Global Voices » Neha Viswanathan

India: Fair, Lovely and Facebooked

Neha Viswanathan — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:25:53 +0000

Image Courtesy Bhatnaturally

A new Facebook app has been creating some controversy in India. The Facebook app, launched by Vaseline, is a product line owned by Unilever lets users lighten the skin colour on their profile pictures. It is not the first time that desirability of ‘fairness' has been discussed in the Indian blogosphere. However, the app in question promotes a product that targets men, which is a relatively new trend. So far, most fairness creams in the Indian market usually target female consumers. Le Sigh observes:

The thing that strikes me most about this advertisement is that, it in fact focuses on the need for men to have fair skin, not women. That boggles my mind considering that in Anthropological speak; women are the ones who represent culture not men. In one way, these advertisements are certainly progressive in their inclusion of men in the “fairness” conversation.

In response to Le Sigh's post, a comment by Sneha, who works for an advertising agency, highlights some of the reasons for men becoming the target of fairness cream manufacturers.

Men in urban India today are much more concerned about their looks today than they were before. Today, whether at the workplace or outside, many men are more in touch with women who match their income level and job status. Also, as more relationships develop outside the arranged marriage system and dating before marriage becomes more common, men are beginning to feel an increased pressure to be groomed and appear attractive to these women. … Fairness has been an age old obsession in Indian culture, and we find that in group discussions and interviews with men, when asked if there was one thing they could change, it would be their skin colour..

Suhail at Rantings of a Homesick Lunatic discusses the subliminal racism that exists in India, where preference to lighter skin is deeply entrenched in many communities. This preference can manifest in many ways.

Some pretty obvious observations are the film industry, and down south females need to have milky-white skin to be able to land the big roles along side “superstars”, who are sometimes on the other end of the skin color spectrum, but that's more sexist than racist. It became pretty apparent to me that camera-facing jobs for TV and media almost always go for the fairer skinned candidate.

Freshbrew points out that the controversial aspect of the product's marketing strategy is not so much that it attempts to sell ‘fairness' but that it sells it to men, and that it's for this reason that people are sitting up and taking note. Bhatnaturally points out that it maybe pointless to blame the manufacturers of the product, and perhaps that the ‘digital' nature of the campaign brings more focus to the product and the app.

People accuse brands like these of reinforcing the notion that fairness is more desirable, superior and causing great harm to society. The counter argument that such brands merely tap into an existing need (long before such products were even conceived or advertised) falls on deaf ears.

A related sentiment is echoed in many comments across blogs, where people feel that the preference for being light skinned is being judged by those who are not familiar with the cultural context and is being labeled racist. Gautam Ramdurai comments in Danah Boyd's post:

The Western uproar is interesting – and is rooted in some amount ignorance. The issue is about the perception of beauty and not of race. Obviously, many commenting on this topic have no idea what the idea of beauty is in India – and hence this looks like an obviously “racist” app. There are people in India who think this app (and the product) is despicable – but for different reasons. I can pull out a lot of western counterparts to the same issue – like tanning salons, the obsession with staying skinny etc – but none of them comes close to explaining the complexity of this issue. It surprises me, how as part of the a “flat world” – we still don’t take off our lenses of comfort when looking at the socio-cultural events from other parts of the globe.

Mumbai and Terror: The Day After

Neha Viswanathan — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:51:13 +0000

An attack of this scale has surprised the entire country. While India is no stranger to bomb blasts and attacks by terrorists, a prolonged hostage situation at prominent landmarks is a complete surprise. The last hostage situation that was covered this extensively was the hijacking of a flight in 1999.

At Mumbai Metblogs, ideasmith rounds up the events of a day and more.

Later this morning, there was a sudden buzz that a fresh round of firing had opened at C.S.T. station and that hostages had been taken. This turned out to be a false rumour. Apparantly someone had heard some noise that sounded to them like gunfire and panicked.

