In South Asia, bravery has different meaning

A rally against the killing of Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh in New Delhi on Sept 6 last year. The newspaper editor and outspoken critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore.
A rally against the killing of Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh in New Delhi on Sept 6 last year. The newspaper editor and outspoken critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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Last month, the Pakistani government bestowed its third-highest civilian award on the writer and journalist Mohammed Hanif.

This, to put it mildly, was unexpected. It's as if Mr Donald Trump had decided to garland Ta-Nehisi Coates with the National Humanities Medal.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 27, 2018, with the headline In South Asia, bravery has different meaning. Subscribe