India
Taming the Tiger
In India, while tigers symbolized courage for Rajput kingdoms, Mughal emperors like Akbar and Jahangir saw a slain tiger as proof of dominance over nature. The British emulated Mughal tiger hunts to assert imperial control — a symbolism now reversed by the country’s conservationists.
Dark Tides
The small southern town of Ennore is a stark example of how repeated oil spills are destroying fishing livelihoods in India. The leaks have contaminated rivers, slashed incomes and harmed fishers’ health. With meager compensation and collapsing fish stocks, many families are reconsidering their ancestral profession.
The Shrinking Freedom of Indian Cinema
Honey Trehan’s “Panjab ’95,” a film on Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been stuck in censorship limbo for three years as India’s film board demands cuts. The case reveals the unprecedented pressure felt by Indian filmmakers as the Modi government cracks down on cinema.
The Indian Fishers Trafficked Into Illegal Operations in Oman
A New Lines investigation has found that, in 2023, over 70 fishers from Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, were lured to Oman with promises of higher pay. They were then trafficked into illegal fishing on Belize-flagged vessels using Palau-issued seafarer documents, revealing gaps in maritime governance.
Inside India’s Greenwashing Eco Parks
The Indian government has been promoting eco parks built on the sites of old coal mines as part of its plans for a just transition away from fossil fuels. Yet behind the superficial imagery and rhetoric, local communities continue to endure toxic air and water, while the parks offer little direct benefit.
Cultural Ties Binding India and Pakistan Face Unprecedented Strain
Cultural exchange between India and Pakistan — which has continued via cinema, music and fashion despite official restrictions — is now under unprecedented strain due to the recent political conflict. As artists face tighter regulations and digital borders harden, nationalism is threatening a shared cultural heritage.
Are India and Pakistan Edging Closer to the Brink of War?
India and Pakistan face a situation close to war in one of the worst clashes between the countries to take place in more than two decades. Amid military exchanges, the trading of accusations and an information war straddling traditional and social media, both publics appear primed to support further actions.