beenasarwar

[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…

[beenasarwar]

From Karbala to Palestine, we unite for humanity

After more than a year of relentless conflict, a British-Pakistani journalist and friend of both Jews and Palestinians hungers for peace built on a shared hope for healing, unity, and coexistence. By Mehr Husain / Sapan News I was born and bred in a part of London which is Jewish. I once lived across from a synagogue. My children’s doctors were Jewish. I went to school with Jewish children.…

[beenasarwar]

A Malayali journalist's book after his dream-come-true visit to Cuba 

Paying homage to his dream country in a recently published book, Indian journalist Ullekh N.P. takes readers on a historical, cultural and political journey of Cuba, peppered with research, articles, movies, songs, writings, history, political commentary and anecdotes from the archipelago. Sapan Bookshelf Mad About Cuba: A Malayali Revisits the RevolutionBy Ullekh N.P.Penguin Random House,…

[beenasarwar]

Why the SoCal fires are the result of decades of policies valuing profit over people

A Pakistan-origin human rights attorney offers five harsh truths behind the fires raging in Southern California, and why he is providing pro bono support to help the victims. It’s time to demand a radical shift in how we approach climate, labour, water, and corporate accountability, or there will be nothing left to save. By Qasim Rashid / Sapan News As wildfires rage across Southern California,…

[beenasarwar]

Some lives that shaped Southasia

The loss of three Southasian luminaries in December 2024  – Bapsi Sidhwa, Shyam Benegal, and Dr. Manmohan Singh — marks the end of an era. Although they approached their lives and work in different ways, their contributions were deeply shaped by the challenges of navigating postcolonial Southasia, a region marked by the scars of Partition, cultural transformation, and economic change. Renowned…

[beenasarwar]

Documentary film ‘Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines’ sheds light on universal struggles with debt, inequality, and corruption

The glimpses of Sri Lankan society the film offers show that their experiences are similar to many other countries. As a Bangladeshi by birth, living in the U.S., I see that the film also offers us a chance to learn lessons that could be useful not just to other Southasian countries, but also to other nations.  By Hayat Imam / Sapan News The documentary Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the…

[beenasarwar]

Fact-checking starts with self-accountability

Whatever facts or non-facts get pushed out, it is up to us, citizens who are news producers and consumers through our social media apps, to be the change. The Social and Digital Media Ethics Code and Pledge is a step in this direction.

The recent disbanding of Facebook and Instagram’s third-party factchecking programme has raised fears about the kind of news and information that will shape public discourse. Whatever facts or non-facts get pushed out, it is up to us, citizens who are news producers and consumers through our social media apps, to be the change. The Social and Digital Media Ethics Code and Pledge, an initiative by…

[beenasarwar]

Fact-checking starts with self-accountability

The recent disbanding of Facebook and Instagram’s third-party factchecking programme has raised fears about the kind of news and information that will shape public discourse. Whatever facts or non-facts get pushed out, it is up to us, citizens who are news producers and consumers through our social media apps, to be the change. The Social and Digital Media Ethics Code and Pledge, an initiative by…

[beenasarwar]

Seeking solace: A daughter's cross-border journey

It is unbearable to even imagine being forced to leave your hometown or risk being slaughtered simply because you belong to a different religion. But I did not find any bitterness in Bani Singh’s eyes for Lahore or my country, Pakistan. What I saw was grief and pain impossible to express in words. By Sara Arshad  / Sapan News The Wagah-Attari between Pakistan and India is a line that can evoke…

[beenasarwar]

Joya Chatterji:  Fascinated by frontiers

Winner of the prestigious Wolfson History Prize, this book soars above run-of-the-mill histories with the author’s unconventional approach. She uses her family heritage – Bengali father and British mother – interweaving accounts of her childhood with lucid analysis to make deep political points, including about  nationalism’s double-edged nature. A review with excerpts from her radio interview…

[beenasarwar]

From Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to Syria: Dictators never prosper

It takes a long time to get rid of dictators. In Syria, it finally happened – the end of authoritarian rule after a popular uprising fuelled by 13 years of oppression. We saw similar patterns elsewhere in the Arab world earlier, and in some Southasian countries. What lessons can be learned? By By Rob Vreeken / Sapan News It’s taking a while for the old Syria to make way for the new Syria. On a…

[beenasarwar]

Decolonising the mind: Southasia has yet to emerge from British colonial-era laws

[beenasarwar]

From Boston to Pakistan: How the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum inspired Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animation film

Artistic vision in a beloved Boston museum sparked the creation of ‘The Glassworker,’ the acclaimed anti-war animated film which brings shared cultural heritage, and a universal message about violent conflict, to life on the big screen. By Pragyan Srivastava / Sapan News Network In the heart of Boston lies the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a treasure trove of art, history, and inspiration.…

[beenasarwar]

Connections and conversations around Southasian art  in Kathmandu

Reflections on discussions with Southasian artists and educators Salima Hashmi and Rashid Rana in Kathmandu at the Triennale Conversations Series 2026 and a Southasian artists’ exhibition organised by a regional organisation By Abishek Budhathoki / Sapan News Two of Pakistan’s most influential artistic voices were in Kathmandu recently, enriching discussions at the Kathmandu Triennale 2026…