Shabna Begum’s ‘From Sylhet to Spitalfields’ offers a searing history of Bengali squatters in 1970s East London, and a chilling reminder of how migrants continue to be treated by a hostile British state

From August 2023, by Ashraf Hoque:
himalmag.com/politics/benga…

Questionable changes to the Election Commission, the dubious electoral bond scheme and hammer blows to the opposition – Aakar Patel discusses the vitiated atmosphere of India's 2024 general election.

Listen here:
himalmag.com/podcast/aakar-…

Countries such as Sri Lanka are torn between competing geopolitical forces. One can imagine that courting the local elite through sponsorship of cultural festivals is a sensible path to furthering foreign powers’ diplomatic aims.

Dhanuka Bandara writes:
himalmag.com/culture/galle-…

A key aspect of the deportations is that many refugees have been forced to leave their possessions behind – often including vehicles, companies and other assets amassed through years of hard work.

Jamaima Afridi writes:
himalmag.com/politics/pakis…

Watch Lyari Notes, a coming-of-age film following four best friends as they learn to express themselves through music.

Streaming May 1-6, Sign up here: bit.ly/ScreenSouthasia

'Spanning Kerala, the Arabian Gulf and more, the celebrated Malayalam novelist Benyamin’s works narrate the realities of globalisation from below, and the heavy burdens of displacement and migration.

A review essay by Mohamed Shafeeq Karinkurayil: '
himalmag.com/reviews/benyam…

Ever since Modi became India’s prime minister in 2014, there has always been anticipation in Pakistan – heightened during each Indian election season – that the Modi government will mobilise anti-Pakistan rhetoric to energise its base

Salman R. Sheikh 🍉:
himalmag.com/politics/india…

'In reality, the [disabled] are an invisible minority in our country. They are the ones who have been facing a real lockdown for most of their lives.” Prateek Khandelwal said.

Shivalika Puri:
himalmag.com/politics/legis…

The BJP-led central government in Delhi has claimed to have bridged the “tyranny of distance” between the Northeast and the rest of India. Unfortunately, the Modi government’s handling of the Manipur crisis shows otherwise, writes Makepeace Sitlhou:

himalmag.com/politics/india…

There is a deep vein of popular indifference to the idea of universal public services, where universality implies equal treatment for all users.

Shashank Kela on why India failed to industrialise where East Asia succeeded:
himalmag.com/politics/india…

🎙️📚 New episode of the #SouthasiaReviewofBooks podcast!

A conversation with the author Taha Kehar on his genre-bending mystery set in Karachi, anti-funerals, Pakistan’s publishing industry and more:
himalmag.com/podcast/taha-k…

Kathmandu and New Delhi are willing to leverage their strengths to expand the bilateral relationship despite irritants. However, unless these irritants are resolved soon, they can act as future determinants of the relationship, writes Amish Mulmi:

himalmag.com/politics/nepal…

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans in Pakistan face forcible deportation even after they were officially registered – including women, journalists and others especially vulnerable to repression by Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

Jamaima Afridi writes:
himalmag.com/politics/pakis…

Environmental literature for young readers in India is a growing space. More and more authors have been writing consistently on environmental themes, and there has been an increase in publishers and platforms promoting such literature.

Meghaa Gupta:
himalmag.com/culture/enviro…

Mystery continues to surround the esoteric artefacts of Himalayan cultures. But today, the secrets have to do not with the artefacts themselves, but with those who buy and sell them.

A review essay by Erin L. Thompson:
himalmag.com/culture/himala…

'The cognitive dimension of the personality cult that Modi introduced as chief minister of Gujarat did not rely on discourse only, but on symbols too.'

An excerpt from ‘Gujarat Under Modi’ by Jaffrelot Christophe:
himalmag.com/politics/chris…

Many in Southasia earlier saw Indian secularism as an example for their own countries – but Narendra Modi’s mixing of Hinduism and politics has crushed India’s singular standing.

Vaibhav Vats writes:
himalmag.com/politics/ram-m…

Any scholarly effort to “border” Southasia for purposes of limiting the scope of academic study must unavoidably confront the limitations of post-colonial nationalist imaginations of region.

A review essay by Amanda Lanzillo:
himalmag.com/politics/south…

🎙️📚A conversation with Taha Kehar on his novel 'No Funeral for Nazia', reimagining Southasian mystery novels, anti-funerals, and more.

Tune in to the latest episode of the #SouthasiaReviewofBooks podcast:
himalmag.com/podcast/taha-k…

🎥SCREEN SOUTHASIA

Amidst violence, curfews and extremist attacks, four girls travel to music school.

Watch Lyari Notes from May 1 - 6.

Sign up here: bit.ly/ScreenSouthasia