The word malh is derived from the Sindhi malha'n, meaning 'to celebrate'. Contemporary linguists have accepted the word as a proper noun describing the ancient Sindhi
To the outsider, Nepal is getting to look like a chaotic failed state. The government administration is non-existent; development work is at a standstill; identity-led agitations are erupting all over;
Who is Pratibha Patil, and how is it that she is likely to become India's first woman president? Sonia Gandhi's 14 June announcement of Pratibha Patil&
There is a major political churning underway in North India. The region affected most by the Mandal and Mandir politics of the 1980s and 1990s finally appears to be crossing
(part of a series)
The face of a woman and the profile of a chiru, the endangered Tibetan antelope, gaze out in wrapt curiosity from this painting by artist Ang
When the Tharus of Rajasthan migrated to the Himalayan foothills some 400 years ago as it is said, they left behind more than just the desert sands. From a diet
Suicide terrorism, like 'terrorism' in general, is difficult to define. The act of committing suicide towards a particular objective is nothing new, and we have seen it done
The summer of 2005 saw a major shift in India's economic policy, when Parliament passed the Special Economic Zones Act without even the semblance of a debate. Since
Why would anyone voluntarily choose to risk life, limb and bank balance to try to get to the treacherous top of a massive, snow-covered hill? Numb with cold, gasping for
People have flown kites for millennia – for relaxation, as recreation, as an ancient tool for military signalling and as a modern signifier of an ephemeral harmony. The practice originated in
Rating peacefulness
The first-ever Global Peace Index (GPI) was unveiled recently, revealing some unpleasant surprises for Southasia in general, and all-but-shining India in particular. The GPI, which for the first
A unitary, democratic and progressive Indian state was by no means pre-determined by its colonial legacy. At the time of Independence in August 1947, there had been nearly a year
