In this episode, we talk about the attempted arrest of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan and details of the case against him, involving state gifts. We also discuss a fresh UN High Commissioner for Refugees funding call for Afghanistan, where the dire humanitarian situation means 20 million people - almost half the population - are experiencing food insecurity.

In “Around Southasia in 5 minutes”, we discuss the spread of adenovirus in West Bengal, protests around toxic smoke at the Brahmapuram waste dump in Kochi, Nepal’s new president, trade union action in Sri Lanka opposing the IMF’s conditions for a bailout loan, a new Human Rights Watch report on political prisoners in Bhutan, and news of Zangkar Jamyang, a Tibetan writer and language rights activist, who disappeared in 2020 and has resurfaced in a Sichuan prison.

For “Bookmarked”, we’ll be discussing A path home, a graphic novel about Naga repatriation.

Episode notes:

Sri Lanka’s great IMF lie: https://www.himalmag.com/sri-lanka-imf-development-food-insecurity-debt-economic-crisis/

Refusal and responsibility: https://www.himalmag.com/refusal-and-responsibility-tibetan-intellectuals-2022/

Returning spoils of colonial conquest: https://www.himalmag.com/returning-spoils-of-colonial-conquest-2021/

A Path Home - graphic novel On Naga repatriation https://rradnagaland.org/novel/

Full episode and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/imran-khan-attempted-arrest-un-appeal-afghanistan-aid-graphic-novel-on-naga-repatriation/

Listen on Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/cfUx6

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0mEtnNPOcUXNJaylY5OkH0?si=TrWbRtooQWSIhf3-pP_0Nw

Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/southasiasphere-20-march-imran-khans-attempted-arrest/id1464880116?i=1000605299207

Youtube: https://youtu.be/-xayhndIjlQ

In this episode, we talk about the assembly election and by-election results in India, and examine growing trepidation in Bangladesh about a 2017 deal signed between the Bangladesh Power Development Board and the Adani Group. In “Around Southasia in 5 minutes” we’re talking about the closure of the Dainik Dinkal newspaper in Bangladesh; Pakistan on the economic precipice and a recent loan from China that’s bought the country some time; shifts in the Nepali ruling coalition requiring a second vote of confidence for prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal; a new report on forced demolitions, arbitrary detention and torture in Tibet; and the Delhi High Court upholding the controversial Agnipath scheme for recruitment to the Indian Army. For “Bookmarked”, we’ll be talking about Prasanna Vithanage’s feature film Gaadi, which discusses caste discrimination in Ceylon at a time when courtiers plotted to overthrow the Kandyan king Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe.

Episode notes:

Power play: https://www.himalmag.com/power-play-bangladesh-2021/

Bangladesh’s BNP fights to make a political comeback: https://www.himalmag.com/bangladesh-nationalist-party-bnp-political-rallies-election/

Rebound or relapse: Debt restructuring in a time of crisis: https://www.himalmag.com/debt-restructuring-imf-economic-crisis-southasia/

Desecration in Drago county: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c6d7c35b2cf790541327f25/t/63cfdcc81771d947c2081480/1674566871741/Desecration-in-Drago-County.pdf

A plot twist makes Pushpa Kamal Dahal prime minister of Nepal: https://www.himalmag.com/nepal-election-pushpa-kamal-dahal-prime-minister-2022/

Gaadi: https://youtu.be/JQIEvMb6eCM

The podcast episode is now available now Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/QHajB

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3tdej1S3ea0wjaV4HuzQQc?si=aa0cc1671e524a15

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/southasiasphere-6-march-election-in-the-northeast/id1464880116?i=1000603230087

Youtube: https://youtu.be/ZNxl1MZM7ng

According to the UN, 2022 was one of the deadliest years for Rohingya refugees at sea since 2014. Over 3500 Rohingya attempted to leave Myanmar or Bangladesh by sea in 2022, and at least 348 lost their lives or went missing while doing so. But these tragedies have already faded from headlines, even though the Rohingya crisis continues.

