Published by Meenu May 12th, 2008
in Binayak Sen.
This comes from Kalpana Wilson from the South Asia Solidarity Group:
VIGIL FOR THE RELEASE OF
DR BINAYAK SEN
1.00pm -3.00pm, Tuesday 13 May 2008
Indian High Commission, The Aldwych, London WC1
(nearest tube: Holborn)
Dr Binayak Sen is a renowned paediatrician and human rights activist who has been working with the poorest people in Chhattisgarh state in central India for the last 25 years. On 14 May 2007, Dr Sen was arrested on trumped-up charges and has been imprisoned without trial ever since.
Published by Meenu May 9th, 2008
in censorship, moral police, Religion and Sex.
Image Courtesy Extramirchi.com
Mallika Sherawat’s black backless dress has caused “mental agony to the Tamil people” according to the President of the Hindu Makkal Katchi. He says that the dress has “hurt” the feelings and pride of the Tamil people. This is not the first time though, this organization has filed a case, there was one against Khusboo for her views on pre-marital sex, against Shriya for her attire and apparently against all three of them of them for sitting cross legged! Imagine the president sitting infront of the TV - watching and taking copius notes- who sat cross legged, who used the word “sex” and how many times, what they wore to functions, and to what effect. Ah before we get all snobbish lets confess that this too sounds a bit like content analysis! 
Shriya later apologized to the ‘Hindu community’ saying,
Published by Meenu May 8th, 2008
in guest writer, History, documentary and music.
From our Guest Writer Ratnakar Tripathy
Images: Upperstall.com
Published by Somnath Batabyal May 1st, 2008
in Uncategorized.
We have been doing a lot of stories and comments on climate change issue, trying to make a major correction over the mistake environmentalists did in the past, that is to put the issue under a stupid category called ‘environment’. We are also part of the failure! It is understandable that environmentalists till now have tried to keep a range of mainstream subjects that involves basic well-being and survival of the majority of the earth as a ‘fringe’ concern, just to earn exclusivity. We seriously think that the incapability of large educated population of the world to see climate change as a basic political contradiction of our times arises out of the issue being categorised under ‘environment’
Published by Meenu April 28th, 2008
in blogosphere and Hacks for Academics.
For those who have been thinking just that. This message comes from the Kafila bloggers-
The Kafila Group of Bloggers wishes to inform
a) those offended/satisfied by its recent trail of porn links,
b) puzzled/thrilled by disappearance of autorickshaws and new First World global cityscape look
c) frustrated/vindicated by its complete unavailability over the past few days
d) all of the above,
that we have been slowly and systematically HACKED but are working on it.
We would like to believe that the hackers are
a) the Chinese government
b) the RSS
c) They Who Must Not Be Named.
Published by Somnath Batabyal April 20th, 2008
in Tibet.
Folks,
SMC has been quiet for a bit. Lack of time and other stuff has kept us away besides a few valiant attempts by Matti keeps the site going. We have had chats about public suicides and stuff. But given that so much is happening in South Asia right now, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet, we will talk of deaths later.
Published by Somnath Batabyal April 16th, 2008
in Tibet.
I am finding it absolutely fascinating how the different media covers the incidents surrounding the Olympic torch’s journey across the world. As it nears India, have a look at how the two main newspapers cover it on the net and then have a look at the perspective of New York Times. Says a lot about media, press freedom and objectivity.
Hindustan Times
Times Of India
New York Times
Published by matti.pohjonen April 16th, 2008
in Tibet and zizek.
An online boycott campaign is currently raging in China against a French supermarket chain. I am so reminded here of the famous “freedom fries” debate in the US during Iraq War where patriotic Americans poured French wine on the streets to oppose their anti-war position. The same happened also earlier in the late 1980s when France conducted nuclear tests despite international pressure. Again: the key focus of the boycott was French wine and food. Now, comments such as this have been circulating online (See Global Voices Online for full coverage)
So I remember when I was a kid I used to love an intriguingly colonially-flavored board game called “African Star.” In it you had to move across Africa hiding from thieves and other mischief to get the penultimate colonial trophy - a huge diamond - and then race as fast as you could to get to either Cairo or Tangiers to get the hell out of the dark continent. Oh the fun days before mobile phones in the bush and Zimbabwean bloggers! I still love the imagery of the game.