Just ten minutes back, I heard what sounded like a blast. I jumped but I ignored it. Two minutes later it was followed by another one. I looked up to see if anyone else had heard it. Apparantly no one else had. I was just debating whether to go back to my desk (in one corner of the office so I could have been the only one to hear it, being closest) or tell someone (and risk starting another panic wave). Upstairs someone else had heard it too and called us to check it out. We raced to the terrace, hearts thundering. It turned out to be nothing more than the daily workers going about their deed at the construction site next door. Whhhewwwww.

On Twitter, prempanicker is providing constant updates. In a sense, it captures the high levels of confusion. Every two hours, there is a an announcement of sorts that things are under control, but right after, more gunbattle and blasts are reported.

code clicks n caffeine posts photographs from the last two days - taken by various people and from various sources. John P Matthew has been liveblogging the events in Mumbai, with reflections on people's reactions and the media's coverage.

At the office where I am there are excited voices, raised in concern, about attacks at VT station through which I have to pass. Somebody says that in the lane downstairs terrorists were firing indiscriminately. There's panic in the building and a colleague is spreading more terror with his uncontrolled blurting of what little he knows. He gets too excited unnecessarily.

Kunal at Live's Short Live it Up has been liveblogging relentlessly as well -

# GPS Satellite phones found on terrorists. Another phone with foreign SIM card found near Taj hotel
# Terrorists hijacked fishing boards
# All Terrorists in Taj hotel have been Eliminated! [23:25]
# NSG sources say one injured terrorist still holed up at Taj hotel
# More hostages rescued from Nariman House. 15-17 people are out of Nariman house now
# 25 blasts at Taj hotel in last 24 hours
# Fresh round of firing from Taj hotel’s far end

As is obvious, confusion appears to reign supreme, and there's very little clarity on the status of the terrorists and hostage situation.

India: Who are they, and what is the Media saying?

Neha Viswanathan — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:22:11 +0000

Smoke Signals slams the mainstream media coverage of the event, as the television screens are filled with almost panic inducing sequences, and hurried question and answer sessions. At the time that this post is being written, the gun battles are still going on in at least one of the hotels and in another building.

The same asthmatic quality, the same inane back and forth between ‘expert’ and ‘commentator’ [What equipment will those commandos be carrying? In what order will then go in? What do you think they will do first when they enter the building? These commandos are masked so their features cannot be seen… This is great photography by our cameraman who is getting them exclusively for you… Geez! Just go on and say this terrorist attack is sponsored by XYZ, why don’t you?!]…

An interesing perspective from one of the most public figures in India - Amitabh Bachchan, who writes on his blog about how the mainstream media wants him to get on air for a sound byte.

I have been at the receiving end of a million calls and an equal number of sms’s the whole day to come live on TV or on the print media to express my views on the current situation and am being lured by words such as ’we need you to speak to express solidarity and for the people to maintain their calm’.

This is disgusting !! I will NOT do that. TELL ME AND ORDER ME INSTEAD THAT WE REQUIRE FOR EVERY INDIAN TO GET UP AND WALK INTO THE FACILITIES WHERE THE ACTION IS ON AND I WILL BE THE FIRST TO WALK. But, please do not ask me to come and make sloppy statements that will do nothing more than create viewer interest in said particular channel ! I respect what the media is doing in serving the nation with its continuous information bulletins and I admire the brave and diligent manner in which they have devoted themselves to the cause. But what they expect me do I find against my ethics and want to be excused from it.

Counterterrorism blog on the modus operandi of the terrorists and who it could have been

In view of the historical context, precedents and latest analysis, the most likely groups that may be behind these attacks are the Lashkar e Toiba/SIMI (they now call themselves Indian Mujahideen). These groups are Jihadists, have links to the other organizations in Kashmir but also inside Pakistan with pro-Taliban elements and eventually Al Qaeda. The ideological identification is most likely Jihadist although the group almost surely will issue a more than one release to claim the attack and put it in context.

At counterpunch, a political newsletter, Tariq Ali examines the nuances of insiders and outsiders.

