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Written by Ayla Joseph
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January 2012
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Bhutan strives to preserve its unique weaving techniques and textiles. With the era of globalization, it will have to choose how much to give and take. Weaving is an ancient and prestigious art in Bhutan. Passed down from generation to generation, it has become a societal symbol and, for some women, a means of livelihood. It is commonplace to see young girls honing their weaving skills at arts and crafts schools or factories, working on pieces for sale at small shops, weaving in solitude at a mountaintop abode or participating in communal weaving in a village.
Bhutan, until recently, remained isolated from the rest of the world with minimum interference of globalization and technology. The country has always striven to maintain and cherish its culture. For many women, weaving is all they know; it is a way to preserve their ancient art and tradition. Today, scores of young girls come to Thimphu to train in the art with the hope to carry the traditional craft further. With minimal trade, the small country is self-subsistent and women often weave elaborate Gho and Kiri, traditional men’s and women’s Bhutanese dresses, for personal use. Bags, scarves, and ceremonial wear in bright colors and intricate patterns are also woven but few are for sale. Apart from clothes, weavers often use yak hair to produce water resistant tents. Often, the final product can take up to six months to a year to complete.
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Written by Sidra Rizvi
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January 2012
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Heritage sites in Pakistan are a testament to the country’s rich cultural history. Unfortunately, their preservation has largely been neglected.
‘A people without the knowledge of their history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.’ Marcus Garvey
Culture tells a story about the people who inherit it. Whether they choose to preserve it or not, their culture remains the link between a society’s past and its present. Any society that decides to ignore its culture cannot hope to go very far.
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Written by Ayesha Malik
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January 2012
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Music has transformed from commercial cover bands to original indie. Is India ready to embrace the change? The film industry is always at the forefront when you talk about India. It is with good reason of course, with earnings from Bollywood constituting a large volume of the Indian economy. As a result, the music industry automatically follows suit.
India’s music heritage lies in the talent of its playback singers who hone their skills to encompass the country’s rich history and tradition. Steeped in talent, the industry boasts of world renowned names such as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Alga Yagnik, Shreya Ghoshal and many others. Music is a strong part of the Indian culture and is treated with the same reverence. However, it is commercial film music in India that is at the forefront of the industry and emerging talent and underground bands, are more than often, isolated.
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Written by Kinza Mujeeb
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January 2012
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The fate of the Maoist fighters in Nepal has been uncertain for the past five years. They are now getting impatient and the decision of their integration into the Nepalese army is becoming a highly sensitive issue.
Deeply set in the Himalayan valley, Nepal is a landlocked country covering an area of about 54000 sq. miles and having a population of 30 million. In recent times, Nepal has played a significant role in regional politics. A founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), Nepal has already hosted two summits and will be hosting the next one in 2013. However, during the same period, its domestic politics have seen extensive political turmoil, marked largely by assassinations, guerilla warfare and the abolition of the monarchy.
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Written by Syed Moazzam Hashmi
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January 2012
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India today is undoubtedly shifting the global economic and political power centers. However, regional cooperation can enable this growth and stability to spill further into South Asia. Expecting its already massive population to grow to 1.5 billion by 2050, India has warmed up to pursuing a giant ‘Leap Forward,’ thus initiating a paradigm shift from the military to the economic approach in order to meet the upcoming challenges, compatible to realizing its ambition of taking the center stage as a global power.
Despite the prevailing bleak scenario for developing economies, the fastest growing Asian country is tipped as the center of global economic power in the future. The mantra of change, ‘India Everywhere,’ that seems to be echoing around the world as a major ‘India-leaning shift’ in the policies of world powers, has already been in put place. The question of how soon other regional countries will tune in to the change is a matter of time. However, given the regional and global strategic and economic compulsions, many nations will be left with little choice but to swim with the current.
Nuclear disarmament remains a dilemma for India. A complex issue, particularly with reference to China and Pakistan, initiatives such as banning nuclear testing and reduction of nuclear arsenal could gain India moral and strategic leadership before the US and China.
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