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The Kabir festival idea arose from the need to develop a sense of cooperation amongst the people from South Asia that call this area home, conceived as an entirely voluntary effort by community members.
King Khan opens up a bold new space for Bollywood
The industry prefers a winning formula to creative exploration, particularly in big-budget films populated by rocking stars with fancy fees. Will that change from hereon with the success of ‘Jawan’? We have on offer a new path for Bollywood, a path that can use its huge and unrivalled soft power to drive home some significant messages of the kind and in a way it has rarely attempted in a big-budget extravaganza.
When the music died: Afghanistan’s performing arts fall silent under Taliban rule
The famed Afghanistan National Institute of Music, the country’s only music school, had to shut down its campus in Kabul after the Taliban's crackdown. It has temporarily relocated to Lisbon, Portugal, where 273 students, faculty members and staff have been granted asylum.
Audacity to play: The remarkable story of women’s cricket in Pakistan
That the writer is Indian and male makes this book all the more remarkable. Puthran has captured not just the state of the sport in Pakistan but also the social, political, religious and administrative challenges women cricketers here face at every step.
Empowering youth for carbon neutrality: Making campuses living laboratories for Net Zero
India's pledge to attain Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2070, articulated by PM Modi at COP26 in Glasgow, UK underscores the nation's determination to combat climate change. In this context, higher education institutions take center stage for moulding future-ready policymakers.
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Recalling Mehar Baba, India’s legendary aviator and his flying exploits
While the British conferred the DSO (Distinguished Service Order) on Meher Singh, the Indian Air Force awarded him the MVC (Maha Vir Chakra). The citation for the MVC awarded to Mehar Singh read “Throughout his tenure as overall Commander of air operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Air Commodore Mehar Singh showed great devotion to duty at great personal risk and set an example to those serving under him”.
Love in the time of division: The making of India’s first forum for interfaith arts and dialogue
The prevalent majoritarian politics necessitated the need to work towards interfaith harmony. I drew strength from the memory of the anti-CAA-NRC protest movement, when the power of the people coursed through the streets of India.
Global warming impacting Mt Everest: Is it also turning into the world's highest garbage dump?
Mount Everest’s glaciers have lost 2,000 years of ice in just the past 30 years, according to recent research. This is not only alarming for those residing in the mountainous areas but also poses a threat to everyone in the region, particularly those living downstream. Much of South Asia depends on rivers that originate in the Himalayas for agriculture and drinking water.
When artistic freedom becomes a propaganda tool: Film on Hindu rightwing icon Veer Savarkar distorts history
In response to the teaser of the film, Netaji's daughter Anita Pfaff told the Times of India, "Like Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji was opposed to the divisiveness based on religious differences. Let Sarvarkar's followers join Netaji in his vision for India and not hijack him for views that certainly were not his."
Tagore's immortal words resonate at Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago
Dookeran pointed out that a journey for freedom, is what ignited the 'Yatra Jaaree Hai' (the journey had begun). In India in modern times, that freedom was given political expression in 1947; it was not only the freedom of India, and it soon spread to all places that was called the British Empire in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean"
Little known heroes of Indian Air Force's 44 Squadron: 50 years of crucial airlifts
During the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operations in Sri Lanka, 44 Squadron played a crucial role in transporting men and material, including T-72 tanks and artillery guns, in the early hours of 30 July 1987, greatly contributing to the airlift effort.
The reality behind the window dressing: An Afghan perspective on the US 'war on terror' in Afghanistan and Iraq
One of the key learnings for me as a linguist and interpreter at the frontline of the Afghan war and occupation for years, that I cannot forget and forgive, was that the US politicians and policymakers did not support and establish secular institutions in Afghanistan. They deceived both the American and the Afghan people.
“Congratulations! It’s a girl!” How one crusader helped change attitudes toward daughters in an Indian state
Young women in Haryana are proving themselves in male-centric sports like wrestling, winning on national and international platforms. They include Geeta Phogat, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, besides the pilot Priyanka; Miss World Manushi Chillar; gold medalist shooter Mannu Bhakar; and Khap Panchayat participant Ritu. These women, and many more, are defying social norms; and bring laurels to the state and the country.
Prayers and calls to find missing Indian climber, a passionate peace enthusiast, in Nepal
Anurag believed strongly in the common civilization shared by India and Pakistan. “It seems visible even today looking at the twin sister cities, Delhi - Lahore and Mumbai - Karachi,” he said.
As Nepal’s rhino population increases, protecting rhino habitat becomes a challenge
In February 2023, Chitwan National Park hosted the 3rd Asian Rhino Range Countries, which saw the adoption of the Chitwan Declaration for Asian Rhino Conservation, 2023 by delegations from Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal.
Pop Art South Asia: A unique and irreverent creative collection of region's artists
It is impossible to take in the meticulously and painstakingly curated show, with more than 100 stimulating, multi-media works, spanning more than a century, in a single visit.
What’s Love Got to Do With It? A feel-good South Asian rom-com with a sturdy message
Released in the UK on February 24 and in Pakistan on March 3, the film is a refreshing masterclass on how to adhere to the classic romantic-comedy structure, delivering a delightfully fair representation of multi-heritage families in cosmopolitan London and Lahore.
When the magic of Faiz got overshadowed by the Javed Akhtar controversy
But it was Akhtar’s few brief comments about the Mumbai attacks that spread rapidly on social media, picked up by mainstream media in Pakistan and India. Back home Akhtar had to defend his visit to Pakistan but his hosts. Faiz Festival organisers, have refused to comment on the controversy.
Zia Mohyeddin: Mourning the passing away of a progressive Pakistani poet and theatre artiste
Pakistan’s progressive movement revolved largely around the great poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, whose work Zia Mohyeddin so eloquently recited in his signature style, his distinctive, gravelly voice set him apart from others.