Why should it be such a surprise if the perpetrators are themselves Indian Muslims? Its hardly a secret that there has been much anger within the poorest sections of the Muslim community against the systematic discrimination and acts of violence carried out against them of which the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in shining Gujarat was only the most blatant and the most investigated episode, supported by the Chief Minister of the State and the local state apparatuses.

Pickled Politics does a post on what India needs to do in the near future to combat terrorism.

1) There’s a very good chance that the long-discussed US style ‘Dept of Homeland Security’ will be established. This is a good move since India’s intelligence services haven’t had much success in combating terrorism. In this, I hope they pump in more money and bring in expertise from the UK, USA and Israel.

2) They will have to put more money into border control, especially at ports (which is how the Mumbai attackers came in).

Mumbai: The Taj Hotel Burns

Neha Viswanathan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:23:48 +0000

Photographs are appearing on flickr and elsewhere, allowing us a glimpse beyond the visuals provided by mainstream media. Arun Shanbhag has a post full of photographs - from blood pools, to chalk marks and a burning Taj Hotel. More of his photographs on flickr here.

A photograph of the Taj hotel up in flames by Soumit Kar. A photograph of the same hotel by Mayank Austen Soofi - on fire at night. Ashesh Shah has a photograph of ladders and cranes being placed by the hotel to aid rescue work.

The Taj Mahal Hotel is an iconic structure in Mumbai. Seen often in photographs as a backdrop to the Gateway of India, it is a heritage building, and has seen several world famous figures occupy its rooms. Some of the shock expressed by bloggers has to do with the fact that the structure is still on fire, and the upper floor looks like it has been gutted by the flames.

Terror in Mumbai: Theories, strategies and more Media

Neha Viswanathan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:17:43 +0000

An online list of people who are injured, in hospitals or reported dead has been put up on a google spreadsheet. The spreadsheet has details of people's names and which hospitals they are in. At Mahalo, a comprehensive link list is being updated with links to various sources of information.

Offstumped takes a scathing look at how media has handled the coverage of the terror attacks in Mumbai so far.

But let it be clear Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai and your compatriots in the 24×7 media, we dont need you taking out of context every single event and analysing it threadbare.
This is not the 20×20 cricket league, spare us your running commentary.
If you really care about defeating the Terrorists and Winning this War here are a few suggestions:

- In an incident like this nobody has a full accounting of facts. Accurate Information is the most scarce commodity. Do some hard work by reaching out to the citizens of Mumbai to re-construct eye witness accounts.

Internationally, the particular case of possible Israeli hostages has been discussed on quite a few blogs - like Jewlicious and Baltimore Jewish.

Amidst the wave of ongoing terrorist attacks taking place in the city of Mumbai in India, the local Chabad House was overtaken by gunmen. Gavriel Holtzberg, his wife Rivka and their young son, along with several Israelis, have been taken hostage inside the Chabad House.

Mujahideen Ryder writes on the possible backlash this may provoke against Muslims in India.

Now we have some idiots who claim to be “mujahideen” killing these innocent people. Really makes me mad on why some of these terrorists think when they do these things. Then again these terrorists do not follow the Qur’an or Sunnah. They follow their leaders who have brainwashed them. There is also a possibility that they could not be Muslim and just a group trying to make Muslims look bad. I can definitely seeing extremist Hindu groups doing this.

Even as the standard rhetoric hits the tv channels about the “outsider hand” or possible fundamentalist groups, conspiracy theories are doing the rounds.

Our worst fears have come true. It is clear that Mossad is involved in the whole affair. An entire city has been attacked by Mossad and probably units of mercenaries. It is not possible for one single organization to plan and execute such a sophisticated operation. It is clear that this operation was backed by communal forces from within the Indian State. The Home Minister Shivraj Patil should resign. The RSS-BJP-VHP-Bajrang Dal should be banned.

Intellibriefs takes a closer look at the method in the terror madness, talking of the strategies of attacking a city.

1. Terrorists primarily targeted posh areas, high end cafes and hotels frequented by foreigners. Terrorists are trying to paint India as an unsafe place for tourism and business.

