Himal Southasian

"Himal Southasian" is a newsmagazine published and distributed by The Southasia Trust, Lalitpur, Nepal, that claims to be independent, non-nationalist and pan-regionalist, offering stories for the entire region of South Asia. The editor/publisher of this magazine is Kanak Mani Dixit.

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title = About Himal Southasian
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publisher = The Southasia Trust
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url = http://www.himalmag.com/about_us.html
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accessdate = 2008-02-20

HIMAL SOUTHASIAN

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Introduction

Since 1996, Himal Southasian magazine has been part of the effort to reclaim and define the space of Southasia, after what can be called six decades of separation. The magazine has sought to reach beyond the general call for cultural unity among the divided peoples, to establish practical notions that will define Southasia as a region in the modern era – a definition which will help in the promotion of social justice, equitable growth, human rights and accountability. Indeed, perhaps the magazine’s most important contribution over the past decade has been to propose and make acceptable varied and crosscutting definitions of a region that hosts a fifth of humanity, all of 1.5 billion people. These conceptualisations have been discussed and promoted through investigative reports, opinions, analyses and reviews, as well as through lectures, conferences and seminars.

Himal magazine believes that visualising Southasia as a territory comprising the eight member states of the SAARC organisation is a vital starting point, but that to make regionalism productive it is important to consider complementary conceptualisations. Alternative definitions of Southasia would include acknowledging the presence of the states and provinces within each country on the one hand, but also considering the ‘penumbra’ beyond as a cultural space that is likewise Southasian. While Himal’s long-time inclusion of Afghanistan in this equation has now become officially accepted by SAARC, one would also naturally include the Tibet Autonomous Region and Burma within the purview of what is (also) Southasian. At the same time, it is important not to consider a ‘Southasian’ activity as one requiring the involvement of every nation state of the region; rather, bilateral and trilateral exchanges will crucially add to the rubric of regional cooperation. Thus, Southasia as a concept is the cumulative sum of bilateral ties, not only between two capitals but across the land and sea frontiers.

Himal is well-placed to inform Nepal's opinion-makers and lay readers alike about the complexity of the democratic processes in various parts of Southasia – the constitution making processes, the many failed democratic experiments in the neighbourhood, the rise of extremist violence and its varying causes, the perils of political reform led by a lack of comparative study and characterisedby populism (a term for which the Southasian languages do not have a direct translation). Himal will thus act as a two-way conduit for disseminating the nuances of political evolution in the day ahead, between Nepal and the rest of Southasia. Everywhere, the public understands and demands democracy and freedom of expression, but nowhere are these goals and values as yet firmly entrenched.

The Discovery of Southasia

After two decades of relative dormancy, the idea of Southasian cooperation has begun to develop nuances and shades in the minds of policymakers in the countries that make up the region. While earlier there had been a superficial appeal to the ‘civilisational’ unity of the Subcontinent, there is now a more fleshed-out, and necessarily complex, approach to conceptualising ‘Southasia’. This evolution in regional thinking has ramifications in the arena of geopolitics and culture, trade and commerce, peace and development, and most importantly in the arena of social justice, equity and human rights. Himal works for Southasian cooperation because the editors believe that it will lead to a large peace-and-development dividend in the form of poverty reduction, with economic revival in the ‘periphery’ of each of the countries where they meet on the ground.

The most significant transformation in recent years has been the acceptance of the regional space and identity by the governments of Southasia. The idea of SAARC as the regional organisation for cooperation, initiated by Bangladesh and hosted by Nepal, found ready acceptance in Sri Lanka and later in Pakistan. Over the last five years, an initially sceptical foreign-policy establishment in New Delhi has turned around to enthusiastically embrace SAARC and the broader concept of Southasia. As India has gained confidence with its economic rise, it has also become more open to developing crossborder linkages that were allowed to wither in the 1950s. Indeed, the central pillar of India’s Southasia policy is now the promotion of ‘interconnectivity’, an attempt to open up trade, transport and travel between the regional countries. As the largest and central nation state of the Subcontinent, bordering the other countries and in a position to charge the economy of the entire region, India’s ‘discovery’ of Southasia has been a significant development that is important to study and report on.

The past 60 years have been a period during which the nascent individual nation states of Southasia have developed their own national establishments, each with its own vested interests and proclivities. However, the consolidation of the nation states has led to a growing sense of confidence and willingness to engage with the neighbours. While it will not be possible to return to the ‘India’ of old, with the maturation of each of the national polities it is now possible to conceptualise regional cooperation at a practical level where it benefits the Southasian populace through the peace-and-development dividend. There are now spontaneous efforts at crossborder linkages, as well as cultural and economic cooperation, which can be seen in numerous examples, such as: the accelerating cooperation in the Punjab-Punjab frontier; the revival of rail links between India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh, and the plans of the Indian government to upgrade customs and immigration facilities all along its land frontier regions; the easy acceptability of sufi-rock bands like Lahore's Junoon all over the Subcontinent; and the numerous pan-Southasian initiatives at work, from labour relations and human rights to civil aviation agreements and combating trafficking of all kinds.

