Taslima Nasrin being felicitated in Kolkata by West Bengal CM

Taslima Nasrin’s Return and the Politics of Selective Protection

Taslima Nasrin’s homecoming deserves to be welcomed. A writer should be able to return to a city she considers home without fearing violence. The harder test will come when the symbolism fades. Will the government protect her if her criticism becomes inconvenient to the people now celebrating her return?

Jewish Footprints and Connections that Shaped Sri Lanka’s History

Today, the Chabad Houses in Colombo and on Sri Lanka's southern coast have attracted considerable attention amid a rise in anti-Semitic incidents and rhetoric. It is noteworthy that Colombo once had an active synagogue, which served as a regular place of worship for British Jewish servicemen World War II

Repositioning India as the Capital of Buddhist Tourism: A Blueprint for a Global Destination

Buddhist tourism as an important tool of India’s soft power. The shared Buddhist heritage can help develop cultural ties with Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Mongolia, South Korea, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, and several other Buddhist-majority nations through cooperation in archaeology, monk-to-monk dialogues, youth programs, academic exchanges, and cultural festivals

Mohenjo-daro’s ‘Dancing Girl’: The Silence Surrounding Women in Public History

Mohenjo-daro offers South Asia an opportunity to look backwards without dividing the past into national possessions, and to recognise that the region’s cultural memory is older and more interconnected than its modern inheritors.

More on Soft Power, Culture and Society

India’s first Olympic-bound woman fencer thanks parents for sustaining her dream

Sabre Fencer Bhavani Devi, who created history by becoming the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympic Games, said she was looking forward to giving off her best performance in Tokyo2020

Three Nepali sisters summit Everest together creating history

Three Nepali sisters, attempting to set a world record by climbing the highest mountains of all seven continents, on Wednesday successfully scaled the world's highest peak Mount Everest

World-famous Kashmiri Pashmina: Safeguarding the future of a priceless craft

It was decided to continue such discussions among stakeholders in the coming days to draw up a comprehensive road map for the promotion of the priceless Pashmina craft 

ICC tribunal clears Sri Lanka’s Avishka Gunawardene of corruption charges

The International Cricket Council (ICC)’s independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal has unanimously cleared former Sri Lanka player Avishka Gunawardene of two charges of match-fixing and failing to disclose corrupt approaches

Pakistani short film wins triple award in New York City film fest

Pakistani filmmaker Shoaib Sultan's short film Darya Kay Iss Par (Across the River) has bagged three awards at the New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF)

Sri Lankan actress Piumi Hansamali to work in India’s Malayalam film industry

Sri Lankan model-turned-actress Piumi Hansamali will be sharing screen space with veteran actor Jackson Anthony for a Malayalam production in India

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan contributes Rs 2 cr for 400-bed Covid facility at Delhi gurdwara

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan has donated Rs 2 crore/ 20 million rupees for the Covid-care center at Rakab Ganj Gurdwara in Delhi, scheduled to operate from Monday, said Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa

Of sex work and Ray's women: A nuanced look on the maestro's birth centenary

The representation of the sex worker in Indian celluloid seldom displays an attempt at non-voyeurism. Satyajit Ray, on the other hand, took a more nuanced look at the sex worker

Nepalese Kami Rita summits Everest record 25th time

Kami Rita Sherpa has become the only person to summit the 8848.86 meters tall Mt. Everest for the 25th time, breaking his own record set in 2019

British envoy ends up collecting trash during morning walk in Pakistan’s capital

A top British diplomat went for an early morning walk in the green-capped Margalla Hills in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad hoping to catch some fresh air, but came back with two bags full of garbage he collected on the trail

Sana Ramchand first Pakistani Hindu woman to become Assistant Commissioner

Sana Ramchand has become Pakistan’s first Hindu woman to be appointed as an Assistant Commissioner, Daily Pakistan reported

Sri Lanka offers to host IPL

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) – the apex supervisory body of the sport in the island nation - has offered to host the remaining matches of the cash-rich Indian Premier League, which has been suspended due to Covid outbreak among players and support staff

Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma raise over USD 491.000 for Covid relief in less than 24 hours

An online fundraising campaign initiated by Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and his Bollywood actress wife Anushka Sharma to help India in its battle against the Covid 19 pandemic has raised Rs 3.6 crore (USD 4,91,437.44) in less than 24 hours, the star couple disclosed on Saturday

Pakistani actress says her stepfather raped her as a child

Pakistani actress Eshal Fayyaz has made public that she was abused as a child, with the culprit being no other than her then stepfather

Australian cricketers in IPL 2021 moved to Maldives from India

A day after the abrupt postponement of IPL 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Australian cricket players involved in the tournament have been "safely transported" to the Maldives, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Thursday