2. It seems that a separate module of terrorists planted IEDs at different places to spread panic, uncertainty and confuse the thrust of retaliatory action of Police.

3. Thus, it may be deduced that terrorists were grouped in different type of sabotage teams; some were involved in opening direct fire and engaging security forces while other teams planted IED's to make it difficult for administration to quantify the scale and gain an early upper hand.

On a personal note, the reactions from bloggers, tweeters and the online social media world are far more insightful than the panic mode adopted by TV news channels. More as it comes…

India: Political will, terrorism and Mumbai

Neha Viswanathan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:05:29 +0000

Even as the unfolding hostage situation in Mumbai escalates, more reactions on the blogosphere - from India and other places. Desipundit has pulled in links from various blogs - highlighting posts - from experience, to shock, despair and rage. The article on the attacks over at Wikipedia is an excellent source, compiling information from various source. Sonia Faleiro writes about being caught in the middle of it all.

We stepped out of the hotel and bullets rang in the air, people screamed, a tidal wave raced down the street and the security guard said ‘Inside! Madam, Inside NOW!'

We ran inside and I messaged my friend Chandrahas. ‘Encounter. We're staying in for now.' We thought then it was a gang war, and it would end soon and Rahul and I looked at one another and we thought: This is what we're bringing our children into the world for.

Even then though there was no fear, only worry and stress. This is Bombay we said to ourselves, we fear no gangs, they are part of our bloodstream.

It's certainly not the first terror attack. Over the last year, there have been several cities targeted in various ways. From low intensity bombs, to grenades, and now open firing. Just a little something writes

It’s been numbing to say the least. Every time something like this happens I am seized by different reactions - sadness, anger, frustration, and helplessness to various degrees. And I am sure that must be the case with a majority of people. To be so vulnerable to attacks in the spate of a year is extremely scary a situation. Imagine how powerless our Intelligence must be to not have a CLUE about the blasts / attacks coming to any of the cities this year.

The Mad Momma expresses anger at the way politicians have handled the issue so far.

Why didn’t the PM get up at midnight itself and give us some words of comfort and confidence? Why do we need a doddering old Shivraj Patil to make crappy, ineffectual statements? Where is the young blood that will lead us? Oh, apparently old man did warn us about terrorism via sea routes two years ago. So why didn’t we take it more seriously? If they had the gall to turn up at the heavily populated Gateway - can you imagine what goes on along our coastline?

Kalachakra raises some similar and pertinent questions about the ineptitude of the government machinery to deal with terror attacks, despite so many cities having been at the receiving end over the last few years.

Why have there been no resignations? Actually as a nation we are so immune to lack of action by the executive that we have stopped demanding that pubic servants accountable for the security and law enforcement take responsibility and resign. Ideally Shivraj Patil should have resigned many months ago, or should have been sacked and replaced with someone with a better track record.

India seems to be an easy target. With much of the anti-terror tactics hopelessly mauled by politicians after vote banks. Lekhni asks

Do the people who carry out these attacks this believe the West will turn a blind eye to terror attacks in India? Or do they want to create the impression that India, and Mumbai in particular, is an unsafe destination? Or is India just an easy target with its crowded public places?

The hostage situation doesn't show any sign of ending soon. More on this as the day goes on.

India: Media, Mumbai and Terror Attacks

Neha Viswanathan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:57:51 +0000

This post is part of the Global Voices coverage on the terror attacks in Mumbai, India on November 26, 2008.

Anger at the media for their coverage of the terror attacks in Mumbai is apparent on the blogosphere. For one, the mainstream media appears to have taken the approach of “shock and shake”, as opposed to verifying rumors before reporting them. But the nation appears glued to their television sets, as it is probably the most “live” source of information at this point in time. Kalyan Varma writes:

In tough economic and global times like this, we will win only if we move on with out lives and keep this behind. This is how we fight terror, not overreacting to this, not invading countries and giving up our freedom. Bad enough the security guards check my car and bags each time I enter a mall or hotel here in Bangalore, I do not want to give up any more of my freedom.

and someone please shut up Barkha Dutt of NDTV. She is causing more damage to the country by FUD than the terrorists themselves.

