This town after all
Why doesn't it say something
This town after all
Why does it lie
In the map of our Hindostan
– Rahul Rajesh in Hindi poem, "Yah Shahar"
The Five Freedoms that Amartya Sen so eloquently talks about – political freedom, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security – are conspicuous by their absence in most parts of South Asia. Dreams of midnight children of August 14 in Pakistan and August 15 in India lie shattered – only their shards glisten in the sun, competing for attention with the sweat on the brows of the likes of Pappu the rickshaw puller.
Afghanistan fell victim to the proxy war of Cold War powers. The karma of Burma is to endure the misrule of its military. The tyranny of the majority has pushed Sri Lanka's territorial integrity to the precipice. The elite of Serendib is yet to show the courage to step back – it is still staring vacantly into the abyss.