Winds of Change does some number crunching from the recently published National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) report –
Iraq 30.8% Afghanistan 2.8% India 45.9% Israel/ Palestine 8.4%
Where? Mostly in J&K. Times of India notes –
More than half the attacks reported for 2004 were in South Asia, which recorded 327 incidents that produced 502 deaths. The bulk of the incidents were reported in the divided Kashmir state claimed by both India and Pakistan.
I just got used to calling it K3G, I am not calling it CSCD.
You’re walking in the park and spot a pair of dogs shamelessly getting down. You probably figured, “those mutts are living in sin.” Thankfully, a guy with too much money puts an end to this most egregious of canine transgressions:
Shamsher and Diana married in a huge tent bedecked with jasmine flowers in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Jaipur. Shamsher, owned by wealthy businessman, was escorted to the venue by musicians, dancing eunuchs, 350 human guests and dozens of the couple’s canine friends…The only interruption in the ceremony came when the groom went on a barking spree but he stopped after a nip from his bride. The bride, dressed in traditional red, was reluctant to complete the customary seven rounds of the holy fire and had to be lured with doggy treats for the last two rounds. [Ananova]
Doctors marry each other; world eagerly awaits their super-perfect offspring:
The couple, both 31, are fellows at the Boston University School of Medicine, the bride in gastroenterology, the bridegroom in cardiology. They met at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where they completed their residencies in internal medicine. [The New York Times]
TTG reminisces about the good old days before liberalization:
Option 2 was a bribe at the beginning of it all, a one year wait, and then a monthly bribe (usually in the form of a bottle of ‘Old Monk’ rum, presented to the local linesman) to ensure the smooth working of your phone. Everytime it rained, you knew your phone would die, along with your connection to the outside world. And every once in a while, somebody would bribe the linesman, who would then… allow the briber to make calls on your line, for free.
Who knew it took rum to lubricate the Indian phone system?
And old-ish, but new to me article by Daniel Drezner posits questions about a hypothetical country called Badistan – a rather thinly-disguised Pakistan –
Pop quiz: You’re in charge of protecting the national security of the United States. There’s a pivotal country–let’s call it Badistan–that plays a crucial role in advancing American interests. But elements within that country–including some who work for the government–are abetting actors that virulently oppose America. The leader of this government has pledged to cooperate with the United States, but the two attempts on his life over the past month suggest his domestic position is precarious. What approach do you take to Badistan?
I used to wonder why the bridegroom’s grandfathers, his uncles, took the gifts while the bride looked to her painted toes… Men who took these gifts made a list, who gave what. And today, after years, I found the answer in legal text…THE DOWRY PROHIBITION… RULES, 1985
… The list of presents which are given at the time of the marriage to the bride shall be maintained by the bride.
Yazad Jal of AnarCapLib got a piece published in Rediff about market liberalization and it’s quantitative and qualitative impact on Indian poverty –
…We’ve had cell phones in India for around ten years only (started in September 1995). At that time, it was looked upon as be an expensive toy made for the rich to indulge it, one more luxury. Just a decade later, there are more cell phones than land lines in India. … India’s GDP per capita in 1990, before liberalisation, was $1,300. Today it’s $2,830, more than double. It’s increased at around 5.33 per cent per year.
A fav, non-desi blog of mine, Winds of Change looks to India for a model for Iraq –
When India was trying to fight separatist Sikh terrorists in Punjab, a Sikh police officer named KPS Gill played a pivotal role in giving the anti-terrorism effort legitimacy among Punjabi Sikhs and among all Indians. …Who can play the role of Iraq’s KPS Gill?
A Bombay policeman allegedly raped a girl in broad daylight (via India Uncut):
A quiet evening, sitting by the sea at Marine Drive turned into a nightmare for a 17-year-old girl. Priya Ravi (name changed), a resident of Chembur, was just idling at the promenade along with three male friends last evening, when constable Sunil More… approached them… he demanded that they come to the police chowky… Inside, he bolted the door and allegedly raped her…More… was completely nonchalant and allegedly said, “Jo ukhad sakte ho, ukhad lo (do whatever you want)…” According to Kayum Shaikh who was present at the spot, “The constable was drunk and came out of the chowky adjusting his belt. He was aggressive and appeared completely unconcerned with what had just happened.” [Mid-Day]
Police sources said More always got away with rude behaviour and drinking on duty because his brother-in-law, a police inspector in the Crime Branch, shielded him. [Express]
The cop’s been fired and charged with a crime, but only because of public outrage. Says Amit Varma:
I’m just surprised that the boys who were with that girl let the policeman take her inside that chowky. Perhaps they were young and naive. In time, they will learn that the typical Indian policeman is like this: undereducated, overworked, underpaid, sexually repressed, resentful of richer people, and drunk on power. It is a potent combination.
An even worse incident happened in Pakistan: