https://www.scmp.com/rss/501622/feed Abhimanyu Kumar is a journalist based in Delhi. He is interested in stories that lie at the intersection of history, politics, and culture. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Family members and lawyers of three people arrested two weeks ago by the “Special Cell” of the New Delhi police on charges of spying for China have alleged unfair treatment by authorities, pointing to an 11th-hour move by police on Sunday to extend their detention another 14 days. Rajeev Sharma, 61, an Indian citizen and freelance journalist who wrote for publications including Chinese tabloid Global Times and was working on a book about India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, was arrested for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3103300/india-arrests-three-china-spies-raise-concerns-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3103300/india-arrests-three-china-spies-raise-concerns-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2020 05:05:36 +0000 On August 11, Indian tax authorities raided the offices of several Chinese entities and their associates across the New Capital Region, accusing them of running a hawala network – a remittance system that exists outside the banking structure – that was actually a front for a US$131 million money-laundering scheme. “Search action revealed that at the behest of Chinese individuals, more than 40 bank accounts were created in various dummy entities, entering into credits of more than 10 billion... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3098208/new-delhis-chinese-hawala-scam-and-dalai-lama-spying-case-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3098208/new-delhis-chinese-hawala-scam-and-dalai-lama-spying-case-there?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2020 14:15:21 +0000 On the first of July this year, 15 days after dozens of soldiers died in hand-to-hand combat between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of the Himalayas, a letter made its way to the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Over three pages, it addressed the border dispute between the two Asian giants from a unique point of view, one that has gone largely unreported in the press: that of the Chinese-Indian community. After greeting Trudeau, and praising his stance on social justice,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3097275/chinese-india-are-terrified-sos-canada-border-stand-raises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3097275/chinese-india-are-terrified-sos-canada-border-stand-raises?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2020 03:30:17 +0000 “Which is the place famous for guavas in India?” Chun Powhughe asks when I visit his small shop, sandwiched between others in Delhi’s upscale Jor Bagh market. Powhughe, 68, polishes a belt while one of two shop assistants works the same magic on a shoe. One of a dwindling number of ethnic Chinese bespoke shoemakers in India, his store smells of shoe polish and leather, its shelves stacked with custom-made footwear. Behind the counter is a gentle anarchy of unfinished leather shoes, belts and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3030679/chinese-bespoke-shoemakers-india-cling-their-trade-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3030679/chinese-bespoke-shoemakers-india-cling-their-trade-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 12:00:14 +0000 Indian rapper Sumeet Samos, who goes by the street name Da-Lit Boy, has just released a new song on YouTube. In the video for Kichhi Koriki Ja (Keep Going Ahead), he strides through the parched countryside, spitting out bilingual lyrics in his own language, Odiya, and English. “Here if you come from the untouchable, lower caste and margins of this society / You must learn to be self-reliant and stand on your feet / Otherwise there is no other way,” he raps. Samos is part of a new generation of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3021171/untouchable-caste-dalits-india-stand-their-rights-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3021171/untouchable-caste-dalits-india-stand-their-rights-through?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2019 02:45:07 +0000