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South Asia

The UN Human Rights Council Resolution on Sri Lanka’s Alleged War Crimes

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April 3, 2012
Articles, Civil Society, Counter-terrorism, India, Military, Reconciliation, Security, South Asia, Sri Lanka, United Nations, United States
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Victory monument at Karadiyanaru junction - Sri Lanka

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In this article the author explores the resolution’s impact on Sri Lanka, and its probable implications with reference to Sri Lanka.

By Rithika Nair, 3rd April, 2012

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) judgment on Sri Lanka’s efforts at post-conflict reconstruction, invited an abundance of opinions and debate globally. Newspapers cried out country decisions to the US sponsored resolution with regard to their foreign policies, domestic policies and moral policies. In lending an ear to all the global justifications and rationalizations, the importance shifted away from what Sri Lanka had to say with regard to the resolution and its possible impact on the island.

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10 Reasons why India is not the Next Superpower

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January 4, 2012
Articles, Governance, India, Poverty, South Asia
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Graffiti in India

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In this article, the author presents ten issues that are holding India back and have crippled India to some extent. He makes the case that if these problems are not overcome, India will not be a future “superpower”, as some claim it will be.

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By Mikael Santelli-Bensouda, 4 Jan, 2012

There is an increasing vigour with which international observers speak of the rise of India. According to many, it seems that those who placed bets on China becoming the next dominant power are wrong and in fact India was the right choice. This is based upon the assumption that India is destined to become the next real global player by virtue of three integral factors: it is the world’s largest democracy; it has an absurdly large and predominantly young population, and its ascension into the global elite of power economies is inevitable.

However, have we asked ourselves enough questions about the so-called emerging power? What is the reality of the Indian condition? Has hyperbolic economic growth planted the seeds for a truly gregarious society? Is democracy moving the masses forward or fostering a residue of stagnation? With the dawning of a new year, it is an appropriate time to dispel the romanticised image of the emerging Indian powerhouse by identifying 10 key areas that prevent India from being considered as a global superpower.

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What’s in a Name? Everything, if your name is Nakoshi

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October 23, 2011
Articles, Feminism, India, South Asia
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A 'dalit', or 'oppressed' girl in rural Rajasthan, India (Photo: Siddharth Singh from www.sidi.me)

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In this article, the author explores a regressive custom in rural India, where parents give unwanted names to their children because of the prevalent sexism, misogyny and castesim.

By Siddharth Singh, 23 Oct, 2011

22nd October, 2011 is an important date for the 265 girls from the rural Indian province of Satara. This is the day they were given a new name, a new identity, and hopefully a new life of dignity.

In 2007, the health officials in this region informed the administration of a rampant practice in Satara where parents would name their girl children ‘Nakoshi’, which means ‘unwanted’, in the hope that their next child would be a boy. Consequentially, these girls would grow to live in a world where they would be stigmatised and discriminated against, more so than women already are.

On 22nd October, the administration organised a public event and renamed the girls. The girls were allowed to choose any name they wished, or select one from a list provided. The girls went ahead and chose names such as Aishwaria (meaning ‘wealth’). The Indian Express reported that these girls, for the first time in their lives, felt loved and accepted. They recounted how they were previously treated with disdain, and would often return from their schools crying because they were bullied.

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The Strange Politics of Anna Hazare

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October 12, 2011
Articles, India, South Asia
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In this article, the author claims that Anna Hazare’s call to vote against the Indian National Congress in the Uttar Pradesh elections may prove to be the Jan Lokpal movement’s downfall.
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By Siddharth Singh, 12 Oct, 2011

Anna Hazare’s recent threat to campaign against the Congress party in case they don’t help pass his version of the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections is an artful move. Much as the Congress would like to dismiss this threat citing the non-existent political roots of Anna, it needs to tread with caution given it draws substantial support from the Middle-class in UP. The Congress has pinned its re-election prospects, as well as the political prospects of Rahul Gandhi, to its performance in UP. By threatening to strike the Congress where it would hurt the most, Anna has been very strategic.

However, while this move by him may see an initial success in Hisar’s by-polls (which is a constituency that wasn’t leaning towards the Congress in the first place), it risks becoming a cause for the downfall of this movement. Political fault-lines in Uttar Pradesh lie – unfortunately – on issues of caste and religion, and to an extent – fortunately – on the governance (or mis-governance) records of the respective parties. While the general call of ending corruption may resonate with the society, people may not swing their votes in favour of parties that promise to implement certain legislation over others in the future. Especially not if the record of such parties on corruption and graft is equally if not more suspect than that of the Congress.

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Look East, Prime Minister Singh

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August 7, 2010
Articles, India, International Politics, Pakistan, South Asia
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By Siddharth Singh, 7 Aug, 2010

China continues to woo Bangladesh in its attempt to create a chain of China-friendly states around India’s border for obvious strategic purposes. It is time India swallows its pride and get real by engaging Bangladesh. Proactiveness and conviction by Dr. Singh will get India much more than what Pakistan feigns to offer. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s recent trip to Bangladesh is a good start, but a lot more is required. The time and effort being expedited on Pakistan must be replicated and overshadowed by India’s effort on Bangladesh. The timing of such an endeavor couldn’t be better.

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