in collaboration with a local organization called iEARN have hosted a Youth TechCamp in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from September 16-18, 2012. Details can be found in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program alumni Bangladesh blog.

Bangladesh: Draft Online Media Policy Draws Criticism

  18 September 2012

There are almost 200 online newspapers in Bangladesh but no specific regulations exist for them. The government of Bangladesh has taken steps to administer them by preparing draft regulations, but netizens have expressed concerns already.

Bangladesh: A Voice for the Challenged

  17 September 2012

Amader Kotha features the exemplary works of the award winning blogger Sabrina Sultana who is using blogs and other social media tools to improve the condition of the physically challenged in Bangladesh.

Pakistan Reacts to Anti-Islam Movie

  15 September 2012

Pakistan has reacted to the anti-Islamic movie which prompted protests in Libya that left the US Ambassador and others dead. Diplomatic agencies across the country have tightened security, but so far protests have been angry yet peaceful.

India: Husbands to Pay Wives for Doing Household Chores?

  14 September 2012

The Union Women and Child Development Ministry in India is considering a draft bill which, if passed by parliament, would make it legally compulsory for husbands to pay out a portion of their monthly income to their homemaker wives, for doing household chores.

India: Koodankulam Nuclear Plant Starts Amidst Protests

  14 September 2012

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India started operations recently despite protests to stall it. Police cracked down on some 8,000 people from nearby villages who assembled at the beach and stood in sea water to protest moves to load uranium fuel in one of the two reactors of the plant.

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