And from the perspective of a media man, Smoke Signals writes a poignant post on news and the self.

The rational corner of my mind tells me that there is no security measure, no multi-crore security ‘plan' that can permanently inoculate me and my fellow Mumbaikars against what is becoming a gory ritual. But who, listening to a colleague call in with details of grenade explosions and the rattle of machine guns and mounting body counts or watching images of the Taj Mahal Hotel – more, to me and my fellow Mumbaikars than a ‘hotel'; its facade is as much a part of my Mumbai-ness as is vada pav and cutting chai and the boon-granting Ganesha of Siddhivinayak – can stay rational? That other me, the irrational me that showered and dressed and drove to work today, watches news reports of the Prime Minister talking to his wannabe successor to work out travel plans [Shall we go to Mumbai together or separately? Prime Ministerial plane or commercial airliner? Window seat or aisle?] and wonders, don't you guys have anything more important, more immediate, to do? Does Mumbai really need, want, either or both of you to regurgitate the cud of banality, to trot out prefabricated statements on the order of ‘The country must come together to resist this threat to its security?

Falstaff comments on the relentless media coverage, and if someone has stopped to think about how it might end up helping the attackers:

It's a particularly bad idea because it seems to me that most media channels are too busy trying to sensationalize the news to bother thinking through the consequences of what they're saying. It's not just that much of the coverage seems to be designed to amplify the general hysteria and panic, it's also that watching journalists describe what the police are doing or report on who is still trapped inside the hotels, I find myself wondering whether anyone's considered that at least some of that information might be helping the attackers.

India: First photographs of Mumbai blasts on flickr

Neha Viswanathan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:01:39 +0000

The first photographs from Mumbai on flickr are coming up. Vinu from Vinu's Online Cloud has uploaded a lot of photographs from the streets of Mumbai.

MumbaiHelp is back online and offering to make call for anyone who can't get through to their families and friends.

Leave a message if you're trying to get through to pals in the city.

Preferably leave a cellphone number for both yourself and your friends / family, and we'll try and SMS them.

Tip: Suggest you avoid calling. Lines are bound to be screwed. SMS direct instead.

Meanwhile, Gauravonomics writes on “Real Time Citizen Journalism in Mumbai Terrorist Attacks”

The Mumbai terrorist attack is now on the front page of Google News and Mahalo is doing a great job of compiling the story as it unfolds.

The first photos of the Mumbai terrorist attacks are up on CNN-IBN and NDTV and both (CNN-IBN and NDTV) are streaming live video feeds of the unfolding situation.

I’ll be updating this post with more citizen generated resources on the Mumbai terrorist attacks as they are put up.

India: Terror attacks continue in Mumbai

Neha Viswanathan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:38:53 +0000

In what appears to be a surreal sense of reality, television channels are airing footage from the various places in Southern Mumbai that are being attacked. Ultrabrown writes -

A large-scale S. Bombay terrorist attack is going on right now using automatic weapons, hand grenades and possibly a taxi bomb. Commandos and military are supposedly being rushed in. Gunfire is still being heard on live TV.

And the logistics of living in a country which constantly finds itself under terrorist attacks. Meandering thoughts… writes

A friend called from Mumbai to find out if I'm fine and mentioned that he's actually made groups in his phone's contact list - one for each metro city of the country. Makes it easier for him to react and find out about family and friends every time a blast happens.

I'm beginning to realise he has a point.

Worryingly, there already is a sense of conflicting information from various sources. While some mainstream media sources suggest that the situation is under control, others give the impression that there maybe a hostage situation developing in some of the hotels, especially with foreign nationals being held by the terrorists.

Tweets from Mumbai were one of the first to break the news. Manic Scribe writes.

A bunch of terrorist are in the midst of a co-ordinated attack on Mumbai, India. The reports first started trickling in on Twitter, of all places, as I follow a few people who live in Mumbai. They have actually heard the explosions.

