South Asia
From the dizzying heights of the Himalayas to the coastal communities of Bangladesh, our stories highlight the lives of those living in South Asia.
We shine a spotlight on South Asian artists and speak to climate activists calling for loss and damages payments to support environmental action. Our journalism also focuses on contentious water conflicts and sacred rivers, such as the Mekong and the Ganges, that are intrinsic to life in South Asia.
The interview: Sofia Karim
The outspoken artist and architect speaks to Subi Shah about art, architecture and activism.
View from India: Women are still being short-changed
Nilanjana Bhowmick reports on the myths that still exist around women and money across the world.
The interview: Vandana Shiva
The Indian physicist and veteran food sovereignty activist speaks to Amy Hall about a lifetime of keeping smiling while fighting the lies of the ‘poison cartel’.
Coal in a hole
Could the Adani Group’s financial troubles be good news for the climate? Asks Danny Chivers.
Kashmiris are living in fear of demolitions
A government policy to ‘reclaim’ state land has had dire consequences for many families in Kashmir, writes Kasturi Chakraborty.
Finally, equal abortion rights for India’s unmarried women
The taboo around sex outside of marriage means it can be hard to access safe pregnancy termination. But a recent court ruling could help to change things, writes Nilanjana Bhowmick.
Protecting trans lives goes deeper than laws and representation
Priti Salian on how activists are fighting the colonial mindset to push for trans rights in India.
On your watch
Asma Hafiz reports on the intrusive surveillance being forced on often lower caste sanitation workers in many Indian cities.
View from India
Hijab – how far can the state dictate a woman’s choice?
An Indian tale of inter-species solidarity
All That Breathes is a strangely beautiful tale of India’s climate and political struggles. Husna Ara writes.
After the floods, Pakistan needs reparations, not charity
Cancel the debt, or let the Bretton Woods group profit from climate disaster, writes Farooq Tariq.
Pushed out
A renewed crackdown on refugee camps in Kashmir is forcing Rohingya refugees out of India and back to Bangladesh and Myanmar. Mubashir Naik reports.
Tears for fears
Nilanjana Bhowmick on the routine communal violence that is a state-sponsored blot on India’s democracy.
A family affair: how Gotabaya Rajapaksa ruled Sri Lanka through fear and favour
With the Sri Lankan president fleeing to the Maldives, New Internationalist examines his modus operandi – and how he rose to the top of a powerful dynasty
Bring on the marriage strike
Some Indian men are threatening a marriage strike for a most dubious reason. Nilanjana Bhowmick tells them to bring it on.
Cartoon history: Asma Jahangir
ILYA sketches the uplifting life-story of an inspirational legal defender of the rights of women and religious minorities in Pakistan.
Trapped in the state-corporate nexus
Villagers in the Indian state of Odisha are fighting a major steel plant development, in the face of intense repression – yet again. Aritra Bhattacharya reports.
An India-UK trade deal could mean a race to the bottom for Indian workers
Two themes loom over the announcement that the UK is launching trade talks with India – farmers and Big Pharma, says Jean Blaylock.
How British colonizers caused the Bengal famine
Jason Hickel shines a different light on a catastrophe that killed three million Indians.
Old school adaptation
Moushumi Basu reports from Assam, India, on the people turning to traditional ‘home grown’ strategies to keep their communities fed and deal with the uncertainty of climate change.
‘Anti-nationalism’: the spectre haunting Indian higher education
Highly networked rightwing students, acting with political patronage, are stifling academic freedom, writes Sruti Bala.
Taking on the torch-bearers of patriarchy
A growing number of women are going against the stream in India, writes Nilanjana Bhowmick.
Holding out for the harvest
Narendra Modi has announced his intention to repeal the contentious agriculture laws unwaveringly resisted by India's farmers for over a year. Navsharan Singh gives the back story to the movement.
The vice tightens
The image-obsessed Indian government is intent on shutting down dissent. Rishika Pardikar examines ploys in use.
Bangladesh: at a glance
A ‘digital’, growing Bangladesh has not translated to basic rights and freedoms for ordinary citizens, Oliur Sun finds.
Spirited Away
Violeta Santos Moura’s poignant photo essay reveals the tragedy of Nepal's human-trafficking crisis – and the courage of those fighting back.
A state of chaos
Nilanjana Bhowmick on the colossal failure of governance that has led to needless deaths on a massive scale.
No country for her
Women experiencing abuse from their partners need more than a helpline, writes Nilanjana Bhowmick.
Would you like answers with your chai?
From his tea stall in rural Uttar Pradesh, Krishna Murari Yadav is supporting people to ask difficult questions of the Indian state, one hot drink at a time. Devyani Nighoskar reports.
Saving the Sundarbans
Nilanjana Bhowmick on the double whammy of natural disaster and Covid-19 that has brought a vulnerable ecosystem to the brink.
Love and other conspiracies
Laxmi Murthy reports on the theory of ‘love jihad’ that is sweeping across India.