Outreach

As the pioneering (and only) periodical to take the entirety of Southasia as its field of focus, Himal has played a role in influencing foreign policymakers, diplomats, scholars, students, activists and others to develop a better understanding of the Southasian space – and, thereby, an appreciation of the need for bilateral and multilateral regional cooperation. The monthly magazine has evolved as a proven opinion-leader in terms of promoting practical and lasting regionalism, and it has been effective in this precisely because it is a journalistic product rather that a newsletter or, alternatively, an academic journal.

Besides being an important source of informed debate for policy makers, Himal also functions as a bridge between the peoples of Southasia. Informing the Colombo scholar about the challenges in Balochistan, Jaffna's library readers about the continuous strife in Northeast India, and reaching out to Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control, Himal’s unique position as a regional magazine allows us to enter spaces where publications restricted by nationalist mindsets are unable to find acceptance. Himal believes in maintaining the magazine’s sober approach to journalism, looking out for the public interest of the lay reader as well as the intellectual needs of critical thinkers and public intellectuals throughout the region.At a time when the large media houses involved in print and television all over Southasia are pursuing a highly commercial and consumer-oriented trajectory and not asking challenging questions of the market or the state, Himal remains a magazine which is able to hold a mirror to the power elite in each country. Indeed, the editors believe that the result of the ongoing economic boom that is accompanied by vast disparities and swathes of deprivation across Southasia will generate grave socio-political dislocation in various parts. The magazine hopes to continuously watch the socio-political trends and suggest ways in which this populous region can become more democratic, inclusive and equitable. It cannot be allowed that the largest number (and proportion) of child mortality and maternal mortality in the world is right here amidst us in the Subcontinent.

Besides publication of the monthly magazine, Himal (and its publisher, the non-profit Southasia Trust) is engaged in numerous activities including seminars, an annual lecture series, publications and the maintenance of a website (www.himalmag.com). Together with the Panos South Asia organisation, the magazine has hosted India-Pakistan media leaders' meetings for the last five years, on topics ranging from nulcearisation to Kashmir's status and what is known as the 'composite dialogue'. For the last decade, the magazine has run Film South Asia, the only festival of documentaries in the region, which has played a role in the rise of non-fiction film all over. In 2006, the magazine organised "Exhuming Accountability", a conference on accoutability for atrocities committed at different times in different parts of Southasia. In 2008, Himal will publish its editorial style guide as a support for journlaists all over, as well as a "Himal Reader", in collaboration with Sage Publications in New Delhi. In Autumn 2008, a Southasian Cartoon Congress is being organised, the first coming together of political cartoonists of the region. There are also plans to launch in early 2009 the Southasia Research Unit (SaRU), which will promote rigorous social scientific research into key areas which the editors of Himal believe require deeper study than what a journalists' assignment can achieve.

Himal’s diverse readership comprises of academics, policy makers, activists, entrepreneurs and students across Southasia and the world. Our magazine has high brand loyalty among its readers and is considered a pioneer in promoting Southasian perspective.

a. Country wise:-

i. India: - New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad (Deccan), Bangalore. At present Himal has a good presence in New Delhi and Kolkata. It is also available with all the bookstores of Oxford.

ii. Pakistan:- Islamabad, Karachi, Hyderabad (Sindh), Lahore.

iii. Nepal: - Himal has very good presence in Nepal.

iv. Afghanistan: - Kabul.

v. Sri Lanka: - Colombo, Kandy. Himal is available in 16 major bookstores and International airports of Sri Lanka.

vi. Bhutan:- Thimpu, Phuentsholing

vii. Bangladesh:- Dhaka and Chittagong.

viii. Europe & USA:- Himal is also very popular among the expat community in UK, USA and Canada.

b. Libraries: - It is available in major academic libraries of Southasia, US and Europe.

c. Developmental Agencies: - Himal is a popular magazine among all development sectors working within Southasia.

d. Institutions: -Himal Southasian is also available in major international airports, five star hotels and corporate houses across Southasia.

Website www.himalmag.com :- Our policy has been to allow free access to our full-content website. This policy has been extremely productive, and www.himalmag.com has become a rallying point for scholars, students, activists, development professionals and others who believe in regionalism in Southasia as a worthy, practical and achievable goal.