A commentary from the man Uncle Fadereu calls the third best intellectual on Tibet. After himself and Dalai Lama that is:
GRAB THAT TORCH!
Phayul[Tuesday, April 15, 2008 13:29]
By Jamyang Norbu
Last Monday morning as I was packing my toilet stuff for a trip to San Francisco, my older daughter, Namkha Lhamo, rushed into the bathroom. She had seen the anti-torch rallies in London and Paris on TV, and was clearly excited. “Pala, Pala, are you going to steal that Olympic torch” she demanded.
Published by Meenu April 8th, 2008
in films, Announcements and documentary.
Some of you in London may want to come by and see this. The film Nar Narman is showing tomorrow (9th April, 18:10 pm, NFT3, £8.60/£5.25) as part of the BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Read on for the synopsis.
The journey of the Chinese Olympic torch across the world needs to be understood not as a gesture of sportsmanship and goodwill, but as a mythical gesture of political power. If the journey had gone unimpeded through its gigantic course it would demonstrate to the world China’s growing economic supremacy and right to traverse a physical object through the sovereign territory of countries spread across six continents.
Published by matti.pohjonen April 8th, 2008
in Panic time, TV and Tibet.
Why cite academics or complex French theory or politicians or Arnold Swarchzchzscnhegger, when you can refer directly to a higher authority. A red phone line to divinity? Amir Khan’s blog? So here here is his latest comments on what the Olympic Torch relay means for us media-confused earthlings. He says in erudite prose: “However, I feel the Olympic Games do not belong in China.”
So that does it; case closed. If interested, he also says he is upset and and you can read more HERE or below:
Dear all,
Published by matti.pohjonen April 8th, 2008
in Panic time, TV and Tibet.
For anybody wanting to see the sports in its original definition - fun and circusgames in the Roman Colosseum way - here is the updates on the tour of the torch. While we here admit the politics around this are much much more complex, we nonetheless are always ready for a good spectacle as you cannot feed slaves to the lions anymore. So, friends, place your bets? Where shall the next fiasco of brotherly spirit take place? Our bets are placed on Delhi…
March 25 Olympia
March 30 Athens
March 31 Beijing
April 2 Almaty
Published by matti.pohjonen April 7th, 2008
in video, films and Capitalism.
And this one liner from the same film, I must add, compares with the likes of Rumi, Shakespere and DJ Fadereu. There is something quite zen about it … I have once again refound faith in the enunciative power of YouTube … somebody should really make a Bollywood mashup of this!!!! (Apologies for the dry humor that follows …)
I just found this hilarious video from my friend Jason’s blog at Demockery. It would just right about describe my average day in London. Don’t even dare ask me about what students or fellow SMCites look like when tripping with these new Ray Bans. Check out the YouTube video below.
As I am feeling a bit lazy, I shall give Jason’s description for this gem:
Published by matti.pohjonen April 7th, 2008
in blogosphere and Internet.
I remember when I was doing fieldwork in Bombay, the Indian blogosphere was in its cradle and sites like Desimediabitch were stirring trouble and getting press attention. I remember closely following the blog coverage of the Asian Tsunami for my PhD research (SEA-EAT, anybody?) - the one singular event many claimed was the coming-of-age of Indian blogging. Lot’s of good stories from these times I should write down at some point. I suppose we have all moved on a bit since then: microblogging, mobile convergence MMPORGs, Second Life, Twitter, Orkut, Facebook all have cascaded into the ever-more-crowded technological space that this tangle of telephone wires called the Web has created for our enjoyment and annoyance.
Published by Meenu April 7th, 2008
in Latest news and Death.
The recent discovery of mass graves in Kashmir went largely unreported in the British media. One wonders why as mass graves are surely newsworthy and its difficult to imagine such a silence if these graves had been discovered in some other parts of the world. Anyway APDP (Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons) have pointed out the presence of almost 1000 unmarked graves in border villages. The Indian army rejects all claims that these graves contain bodies of anybody except foreign militants. Its the word of the Army I guess because these are unidentified bodies and unnamed graves. Read the story here.