India Retold writes

They are still there, firing and waiting to take the police on. The lobby of Oberoi Hotel has been set on fire. A petrol pump in Colaba has just been blown up, as this is being typed. Dadar station has been evacuated. An explosive laden taxi has been blown up in Ville Parle. Two terrorists have entered GT Hospital. They are exchanging fire with police near Metro cinema. Some terrorists have even commandeered a police jeep and are moving around in it firing indiscriminately. Incidents of blasts/ firing/lobbying of hand grenade have been reported from at least nine places. And the number is only increasing even at this hour past midnight. Live firing can still be heard on TV. It is 12:31 AM.

As the minutes go by, more reactions emerge from the blogosphere. An angry post at Doing Something For My Country!!

Makes me wonder what will make our so called LEADERS to stand up and notice of whats happened and again happening… They of course do not realise the importance of lives of INDIANS, otherwise some concrete action might have taken place… Calling the INDIAN POLITICIALS WEKELINGS AND COWARDS would be the understatement of the century…

The attacks came quite late in the night on a weekday. Chances are that the city will take a few days before things return to normal. (Once was) Mumbaiwallah writes

It's 00.17 on 27 November as I write. CNN on Twitter tells me that the city is under seige again. A grenade apparently went off at CST and shooting was reported in Colaba. NDTV.com live tv shows that the Oberoi lobby is on fire and an ‘encounter' is on at the Taj and Trident Hotel.

Trains on the central line have been stopped until further notice. 20 people have been reported dead at this time.

India: Blasts, Gunfire and Terror in Mumbai

Neha Viswanathan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:01:21 +0000

In a series of blasts and shoot outs, the city of Mumbai appears to have come under attack. According to the news, there appear to be at least seven different locations in the city that have been attacked. In an unprecedented sort of terror, a combination of gun fire, blasts, grenade blasts have been used to attack cinema halls, hotels, hospitals, and other public places. A mainsteam media report states

At least four people are reported to have been killed and 15 are injured as unidentified groups of gunmen opened fire in at least four places across south Mumbai on Wednesday night.

In a one line post, a view on markets and life evokes the confusion and shock of the event.

Sirens outside my window. Please make it a safe night.

On Twitter, several people are tweeting from Mumbai, and there appears to be very little information available. There is some amount of speculation if this is indeed a terror attack. Mumbai used to witness gang wars, but these haven't been heard of in a decade.

An online community for engineers posts the events as they happen

10 minutes before (10:45 PM IST) there is an Open Firing and Explosion reported in South Mumbai. Till now there is no Casualities reported. Atleast 15 Injured and 1 policeman injured. AK47 used in Firing .

So far 5 Confirmed Incidents reported in Shooting. 3 Confirmed Dead !

Firing reported in CST (Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal), Taj Hotel, Colaba Causeway and VT Station. Reports Confirmed its a Terror Attack. In VT Station atleast 15 people Feared Injured.

A post at Retributions reminds us that the threat of terror is very real in India. A post at Staccato articulates a similar thought - of the mindless terror attacks that have repeatedly struck various cities in India.

Bomb blasts in Bombay as we speak.
Phones jammed. Can't reach my family.
I've gone through this before.
Not panicking.

Another post echoes the fear and helplessness.

it is extremely scary to watch all this on the news.
i'm immoderately shaking in fear right now. i never get so shaken up by news. it's the distance that's doing this. if i was in bombay i might not have been watching the news so carefully.

People in the city blog the sheer shock. The attacks have come at a late hour, and after the office rush hour. Himadri writes

There was this friend of his who had just returned from Colaba. A firing had just occurred near Bade Miyan where he was eating. And as we were discussing and dialling random numbers on the cellphone, we heard three explosions within seconds or minutes of each other. The ground shook. This was not just another night.

We switched on the television. And the firing still goes on outside, in batches of 4-5 rounds. As I am writing this, there are sirens of vehicles, police vehicles echoing in my ear. There are 6 people in my living room now, watching the news. Two of them were sitting at Leopold, where there was a shootout earlier. One is a broker, and another one his friend. I am here, my roommate is here. Aunty is in her room, Babloo is cursing everyone to disturb his sleep. And We are together. Only unity can fight this.

