India
Romance as a Scam
An ever-growing number of romance and matrimonial scams in India prey on the rising aspirations of women. Fraudsters capitalize on women’s demand for agency in intimate relationships.
Mubarak’s Indian Doppelganger
As Egypt deals with an oppressive regime, economic hardship and loss of prestige in the region, the popular Indian singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s striking resemblance to the late Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has become a viral sensation, spotlighting some Egyptians’ nostalgia for the supposedly good old days.
How the Turbulent Politics of Medieval Central Asia Shaped a Polymath’s Achievements
The career of the 11th-century Muslim polymath Abu Rayhan al-Biruni was shaped by the turbulent politics of medieval Central Asia. Yet his life at the mercy of his court patrons and their conflicts gave him the chance to pursue a remarkable career of empirical, open-minded scholarship.
As Indian Elections Near, a Delhi Chief Minister’s Arrest Raises Concern
While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest has raised concerns about India’s ability to host free and fair elections, it has also put a spotlight on the meteoric rise of the Aam Aadmi Party, which is the only party, apart from the BJP and Congress, to govern in more than one state in India.
India’s Bene Israel Food Creates a Fusion of Coconut and Kosher
India’s largest Jewish community, the Bene Israel, hold on to their coastal roots through food and memory. Their cuisine, which draws from Konkan traditions while observing kosher, reveals how it is a marriage of both faith and community.
Democracy and Controversy in the World’s Largest Elections — With Surbhi Gupta
In a year of elections across the globe, none will be bigger in scale than that in India, where nearly 1 billion people are eligible to vote. “In the seven decades since India got its independence, democracy has been its identity,” Surbhi Gupta tells Kwangu Liwewe on The Lede. But with elections coming up in April, Gupta and Liwewe explore whether that commitment to democracy is as strong as it once was.
The Ambani Gala Expands the Limits of the Big Fat Indian Wedding
The extravagant pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani — son of India’s and Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani — had a lineup of performers worthy of an international festival and high-profile guests from all over the world, spotlighting how weddings are occasions for Indians to signal their social status and wealth.