Archive of South Asia Citizens Wire

  • Bangladesh: The border guards’ mutiny and the language of violence

    by Asif Saleh, 14 March 2009

    guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 March 2009
    Violence is not the only way to be heard
    After the border guards’ mutiny, Bangladeshi politicians have to ensure disgruntled sections of society feel they have a voice
    It has been two weeks since the ghastly Pilkhana massacre in Bangladesh, and the brutality of the incident has been so traumatising that Bangladeshis are still searching for answers and closure. Inside the headquarter of the border security guards (BDR) of Bangladesh, soldiers (…)

  • Ninjas: Photo commentary by Q. Isa Daudpota

    by Q. Isa Daudpota , 13 March 2009

    I could never have been allowed to take this snapshot.
    It was impossible not to be attracted to this approximation to a circle on the Net. Would students see the comedy in finding the ratio of the area of the circular grass patch to the circumference formed by their covered heads? What would they make of the cock-eyed look? Yes, the comedy is inescapable. Photo-shopping of this web-picture thus became irresistible.
    The opposite emotion on seeing this picture is, however, hugely (…)

  • Kashmir: A Militarist Mindset and Lack of Accountability Continue to Prevail

    by Kashmir Times, 13 March 2009

    Kashmir Times, 13 March 2009
    Editorial
    Ruling elite’s blind spot
    Ground situation in Kashmir is simmering ominously because of systemic failures
    Handling of the situation on the ground in the Kashmir Valley over the past few weeks reveals a fatal flaw in the attitude, behaviour and conduct of the Omar Abdullah-headed state administration. Worse, there seems to be functional disconnect between the administration on one side and the security apparatus on the other. This, in turn, (…)

  • A Free Open Source Software Manifesto for India

    by Public Software for Public Sector, 13 March 2009

    The Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) community has published a
    manifesto requesting Indian political parties to make FOSS usage and
    promotion a central part of the IT, e-government and education plans.

    FOSS is a powerful enabler for spreading education and opportunity to
    all peoples. With its collaborative knowledge model, FOSS can effect
    change and transparency in India. Supporting this petition is one
    small step in the right direction.

  • Online Petition Against the Petrochemical Hub near the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve

    by Santanu Chacraverti, 13 March 2009

    Petition online
    We say "NO" to a Petrochemical Hub in the Ganga Delta
    To: The Prime Minister, The Republic of India
    Sir,
    On 23rd of February 2009 the Union Cabinet has given its blessings to the setting up of a PCPIR (more popularly known as a petrochemical hub) in the Haldia region of West Bengal, with some 70% of the area earmarked for new processing industries to come from the estuarine island of Nayachar.
    By giving its assent to the proposal of setting up a petrochemical (…)

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