More regarding Academic Freedom and Mass Surveillance in India

See the letter from a number of American academics (including Wendy Doniger, who wrote The Hindus, which was banned in India and pulped by Penguin India) regarding Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley and the potential ramifications re: surveillance and academic freedom of the Digital India initiative.

Academic Freedom (or lack thereof)

Here‘s an article from Al Jazeera about worrying incursions on academic freedom by the current Indian government; a long piece by Amartya Sen detailing what he describes as his politically-motivated ouster as the chair of the recently-reconstituted Nalanda University; and a counter-point from Scroll regarding some of Sen’s failing as administrator of Nalanda. All worth checking out.

Royal Existentials

The blurb speaks for itself: Royal Existentials is a weekly webcomic series that uses Indian vintage art and imagery to tell stories of historical (and contemporary) angst. Check it out.

Hinglish, and other subtopics

Here’s a statistical analysis of emoji use among Hinglish speakers. Here are some great illustrated idioms from seven Indian languages. And here are a few more, in case you liked those.

After Midnight

There’s a worthwhile show, After Midnight, on Indian Modernism (and to a lesser extent Contemporary Indian Art) at the Queens Museum that’s up until June 28th. We went yesterday, and it was worth the trip, especially if you haven’t been to the QM before to see the scale model of New York City. Go check it out if you have the time. The show’s title was derived from the title of Salman Rushdie’s novel, After Midnight.

The Spelling Bee

Check out Hari Kondabolu on South Asian winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The video is from two years ago, but remains just as relevant today, as South Asian Americans just keep winning the Bee.

In heavier news, here’s an article on the worrisome expansion of India’s Central Monitoring System (think NSA). Also, apparently it’s so hot in New Delhi that the roads are melting–the phenomenon is being referred to as Salvador Delhi.

Google Hyderabad Expanding

In sharp contrast to the state of historic structures in Hyderabad, Cyberabad, as Hyderabad’s Hitech City is known, has never been healthier. Check out this article on Google’s expansion in Hyderabad. There are some memorable stares and hairdos to complement the big news.

The Apu Trilogy at Film Forum

Legendary Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray is widely-known for his independent films. The Apu Trilogy are his most famous, and they’re screening for another week and a half at Film Forum.

Historic Preservation in Hyderabad (Sadly, not so Good)

The news isn’t all good when it comes to historic preservation in Hyderabad. In fact, it isn’t at all good if you believe this article, about local utter disregard for rich the cultural history of Hyderabad, or this article, from the New York Times Travel section, which should be taken with a grain of salt, as the author seems to have gone in search of a fantasy.

Welcome to Modicare

This article highlights good work being done, under challenging circumstances, at the JSS clinic in Chhattisgarh (a state which neighbors Telangana, where Hyderabad is located). Some of you may know Naman Shah, a Carolina undergrad and MD/PhD alum who has spent significant time working at JSS.