India

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Delhi to Gujarat: Encounters with Indian democracy on the BBC Election Train KARISHMA VASWANI Karishma Vaswani looks back on the first leg of the journey on an Indian train, and the people she met. As India Votes 2009 Illustration: Vikash Sharma	Gujarat: At the edge of its religious chasm SOUTIK BISWAS In 2002, the Indian state of Gujarat was the scene of the communal mob violence that saw tit-for-tat attacks between Hindus and Muslims. NGOs put the death toll at up to 2,000. As Gujaratis go to the polls on April 30, how far will religion figure in this divided state? theasiamag.com catches up with Soutik Biswas, the BBC's India editor, who is in the state, for a sense of the sentiment on the ground in Gujarat. As India Votes 2009 Illustration: Vikash Sharma
Ahmedabad, Gujarat : Roti-and-dal issues in diamond central KARISHMA VASWANI In Ahmedabad alone, 60,000 diamond workers have been laid off. State-wide in Gujarat, estimates put the figure between 250,000 to 400,000. What happens when the global economic crisis takes the shine off India's diamond capital? As India Votes 2009 Illustration: Vikash Sharma	BBC India Elections Train Route Map DAN-CHYI CHUA theasiamag.com joins BBC and the rest of the world as it sets its eyes on the Indian Elections.
Indian Elections in Numbers and Symbols DAN-CHYI CHUA As India Votes 2009 Illustration: Vikash Sharma	India's Big Cats BARUN MITRA The tiger is facing extinction. If the present trend continues, there will be no tiger left in the wild.
What a Tiger Means to You LEE HAN SHIH It says a lot about the tigers in the 21st century that it is an occasion of joy in some quarters when a wild tiger kills a human being.	Disappearing Deity DEBBY NG India, with half the world’s population of wild tigers, sees red over China’s plans to reopen the trade in tiger parts.
Saving the Tibetan Antelope DEBBY NG Does the selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflect Beijing's commitment to a Green Olympics?	Hanuman takes on Spidey CLARISSA TAN A string of animated films starring Hindu gods proves a hit with Indian children and their parents.
The Elixir of Youth RUQXANA VASANWALA Forget Botox. When it comes to preserving their looks, Asians have always turned to the Indian Pennyworth.	Bhutan: Weaving a Future ALEX AU Nestled in the Himalayas, the Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the last unspoiled refuges of our time. It’s so beautiful, we are lulled into imagining it is God’s gift to tourists. The picturesque mountains and valleys are there to calm our senses; the ever-smiling people to populate our photographs.