Indian roads, one of the world's noisiest, might soon become a symphony of Indian musical sounds - if Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, has his way
Pakistan's Literary Festivals Inject Oxygen into Constrained Intellectual Spaces, but Cross-Border Exchanges Remain Frozen
Inspired by the Jaipur Lit Fest, Pakistan’s first literary festival took place in the country’s largest city Karachi in 2010. Subsequently replicated in Lahore and Islamabad, such festivals now take place around the country, from the agricultural and industrial hub of Faisalabad, formerly Lyallpur, to the port city of Gwadar on the Balochistan coast.
An Unending Struggle for Justice: A Rare Insight into the Everyday Lives of Migrant Workers in India
While the overall picture is depressing, Ramaswami also describes hopeful strands within the social fabric of workers’ lives such as the mutual support and 'bhaichara' (fellowship) between men across ethnic, religious and caste boundaries that become more fluid within the city. The inter-religious and inter-caste ties forged between workers can be seen as small glimmers of hope in the context of the rising tide of Hindutva politics over the past decades.
Suman Kalyanpur: A Silken Echo Falls Silent
Today, as we bid farewell to the Dhaka-born singer once fondly called the “Dhake ki malmal,” one is reminded that the softest fabrics often endure the longest. Her voice was just that. Fine, delicate, yet enduring beyond time. And now, as that voice falls silent, it leaves behind not an emptiness, but an echo. An echo that will continue to drift through radio waves, old recordings and the private corners of memory.
Aurat March is About Women's Identity: Movement for Gender Justice in Pakistan and Across the Region
Two girls stood silently holding a placard that read: ‘Forcing your daughter to get married is forcing her to get raped.’ The message speaks to a reality across the South Asian region where the priority for most families is to get their daughters married. On a sheet where attendees were penning messages to their mothers -- words they could not say aloud -- an anonymous note read: “Would you rather see me married or alive?”
More on Culture and Society
Umer Sharif, Pakistan's 'King of Comedy', dies in Germany; Pakistan mourns
Pakistan's entertainment industry was in mourning over the death of Umer Sharif, one of the country's most popular comic actors and hailed by many as the "King of Comedy", who died in Germany on Saturday, Pakistani media reported
India favorites as South Asia's premier football tournament kicks off Friday
After two postponements, a shifting of venue and a withdrawal – all prompted by the raging Covid-19 pandemic – the 13th edition of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) championship kicks off on October 1 in the picturesque Maldivian capital Male, surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean
Two women Bangladeshi bravehearts risking their lives daily to reach oxygen to Covid patients
Two women - a former woman cricketer and a software engineer – have emerged as life saviours in Bangladesh for risking their lives to reach oxygen to Covid-19 patients
Bangladeshi man sets his bike on fire after being repeatedly fined
Shawkat Ali bought a motorbike two months ago for ride-sharing services to earn some money. However, he himself set the bike on fire on Monday when he was fined for violating traffic rules
Tennis aces, India's Rohan Boppana and Pakistan's Aisam ul Haq, to pair once again for ATP Sofia Cup
Pakistan and India may be at daggers drawn politically and diplomatically, but friendships and partnerships at a people to people level tell a different story
Pakistani singer Atif Aslam releases new song featuring Mahira Khan
Pakistani singer-actor Atif Aslam, whose songs are popular across the subcontinent, took to Twitter to announce the release of his new song Ajnabi, featuring actor Mahira Khan in the video. The song was released on Youtube
Superhit Sri Lankan song Manike Mage Hithe now part of India’s election campaign
After captivating India’s globally popular film industry and its entertainment-craving public, Sri Lanka’s chartbuster song Manike Mage Hithe (In my Heart) has now made its appearance in an Indian election campaign
Bangladeshi girl wins award from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for raising mental health awareness
Bangladeshi girl Fairooz Faizah Beether, the co-founder of an organization that aims at enlightening the youth about the importance of mental health care, has won the 2021 Goalkeepers Global Goals Changemaker Award, announced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Pakistani actor Mahira Khan joins Commonwealth campaign against domestic, sexual violence
Renowned Pakistani actor and National Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mahira Khan, has joined a Commonwealth campaign against domestic abuse and sexual assault
Two more Indian beaches get coveted international Blue Flag certification, total now 10
In yet another recognition of India’s commitment to protect and conserve its coastal and marine ecosystems through holistic management of the resources the globally recognized and the coveted global eco-label Blue Flag has accorded the Blue Flag certification for two new beaches this year –Kovalam in Kerala and Eden in Puducherry beaches, both in southern India
Unifying power of music: Sri Lankan hit song captures Indian hearts, Bollywood bewitched
Politics divides, but music unites. This is nowhere more illustrative than in South Asia where a superhit Sri Lankan song “Manake Mage Hithe” is making waves in India
Renowned Indian astrophysicist and science populariser Thanu Padmanabhan dead
Eminent Indian theoretical physicist and cosmologist Thanu Padmanabhan died in Pune, aged 64, on Friday after a massive heart attack, The Hindu reported
New Zealand abandons Pakistan tour; big blow to Pakistan and PM Imran Khan
In what is seen as a big blow to Pakistan's bid to show the world that it was capable of providing a safe and secure environment for international sports, New Zealand’s first cricket tour to the country in 18 years was abandoned Friday following a “government security alert”
Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia, to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary
Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia will celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with a presentation on October 28 titled "Ahimsa: Meditations on Gandhi" featuring original pieces from one of Australia’s finest jazz composers Sandy Evans, inspired by the Indian freedom fighter’s writings and philosophy of non-violence
