I had looked at a lot of Madhu Kishwar's work in grad school. She really is a pioneer in this field. I recommend checking out one of her talks if you have a chance!

Quoted: As India hurtles towards unparalleled economic growth and projects itself as the shining example of modernity and tradition, the ugly face of domestic violence and dowry-related suicides continues to haunt the country's conscience. You are invited to a presentation on these issues by India's leading activist, writer and publisher, Madhu Kishwar.

India gets a cheerleading squad...

Quoted: How paradoxical, and delightful, that Bangalore, a city that has leapt to global prominence on the back of work outsourced by America, is now itself outsourcing from America. On Sunday, a team of Washington Redskins cheerleaders landed in Bangalore to help create India’s first cheerleading squad.

A review of A Blue Hand: The Beats in India. I had no idea that India had this kind of influence on the Beats (specifically Ginsberg), although it's not surprising. Sounds like an interesting read.

Quoted: Fifteen months in India in the early 1960s had a lasting influence on American poet Allen Ginsberg.

Of course, there is now an explosion of "stuff X people like" blogs. Here's 'Stuff Indians Like,' and I also faved 'Stuff Desis/Brown People Like.'

Quoted: In suburbs across America Indians announce their arrival with personalized license plates. If you yourself don't have a personalized license plate for your Camry, Accord, Caravan or Windstar, then at least one other Indian family in your neighborhood does.

You knew it had to come sooner or later... stuff brown people like!

Quoted: Even on the hottest of summer days, a hot steaming cup of chai will go a long way in making a desi feel at home. Desis prefer to get their high on chai and so most gossip happens over a cup(s) of chai.

We're starting to see Olympic boycotts! Apparently Bhaichung Bhutia, India's soccer captain, is "among the first athletes to refuse to run with the torch."

Quoted: India's soccer captain has refused to carry the Olympic torch through New Delhi later this month to protest China's crackdown on recent demonstrations in Tibet, a sports official said Tuesday.

They finally caught the doctor at the head of the huge illegal organ transplant ring in India...

Quoted: A doctor suspected of running a kidney-trading racket in India is deported from Nepal, police say.

This story was all over the news when I was in India - very disturbing trend that points to much deeper issues (the relative inability to get kidneys legally in India AND the desperation of the poor/unemployed who sell their kidneys on the black market).

Quoted: "When I woke up, I felt this terrible pain on my abdomen. They told me they had taken out my kidney. I thought I was going to die," said Shakeel Ahmed, who had come to Delhi to find work.