Global Studies: India and South Asia

The Global Studies series is designed to provide comprehensive background informatin and selected world press articles on the regions and countries of the world. This edition features an overview of South Asia and country reports for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. An annotated list of World Wide Web sites guides students to additional resources.

Table of Contents:
Global Studies: India and South Asia 6/E Table of ContentsIntroduction; Selected World Wide Web Sites; U.S. Statistics and Map; Canada Statistics and Map; World MapIndia and South Asia Regional MapImages of South AsiaIndia MapIndia (Republic of India)Country ReportsAfghanistan (Islamic State of Afghanistan); Bangladesh (People's Republic of Bangladesh);Bhutan (Kingdom of Bhutan);Maldives (Republic of Maldives); Nepal (Kingdom of Nepal);Pakistan (Islamic Republic of Pakistan);Sri Lanka (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka)Articles from the World Press1. Back to the Brink, Amitabh Pal, In These Times,July 8, 2002.Following a number of dramatic terror incidents in India,as well as ongoing conflict over Kashmir, tensions betweenIndia and Pakistan have reached a state of crisis once again."Whenever India and Pakistan talk tough, thoughts turn to the threatof nuclear warfare."2. Kashmir: A 50-Year Controversy, John H. Tkacik Jr., The World & I, May 2002.John Tkacik reviews the 50-year controversy over Kashmir and examines the deep hatred between Muslims and Hindus.3. Kashmir: The Most Dangerous Game, Mark Baker, World Press Review, August 2002.India and Pakistan have fought three major conflicts over Kashmir, and it is where a Pakistan-backed insurgency has raged since 1989. "The disputed state of Kashmir" remians a ticking bomb for the area."4. If . . . The Mechanics of Escalation, TheEconomist, June 8, 2002.What is the possibility that the conflict betweenIndia and Pakistan would escalate into a nuclearwar possible? India's rage at cross-border terrorism couldlead to a military strike on Pakistan, but would this necessarily leadto a disastrous nuclear response?5. A Culture Struggles With All That Defines It, ShankarVedantam, Washington Post, March 17, 2002.In 1992, Hindu revivalists tore down aMuslim mosque that they claimed was built on the place they believetheir god Ram was born. The incident sparked a wave of sectarianviolence that left thousands dead that year in India.6. Peace Can Be Achieved Only Through Pieces, AmitabhMattoo, India Abroad, June 7, 2002.In this essay, Amitabh Mattoo examines a number of mythsthat are being perpetrated about India-Pakistanrelations and how they influence pendingpeace in the area.7. Why the India-Pakistan Crisis Matters, The World& I, May 2002.This special report examines the "causes and possiblesolutions of the India-Pakistan crisis and why the United States mustplay a major role in resolving it".8. India Rising, Stephen P. Cohen, The WilsonQuarterly, Summer 2000.India, in recent years, has made significant advances inpolicy, economics, and technology. It now appears ready to take itsplace among the world's leading nations.9. Emerging India: The Issues, David Masci, CQResearcher, April 19, 2002.The tensions between India's Hindus andMuslims, the future of modern technologies,the economic situation, conflict overKashmir, a commitment to secularism andpluralism, the relationship with the UN, genderissues, and the relationship with the UnitedStates on terrorism are all addressed in thisreport.10. Hijacking India's History, Kai Friese, New YorkTimes, December 30, 2002.The Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslidevictory in the Western India state of Gujarat, and it appears thatthis has helped the men who run India provide the Hindu nationalistwith the opportunity to end their long quarrel withhistory.11. The Other Face of Fanaticism, Pankaj Mishra, NewYork Times Magazine, February 2, 2003.In the December 2002 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Partywon elections in the Western state of Gujarat, despite being blamedfor the deaths of more than 2,000 Muslims early in the year. Are theHindus growing more militant while the Muslims are on therun?12. India's Fine Balance, Dennis Kux, ForeignAffairs, May/June 2002.Better relations with the United States will be in India'snational interest. Fully supporting the U.S. war on terrorism, India'sgovernment has greatly strengthened the U.S.