The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 is being conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of modern Bangladesh
Erasing Colonial Symbols Won't Feed India's Families: A Call for Economic Pragmatism
But tearing down a clubhouse will not lower a family's grocery bill or write a line of exportable code. India's chance to close the gap with the economies that outran it will not wait for a hearing date in September, and neither should the country's attention.
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
More on Soft Power, Culture and Society
Gavari: A 40-day mystical theatre celebration of the goddess among Rajasthan’s Bhil tribe
Each year a bhopa (priest) from the villages dominated by the Bhil tribe in Rajasthan invokes the goddess Gauri/Gavari/Ambavi mata ahead of the Hindu month of Shravan (around September)
New-age Indian actors vie with world's best for top awards
Think new-age actors you would count among the best of Bollywood, and you are rightly thinking Ayushmann Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui or Rajkummar Rao
Khadi Mujib jackets to add sheen to celebrations during PM Modi’s visit to Bangladesh
Khadi, the heritage fabric of India, is all set to catch eyeballs during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Bangladesh on March 26-27
Centuries-old Nepal’s stupas restored, attract locals back
Dating back to centuries, some of Nepal’s stupas were in a worn-out state, covered in layers of dust and grime, and slowly cracking
Banned Pakistani film wins big at Asian World Film Festival
Banned and censored back home, Pakistani film Zindagi Tamasha, which has bagged several international awards, bagged Best Film and Best Actor awards at the prestigious Asian World Film Festival
COVID, bear attacks take a toll on Bhutan's yak herders
Hundreds of yak herders in the remote mountains of Bhutan are facing a tough time due to COVID-19
Sri Lanka to provide insurance cover for stage artists, performers
In a salutary move that sets an example for South Asia, the Sri Lankan government has decided to provide insurance cover for stage artists and performers, according to a report in Colombopage. The move is a significant step in underlining the importance of art and culture in the country
Bhutanese movie industry face financial crisis as theatres still closed
With movie theatres in Bhutan shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet to open up even after a year, the film industry is facing an acute financial crisis
British Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed makes history, nominated for Oscar
British Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed made history as the first Muslim nominated for the Oscar for the lead actor role
Chess and camaraderie at a Kolkata traffic junction
It was around mid-1980s when a few men would be seen huddling together over chess boards every evening after office in between Gariahat and Golpark of then south Calcutta, much before the Gariahat flyover in South Kolkata came up
How Shakespeare became entrenched in 19th-century Bengal
If the works of the poet Virgil could be said to have introduced the flavour of classical literature into medieval Europe, Shakespearean drama performed the same functions in familiarising the new western-educated intelligentsia of nineteenth-century India to the rich literary world of early modern Europe, finds Sahapedia
Where Kolkata's walls breathe art
Indian cities are not known for the walls of buildings transformed into art galleries as in many parts of the world
Indian-origin crypto investor in Singapore buys $69.3 mn artwork
Singapore-based Indian Cryptocurrency investor Metakovan has bought an artwork by digital artist Beeple for $69.3 million
A new destination for Nepal's art, literature, and culture
Nepal's Chaudhary Group, through its Chaudhary Foundation, has established a Unnati Cultural Village (UCV) at Harkapur, Nawalpur, the goal of which is to offer a place where Nepali artists and writers can visit and create their art and literature
