Stories about South Asia from September, 2014
‘Love Jihad’ in India: Reality, Myth or Simply a Case of Political Rabble-Rousing?
'Love Jihad,' when Muslim men allegedly lure non-Muslim girls by feigning love and then forcibly convert them to Islam, has once again raised its head in India. Does it exist?
The Curious Case Of Marrying Out Of Caste in India
Karthik Shashidhar, a freelance management consultant and data scientist, shares interesting statistics from the National Family Health Survey. Shashidhar discusses the percentage of women in India who are married to someone...
India's Prime Minister Plans Hi-Tech Makeover For Ancient City of Varanasi
India's prime minister is set, it seems, to make good on an election promise to remake the city of Varanasi into a blend of ancient culture and modern technology.
How Climate-Smart Villages in Bangladesh, India and Nepal Are Preparing Farmers for the Future
As part of the effort to help farmers adapt to changing climates, text and voice messages were sent to 1,400 farmers in 60 Indian villages with important farming information.
Why Militant Maoists Are Attacking Mobile Phone Towers in India
Authorities say Maoists set fire to a trio of telephone towers in rural India. These are the latest of more than 200 towers that Maoists have targeted in recent years.
Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone: ‘Yes! I Am a Woman. I Have Breasts and a Cleavage! You Got a Problem?!’
An entertainment news portal tweeted a screenshot of Padukone in the film "Finding Fanny" along with the comment "Deepika's cleavage show." The actress and numerous others hit back on Twitter.
How Entrepreneurship Helped a Bangladeshi Girl Avoid Child Marriage
Bangladeshi blogger Raad Rahman tells the story of a girl in rural Bangladesh who avoided a forced child marriage after she started a grocery shop using a small grant from...
After Years of Censorship in Pakistan, Zeejah Fazli Is Trying to Fix Islamabad’s Fractured Music Industry
Meet guitarist Zeejah Fazli who works hard to create new opportunities in Islamabad’s limited music industry.
Frustrated by a 2-Hour Delay, Passengers Refuse to Let Pakistani Politician Rehman Malik Board Plane
Flight delays because of politicians or well-connected individuals is not uncommon in Pakistan.
Pakistan's Government, Industry Complain of Economic Losses Due to Protests
Protesters from two very different political camps in Pakistan have staged a peaceful sit-in in Islamabad since August 14 with a common demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif due to...
One of the Latest ‘Happy’ Tribute Videos Comes From Sikkim, High in India's Himalayas
The song “Happy”, written, produced, and performed by American singer and producer Pharrell Williams, became a viral phenomenon earlier this year as countless tribute videos filmed around the world were...
How the United States H4 Visa Traps Foreign Workers’ Family Members in a ‘Golden Cage’
H4 visa holders cannot get a job in the US, work remotely for a company back home or even freelance.
Sri Lanka's Slow LLRC Implementation
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was a commission of inquiry mandated to investigate the facts and circumstances which led to the bloody civil war in Sri Lanka. After...
The Flash Floods Wreaking Havoc In Pakistan Aren't Done Yet
Already swimming in political turmoil, Pakistan is now struggling against flooding that has affected over a million people and killed more than two-hundred.
Mourning a Giant of Yoga Instruction, BKS Iyengar
Internationally acclaimed yoga teacher BKS Iyengar died two weeks ago at the age of 96. His students and admirers have mourned and celebrated him on Twitter for weeks.
Indians Publish Cries for Help and Calls for Donations on Twitter as Deadly Flooding Hits Jammu and Kashmir
"It's raining hell in Kashmir. Roads and rivers inundated. People being evacuated to safer places."
Student in Kerala, India Arrested for Insulting National Anthem
Salman Zalman, a philosophy student and an activist from Kerala, was charged with sedition for allegedly disrespecting and insulting the Indian national anthem and also for a Facebook post.
Blogger Puts a Naturally Formed Face of Buddha in Bhutan on the Map
Blogger Passang Tshering, a high school teacher from Wangdue, Bhutan, wrote in his blog on 31 August, 2014, about an image of Lord Buddha's face formed out of natural rock...
Activists and Bloggers Worldwide Ponder Lessons Learned From the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
There is no denying that more people are now more aware of ALS than ever before, but critics have accused the campaign of focusing on self-congratulating deeds.
Pakistan's 1 Million Internal Refugees Might Have to March to Islamabad to Get the Nation's Attention
Authorities in Pakistan's displaced communities are growing impatient with the government's relief efforts. One tribal leader even threatens to march to Islamabad, if that's what it takes to be noticed.
These 8 Ice Bucket Spinoffs Challenge Hunger, War and Politics
From the “Lather Against Ebola” campaign against Ebola in Côte d'Ivoire to the Rubble Bucket Challenge for children in Gaza, people are repurposing the viral phenomenon.
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