-Indiarelationship. However, India still struggleswith provocation by Pakistan, Hindu-Muslim violence, statisticalpolitical issues, economy slow-down, utilities problems, and a questfor "great-power" status.13. Making Something Out of Nothing, Pierre-SylvainFilliozat, The UNESCO Courier, November 1993.The concept of zero was invented in India;in consequence, it can be argued that this was the birth ofmodern arithmetic.14. Divergent Paths: Brahman Computer Programmers Ponder TheirFuture, Sean McLachlan, The World & I, November2001.Sean McLachlan reviews current life in India withincreasing numbers of educated people who are embracing moderntechnologies and lifestyles while rejecting traditionalsocial values and practices.15. The Wiring of India, The Economist, May 27,2000.Up to now, India has had a relatively chaotic cabletelevision system, but as it moves toward adopting the Internet, itscommunications system will have to change if it is going tosucceed.16. Emerging India: Current Situation, David Masci, CQResearcher, April 19, 2002.India's economic reform from the 1950s tothe present is examined in this essay. India's relationshipwith the United States and its place on the worldstage are also addressed.17. India Unbound, Gurcharan Das, The AmericanSpectator, July/August 2001.Two generations of Indian leaders have been haunted by thequestion: Why is India so poor? Gurcharan Das presentsa review of India's history, from India's wealthy days of the 1700s toearly 2000.18. Dowry Deaths in India: `Let Only Your Corpse Come Out ofThat House', Paul Mandelbaum, Commonweal, October 8,1999.The ancient custom of attaching a dowry to weddeddaughters allegedly leads to 6,000 deaths a year by murder or suicide.Paul Mandelbaum investigates this disturbing trend.19. Selling Birth Control to India's Poor: Medicine Men Marketan Array of Contraceptives, Miriam Jordan, Wall StreetJournal, September 21, 1999.India's population has soared to new heights in recentdecades, and this has prompted Indian policymakers to take a seriouslook at the necessity of birth control.20. Though Illegal, Child Marriage Is Popular in Part ofIndia, John F. Burns, New York Times, May 11, 1998.Indian law sets 18 as the minimum age for a women to marryand 21 for a man. In spite of legislation to curb it, child marriagesstill continue in virtually every state in India. Research indicatesthat child marriages keep India well behind in women'srights.21. A Temple Too Far, New Internationalist, July2001.The first privately constructed hydroelectricdam in Maheshwar, India, will destroy 61 villages. Promisingto stop the dam-building project, manyvillagers, especially women, are taking aggressiveactions.22. So Much Done, So Far to Go, The Economist,June 8, 2002.As tribal, religious, and local leaders, known as LoyaJirgas delegates, meet to plan Afghanistan's future,they recognize that the country faces difficult times as itrebuilds.23. Afghan Journey, Wajmah Yaqubi, U.S. News &World Report, June 24, 2002.Wajmah Yaqubi returns to her former home inAfghanistan 21 years after Soviet soldiers attacked, forcingher to flee with her family.24. Coming Home, The Economist, April 6,2002.As many displaced Afghanis return fromPakistan to their old homes, will forces within Afghanistan moveforward to unify the country and begin the roadto recovery?25. A Blueprint for Afghanistan, Barnett R. Rubin,Current History, April 2002.Barnett Rubin examines what Afghanistan needs to do toprevent it from becoming a haven for futureterrorists.26. A Country Abandoned, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, ZMagazine, March 2003??.Mohsen Makhmalbaf, an Iranian filmmaker, has traveledwithin Afghanistan for the last 13 years. He presents his image ofAfghanistan today, which is very different from the image of the restof the world.27. An Uneasy Peace, Jan Goodwin, The Nation,April 29, 2002.After 5 years of Taliban oppression, Afghan women strugglefor full liberation and equal rights.28. Building Up the Poor--or Reinforcing Inequality?, ChrisBrazier, New Internationa list, March 2001.From the vantage point of the people who receive aid inBangladesh, how well or badly is overseasaid working to improve life in that country?29. Bhutan: The Dilemmas of a Small State, John Bray,The World Today, November 1993.Bhutan is the last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom to retainits independence. In this essay, John Bray discusses Bhutan's historyand current struggle to sustain its culture andindependence.30. Braving Nature and Militants, Hindus Trek for a Peek at aGod's Icy Symbol, David Rohde, New York TimesInternational, August 5, 2002.In Kashmir, for over 200 years, thousands of Hindupilgrims trek at least 19 miles to view an ice stalagmitethat is considered to be the symbol of Lord Shiva, amost revered god.31. Not Sinking but Drowning, The Economist, May13, 2000.The Maldive Island chain is off the southwest coast ofIndia, and is made up of over a thousand tiny coral islands. As theworld's oceans rise, the future of the island chain and its 250,00citizens is in question.32. Justice For All, Juliette Terzieff, The World &I, July 2002.The fight to protect abused Pakistaniwomen in a male-dominated society is presented in thisarticle.33. Sri Lanka: A Tentative Peace, Anuradha Herath,World Press Review Online, October 24, 2002.This essay presents an up-to-date review of the conflictand current cease-fire between the Sri-Lankan government and theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).34. Pashtuns Are Not All Warrior Fire, Scott Baldauf,The Christian Science Monitor, January 16, 2003.Islamic militants, Pashtuns, have beenfamed for their violence; Scott Baldauf reviews thehistory and future of this group in Afghanistan.35. Highway of Hope, Steve Percy, Far Eastern EconomicReview, August 22, 2002.After nearly 20 years of war, returning Tamilfamilies in Sri Lanka hope to be able to rebuild theirlives.