Even as this post is being written, there are reports of more attacks and encounters in the city.

India: Are bomb blasts normal?

Neha Viswanathan — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:12:58 +0000

India's northeastern state of Assam was rocked by a series of bomb blasts last Thursday which killed at least 76 people and injured hundreds. Even as the country is a constant state of high alert given the number of terrorist attacks in the country, more cities appear to be added to the list of those attacked by bomb blasts.

Pirates of the Dirac Sea writes on the blasts that came right after the festival of Diwali. While the state is used to a high level of conflict, the sheer scale and intensity of the blasts has shocked the people.

According to my friend when the blast occurred in Ganeshguri area near the car parking the 10 auto rickshaws standing there started burning simultaneously along with other vehicles. The flyover also got a big hole in it. The intensity was so high that many of the victims' dead bodies were just a mixture of ashes, bones, teeth etc. One person from my district in Assam has been identified as a victim with some bones, teeth found on the spot and a gold ring which he used to wear.

Although an obscure religious extremist group -India Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the serial blasts, the theories of involvement of the terror outfits HUJI as well as the ULFA are not being ruled out.

Pirates of the Dirac Sea also complains about the inaction of the government against the suspects and comments on how peoples reacted:

Every time a bomb blast occurs, many people die and from the next day people forget about it and get busy with their daily lives.They have no other options as they have to get back to their work for their survival.

Varun's Vagaries writes on the usual rhetoric of cities being resilient and springing back to life:

We showed our resilience,the city started moving within a matter of hours, normalcy was resumed in a day. We moved on. I personally think this is nothing to be proud of. I am ASHAMED that the city life takes such hits so lightly. I'm ASHAMED the news channels will all move to cricket news withing minutes of that first BREAKING NEWS, I am ASHAMED to look at the TV, see the casualties and just move on, saying I can't do anything about it, and I am also ashamed that I have become so desensitized to human suffering.

Muslim India talks of the steady decline of law and order in Assam through decades of insurgency and ethnic conflict.:

Assam's steady descent into darkness has been happening over a period of time, with armed uprisings against the Indian state and Assam itself, with a proliferation of the ethnic divisions and communal divides over the past years. And none who have had association with violence and the politics of intimidation, hatred and confrontation — and that includes the Indian state which has tried to pit one group against another, politically and otherwise — can be absolved of responsibility.

Other than the sheer tragic nature of the attack, it has provoked a debate on religion and terrorism. At Daily Online Alochona, we find a link to an online discussion group talking on the prevalent discourse on terrorism.

Instead of vigorously denouncing all terrorists they are trying to shift the blame to the Hindu terrorists and defending the Muslim terrorists, as if they do not exist in India. Are they unaware of what's happening in Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Indonesia, as well as other Muslim countries in the world?

Maverick Thinking is sick of the coverage for the US elections in the media and feels anger at the increasing instances of terrorist attacks in the country:

Seems like every alternate day a new place is treated to bomb blasts. My blood couldn't help go boiling after seeing the pained pictures of the victims and their families, from the recent Assam serial blasts. How many cities have been hit with these serial blasts in the past 6 month? Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Assam…who's next?

India: Films and Feminism

Neha Viswanathan — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:52:30 +0000

Beth Loves Bollywood does a post on “filmi” feminism - picking on a scene from a Bollywood film.

Bangladesh: Working in the Gulf

Neha Viswanathan — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:52:11 +0000

Reflections on migrants going to work in the Gulf, while waiting at the airport at unearthly hour at D is for Dhaka.

India: Muslims in America

Neha Viswanathan — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:15:25 +0000

Indian Muslims Blog on why Muslims are alienated from America's political parties.

Bangladesh: Waterlogged

Neha Viswanathan — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:07:15 +0000

The 3rd World View on the waterlogged lifecycle in Bangladesh as several areas are waterlogged.