Sri Lanka update, January 13-29, 2007

Members of the main opposition party have been accommodated in the new Cabinet following the defection of Opposition MPs.
Anusha Ondaatjie, Sri Lankan President Names Cabinet With Opposition , Bloomberg, January 28, 2007.
Sri Lanka govt wins majority as opposition MPs defect, Reuters, January 28, 2007.
Jehan Perera, Immediate changes unlikely from crossover, Daily Mirror, January 30, 2007.

Earlier, Vakarai fell to the Sri Lankan army.
Tigers admit the fall of Vakarai to Sri Lankan forces, ColomboPage, January 20, 2007.
Ameen Izzadeen, LTTE runs off to live and fight another day, Khaleej Times, January 23, 2007

Analyses of the escalating conflict in Sri Lanka:
Jehan Perera, The burden of peace making is not for president alone, Daily Mirror, January 23, 2007.
Pradeep Peiris and Mirak Raheem, The People Want War (Or Do They?), Daily Mirror, January 24, 2006. (From the Centre for Policy Alternatives site)
Simon Gardner, ANALYSIS-Sri Lanka seeks to destroy rebels, but can they win? Reuters, January 26, 2007.
PK Balachandran, Prabha cannot win Lanka war: Karuna, HindustanTimes, January 26, 2007.

More conflict-induced displacement:
Several thousand reported fleeing, UNHCR, January 19, 2007 .

Other news and analyses:
Adele Balasingham likely to be the new international spokesperson of LTTE.
H.L.D Mahindpala, Is There a Future for Prabhakaran? Media Center for National Security, January 22, 2007.

See also:
Full Coverage: Lankan peace in peril, Hindustan Times.

Andhra Pradesh Update, January 13-20, 2007

India:Maoist challenge a growing worry for government, PeaceJournalism.com, January 19, 2007.

Karnataka Update, January 13-20, 2007

The Belgaum question has been revived in the last year.
BAC suggests Govt to appoint new advocates, New Indian Express, January 17 2007.

Kerala Update, January 13-20, 2007

An arms haul in Kochi leads the news from Kerala.
Kochi: Weapons found during customs check, NDTV, January 10, 2007.
Animesh Roul, Arms and Qur'an: Not A Good Omen for India! Counterterrorism Blog, January 10, 2007.

Rajeev PI, Arms were for extremists: VS, Indian Express, January 11, 2007.

Kochi arms haul tip of iceberg: Mehta, IANS/ Gulf News, January 17, 2007.

ISRO plans a Space univ in Kerala, IANS/ Times of India, January 16, 2007.

Last word:
Don Sebastian, Kerala babus get ready for Swadeshi Saturdays, Daily News and Analysis, January 17, 2007

Tamil Nadu Update: January 13-20, 2007

One of the biggest stories to break this week from this region was that of tsunami victims selling their kidneys.
Jaya Menon, In tsunami land, women sell kidneys to pay off debts, Indian Express, January 13, 2007.
Jaya Menon, Tsunami kidney sales prompt TN to step up work on houses, Indian Express, January 13, 2007.
Sam Daniel, TN: Officials seek probe into organ trade, NDTV, January 15, 2007.

Tamil Nadu's reservation policy will be affected by the Supreme Court ruling on Ninth Schedule laws being immune from judicial review.
Swati Das, TN nervous over fate of quota law, Times of India, January 12, 2007.
Democracy partners, Times of India, January 2007.
Pandit Nehru had no desire 'to add to the list,' Times of India, January 13, 2007.
Amulya Ganguli, Will there be a judiciary-executive confrontation? EarthTimes.org, January 13, 2007.

In a month when there are hourly updates on the horrors perpetrated in Nithari, a small step away from child abuse warms the heart.
School kids to be spared the rod in Tamil Nadu, IANS/ EduNews.Net, January 18, 2007.

Water and spirituality are always news in peninsular India.
Sai Baba trust to undertake water project, Chennai Online, January 17, 2007.
Cauvery Tribunal order on Feb 5, Chennai Online, January 16, 2007.

News relating to defence, science and ports:
ISRO defers GSLV cryogenic stage test, UNI Friday/ Daily News and Analysis, January 19, 2007. Read fine print of n-deal, caution experts, Indo Asian News Service/ Daily India.com, January 18, 2007. Chidanand Rajghatta, US carrier now Navy's, will be called 'Jalashva,' Times of India, January 18, 2007.
Nod to develop Colachel as a major port, Hindu, January 17, 2007.
Aaron Tan, Indian state goes for open source, ZDNet Asia, January 12 2007.

Last words from a festive week in Southern India:
Tamil Nadu bullfight triggers debate, NDTV, January 17, 2007.
Bulls and bullfighters breathalysed in Tamil Nadu, Reuters India, January 18, 2007.

Maldives Update: January 13, 2006

• Maldivian Government Condemns Hussein’s execution, Minivan News, January 2, 2007.
• Adhaalath Party criticizes statement released by Foreign Ministry regarding Saddam’s execution, The Evening Weekly, January 9, 2007.

News on the democratization movement:

• Ali Rasheed, The Parliamentary Wing’s Contribution to 10/11, Minivan News, January 10, 2007.
• An older assessment: Mohamed Shinan, MDP winning the war despite losing so many battles? Haveeru Daily, November 11, 2006.

The Maldivian government continues to build ties abroad even as its support base erodes domestically.

• Maldives Defence Minister in India, Sahara Samay, January 8, 2007.
• More Police Sent Abroad for Training, Minivan News, January 9, 2007.

Citizens of other South Asian countries continue to find employment opportunities in the Maldives.

• Study Shows More Expatriates Working in Maldives, Minivan News, January 2, 2007.

Is the Maldives beginning to face the same threats of religious extremism as its neighbours have for a long time?

• Extremist Group Issues Death Threats, Minivan News, January 8, 2007.
  

Sri Lanka Update

At the end of the year, a score card for the LTTE by Colonel R. Hariharan.

Conflict worsens in eastern Sri Lanka.
Ethirajan Anbarasan, No peace in sight for Sri Lanka, BBC News, January 11, 2007.
Tamil Tigers in a death groan in the East of Sri Lanka, Asiantribune.com, January 12, 2007.
Paul Tighe and Anusha Ondaatjie, Sri Lankan Forces Capture Second Rebel Base in Eastern Region, Bloomberg, January 12, 2007.

Southern states update

The Mullaiperiyar crisis deepens.
Soz sounds helpless on Mullaiperiyar, Chennai Online, January 5, 2007.
TN should explain reasons for withdrawing from talks: Kerala, Zee, January 5, 2007.

A possible terrorist attack on Infosys Technologies office and the Bangalore Airport was averted with the arrest of a suspected militant.

Southern states update

Rocket shells were netted from the Palk Straits which are believed to have been abandoned by Sri Lankan militants.

That solutions are not universal is again demonstrated by this news:
Bt cotton crop fails in Tamil Nadu,Ashok B. Sharma,Checkbiotech,January 05, 2007.