beenasarwar

[beenasarwar]

'I want India and Pakistan to make peace in my lifetime' - Zehra Nigah

Some thoughts emerging from a chance encounter with one of Pakistan’s most respected and iconic progressive poets. Personal PoliticalBy Beena Sarwar / Sapan News “It’s the girls that give me hope,” says the celebrated poet and writer Zehra Nigah. She leads a quiet life at her home in Karachi, without a mobile phone or email. Yet those who seek her are able to find her. Besides the school and…

[beenasarwar]

From tradition to toxins: The irony of a colonial legacy in hair care

Why do toxic hair treatments reign supreme in the Global South while safe, traditional methods flourish in the West? By Nazish Munchenbach / Sapan News Grey hair. There is no lack of issues most women face as they grow older in a patriarchal society, but grey hair is perhaps one that causes the most distress.  In a system where a woman’s currency is often her looks and her youth, that…

[beenasarwar]

Washington tragedy: humanity in wreckage

Following the tragic plane crash in Washington DC, a plane crash survivor in Pakistan shares powerful life lessons learned from his near-death experience, offering insights on what we owe ourselves and humanity. By Zafar Masud / Sapan News There is something uniquely haunting about an air crash.  It is the kind of catastrophe that is both sudden and protracted, a fleeting moment of terror…

[beenasarwar]

Every day is the time to speak up – in fact, yell out, and loudly demand justice and freedom for reporters

Journalists around the world are increasingly targeted for doing their jobs – and Southasia is no exception. The issue doesn’t just affect journalists. Who wants to visit a country where information can’t be trusted, or invest in a country that can’t guarantee that contracts and investments will be protected? By James McManus / Sapan News Journalists had a tough year in 2024. About 361 were…

[beenasarwar]

Local flavour, global dialogue: Amidst a season of ‘litfests’ across Southasia, a view from Kerala 

The Kerala Literature Festival is one among many such events taking place across Southasia – ideas hubs and cultural melting pots that provide a meeting place for writers, artists, musicians, booklovers, activists – and children  By Neha Kirpal / Sapan News The ‘litfest season’ that takes place across Southasia during the cooler winter months is winding to a close. From the Dhaka Literary…

[beenasarwar]

Migrant labour: Emerging new challenges

Ongoing conversations about Southasian migrants cover a wide range of topics, reflecting the complexities and challenges of migration in the modern world. These conversations are shaped by geopolitical, economic, social, and cultural factors. Colombo Process to safeguard Southasian migrant interests By Sugeeswara Senadhira The recent case of Hamida Bano, an Indian woman trafficked to Pakistan…

[beenasarwar]

America is turning away from Chinese solar panels. Could this benefit Southasia?

With the Trump administration’s imposition of a long-threatened 10% tariff on Chinese imports, could America’s bid for freedom from the Chinese solar market benefit India and Pakistan’s burgeoning solar industry? By Aidan Harper / Sapan News Over the past three years, the price of solar panels in the United States has fluctuated between an historic high and low due to a reliance on China. Now,…

[beenasarwar]

A tale of feathers, friendship, and finding peace

An Indian by birth, Pakistani by migration and British by chance shares how he found a joyful way to tackle the dilemma of rising egg prices, and his metamorphosis from being an artist and massage therapist to chicken daddy. By Ali Zaidi / Sapan News When the price of eggs skyrocketed by 30% in January 2023, I, like many others, faced a grocery dilemma. But unlike most, I found a unique…

[beenasarwar]

Tapan K. Bose: A legacy of regional peace, justice, and solidarity

By Pragyan Srivastava and Beena Sarwar / Sapan News Peace activists around the region are mourning the passing of Tapan Kumar Bose and celebrating the life of this renowned documentary filmmaker, human rights defender, and unwavering advocate for peace and democracy across Southasia.  Tapan Bose, 79, was a founder member of the activist group the Southasia Peace Action Network, or Sapan,…

[beenasarwar]

Putting aside petty rivalries for the larger cause of climate justice

At the unprecedented climate change hearings at the Hague last month, prompted by a consensus Resolution of the UN General Assembly, developing countries, including Pakistan and India, joined hands to argue for climate justice. There is now cautious optimism that the forthcoming ICJ advisory will influence the obligations of states and set accountability standards  By Meena Menon / Sapan…

[beenasarwar]

Dictatorships come and go but the music continues

One of Pakistan’s most versatile composers continues to produce a genre embedded in Southasian traditional music, to get the younger generation to appreciate classical poetry and music and provide a platform for new talent

[beenasarwar]

'Why should I sell white shirts? I want to sell blue shirts' - composer Arshad Mahmud

Dictatorships come and go but the music continues. One of Pakistan’s most versatile composers continues to produce a genre embedded in Southasian traditional music, to get the younger generation to appreciate classical poetry and music — and provide a platform for new talent. Personal PoliticalBy Beena Sarwar / Sapan News Will there be singing In dark times?Yes, there will be singingAbout dark…

[beenasarwar]

Ensuring that it doesn’t happen again:  Reflections on a  journey through Auschwitz and why we need to take care of each other

Walking again on the soil of Auschwitz mixed with the ashes of millions killed there, a human rights defender from India shares his dread at the capacity of human beings – “ordinary people like you and me” – for unspeakable cruelty towards ‘othered’ human beings, and his hope.  By Harsh Mander / Sapan News “It happened, so it can happen again…,” said chemist and writer Primo Levi after being…

[beenasarwar]

Un/natural disasters

As we gather to deliver mutual aid – after witnessing the grief of those in Altadena and LA – we must also demand government structures invest in life-affirming infrastructure in our communities instead of funding violence and furthering climate change. By Sehba Sarwar / Sapan News Ashes float from the sky and cover my car, the streets, and everything around me. Five fires have been burning…

[beenasarwar]

A composer and a poet: How O.P. Nayyar and S.H. Bihari’s musical partnership became Bollywood folklore

For a Pakistani connoisseur of music, January is ‘O.P. Nayyar month’. Here, he remembers the legendary Indian composer in an annual tribute, a tradition started in January 2019 – a reminder of a genius that continues to live on through his music. By Siraj Khan / Sapan News The legendary Bollywood composer O.P. Nayyar would have turned 99 on 16 January this year. It has been 18 years since he…

[beenasarwar]

The dream that MLK articulated may seem distant, but we're moving towards it

I began writing this piece some time ago, after watching Ava Duberney’s film ‘Origin’ at a friend’s place in Chicago – appropriate because that’s where Dr. King did a lot of his activism. Today seemed like a good time to finish it. There is more awareness about systemic racism, caste oppression, and gender rights than ever before but we have a long way to go to achieve the dream of equality,…

[beenasarwar]

The dream that MLK articulated may seem distant, but we're moving towards it

There is more awareness about systemic racism, caste oppression, and gender rights than ever before but we have a long way to go to achieve the dream of equality, justice and human dignity embodied by Dr. Martin Luther King. Those who fear change will continue to fight it. The struggle continues Personal Political By Beena Sarwar / Sapan News The third Monday of January, which falls this year…