Mahima is a freelance journalist who used to work at the Indian express, and now provides content to Al Jazeera, English. She blogs here. Please join us in welcoming her to the SMC family collective.
Along with the next generation of politicians will come the next generation in media management. Exactly what does that mean? If you have been watching the news over the past few weeks, it has become quite clear that Rahul Gandhi, as an individual member of the Congress party, is gearing up to become a viable and serious candidate for prime minister in the next elections. The country is, for better or worse, increasingly run through television, and that’s where the focus has shifted.
I’ve been teaching and working at the academic knowledge-factory now for the past 6 months or so. I have been given a lot of insight into how the political-libidinal economy of knowledge works globally - in both good and bad. Could say much more here, but, in the spirit of true surya-namaskar-happy-smile positivism, instead of bitching I shall give you a good link to a lot of the issues that I have been thinking about. The following book addresses some of the interesting issues behind this bizarre and strange thing called learning/teaching. And what’s best you can get it for free without stealing it (which sometimes is less fun unfortunately). The book self-describes itself the following way:
Published by matti.pohjonen March 31st, 2008
in Latest news, mobiles, art, animals and Sex.
So was going through the rounds and came across this article in the New York Times … The article reads:
MUMBAI — In this romantically corseted society, Ashish Chettri is as close as you get to a Don Juan.
He is an irrepressible flirt: a skirt chaser who claims to pursue three women at a time, a loquacious utterer of compliments, a ceaseless seeker of dates.
And that is just with his thumbs.
Like many Indians today, Mr. Chettri is a solely cellular Casanova: a suitor who flirts brazenly by text message, but rarely, if ever, in person.
Published by Meenu March 25th, 2008
in Announcements.
A friend brings us the news of INTERJUNCTION and an invitation to participate, contribute, eavesdrop on conversations… at the crossroads of media and academia. From Rohit Chopra, one of the editors of the publication…
Dear Friends,
We are pleased to announce the launch of Interjunction, http://interjunction.org , an innovative online publication that
seeks to facilitate thought-provoking and engaging conversations between the worlds of media and academia.
Interjunction brings you essays, news, views, reviews, and interviews on a variety of media-related subjects: from ethics to media effects to education. Interjunction is a bridge across media and academia. At its simplest, it is a multi-blog. At its best, a full-fledged newszine on issues of interest to media professionals and academics.
Published by Meenu March 23rd, 2008
in Uncategorized and guest writer.
From our Guest Writer Ratnakar Tripathy
Published by Somnath Batabyal March 22nd, 2008
in Tibet.
On 22nd March 2008, some of China’s leading intellectuals, writers and
artists submitted an open letter addressed to the government of PRC. The
letter outlines “Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation.”
This is a letter of enormous political significance. I attach the letter below.
March 22, 2008
Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the
Tibetan Situation by Some Chinese Intellectuals
1. At present the one-sided propaganda of the official Chinese media is having the effect of stirring up inter-ethnic animosity and aggravating an already tense situation. This is extremely detrimental to the long-term goal of safeguarding national unity. We call for such propaganda to be stopped.
Published by Somnath Batabyal March 22nd, 2008
in News.
I have come to expect less and less from the morning papers as have so many of us. The same stories, sex scandals, Obama and Clinton soap operas, the same faces, news narratives are bound by its own paradigms. But we still read the papers, for once in a while its ability to surprise us, throw up something delectable. Just a few days back, there was a brilliant condemnation of the “Allied forces” in Iraq by veteran journalist Fiske in the Independent. And today that delectable old Marxist, Tariq Ali has a lengthy tribute to the turbulent 60s, the decade of street protests, songs, marches and the violence. Of course, he is hagiographic, seeing through memory tinted sepia glasses, but it is a delightful read of an era so many of my friends had wanted to be a part of. An old friend would regularly tell me “Born a generation too late.” Here are the memories.
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