It looks like there have been some changes in the South Asian samples in the 1000 Genomes Project. Earlier there had been a notification that they were trying to get obtain samples of Kayasthas from West Bengal, Marathas from Maharashtra, and Ahom from Assom. No more. Now you have Sri Lankan and Bangladesh populations. What went on? Judging by its past history the Indian biomedical bureaucracy probably made those projects unfeasible. So instead of those samples we have Bengalis from Bangladesh and Sri Lankan Sinhalese and Tamils in the UK. The Punjabis from Lahore are now out for collecting, so that we are probably guaranteed, even if the others fall through too.
What’s going on with Pakistan? You might notice that the Human Genome Diversity Project has Pakistani groups, but not Indian ones. That wasn’t because they didn’t want to get Indian populations, it just wasn’t ever doable, so that they had to settle for Pakistanis, who aren’t quite South Asian representative. But thank god for Pakistan when it comes to human genetics! And thank god for the Diaspora. At the current rate HAP might be the best we have for a while!
India shining & ignorant everyone!