In this edition of Southasian Conversations, recorded on 27 February 2023, we bring attention to the Rohingya community and their ongoing struggles for survival, dignity and justice. We look at the present crisis but also beyond, to go farther than entrenched narratives focussed solely on Rohingya dispossession.

Moderator:

• Ben Dunant, Editor-in-chief, Frontier Myanmar

Panelists:

• Kaamil Ahmed - Journalist for the Guardian and author of I Feel No Peace: Rohingya Fleeing Over Seas and Rivers

• Ruki Fernando - Human rights activist

• Sahat Zia Hero - Founding editor for Rohingyatographer Magazine

• Sharifah Shakirah - Founder and Director of Rohingya Women Development Network

Full video discussion and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/the-rohingya-refugee-crisis-at-sea-and-beyond-struggle-for-justice/

In this episode, we talk about delayed local government elections in Sri Lanka. We discuss the tax raid on BBC offices in Mumbai and Delhi. We also discuss the shutdown of embassies in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In “Around Southasia in Five Minutes”, we discuss the release of PTM leader Ali Wazir after almost two years behind bars in Pakistan, a new political party law and a directive from the junta on civilians carrying firearms in Myanmar, the controversial appointment of Victoria Gowri as an additional judge of the Madras High Court in India, rumours of a growing rift in the Taliban in Afghanistan after critical comments made by interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Bangladesh’s selection of a new president. For “Bookmarked”, we discuss the documentary Dreaming of Words, which tells the story of Njattyela Sreedharan, a fourth-standard drop-out who went on to compile a comparative dictionary of Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.

Full episode and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/tax-raid-bbc-india-delayed-local-government-elections-sri-lanka-ptm-ali-wazir-release/

Episode Notes:

Sri Lanka’s local elections are a major threat to the ruling class: https://www.himalmag.com/srilanka-local-elections-aragalaya-tax-policy-economic-crisis-ranil-wickremesinghe-rajapaksas/

Protests in Gwadar, a BBC documentary on Modi, Tamil fiction in translation and more: https://www.himalmag.com/southasiasphere-protests-gwadar-bbc-documentary-modi-gujarat-riots-tamil-fiction-translation/

Pashtuns will not be pawns in Pakistan’s dangerous game with the TTP and Taliban: https://www.himalmag.com/pashtuns-protest-pakistan-peshawar-mosque-bast-swat-waziristan-ttp-taliban/

Taliban regime under siege, within and without: https://www.himalmag.com/himal-briefs-taliban-regime-under-siege-afghanistan-2022/

Dreaming of words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWmRnOcm_Ko

“The military’s exit from politics would not only stabilise civilian democracy but also strengthen the Parliament, as the country’s supreme body that is directly accountable to the people,” writes Salman Rafi Sheikh, assistant professor of politics at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, in his article for Himal Briefs looking at how Pakistan needs to go beyond the 18th amendment to end the military’s role in politics.

In our latest Himal Twitter Spaces session, recorded on 6 February, we speak to Salman about this continued cycle of crises in Pakistan, and how reviving the 2010 reform process can be key to stabilise the polity and target the vast business empire controlled by the military establishment.

Pakistan needs to go beyond the 18th amendment to end the military’s role in politics - Salman Rafi Sheikh https://www.himalmag.com/pakistan-military-beyond-18th-amendment-constitution-politics/

More Himal Twitter Spaces: https://www.himalmag.com/category/himal-spaces/

In this episode, we talk about the silent strikes in Myanmar marking two years since the country’s military coup. We also look at security in Pakistan in the wake of a suicide bomb blast in Peshawar, and the spiralling impact of the country’s debt crisis on the wellbeing of citizens.

In “Around Southasia in Five Minutes”, we discuss the impact of a report by Hindenburg Research accusing the Adani Group of stock manipulation and marketing fraud, the Indian National Congress’s recently concluded Bharat Jodo Yatra, the controversy surrounding the citizenship of the politician Rabi Lamichchane in Nepal, the release of the Sri Lankan student activist Wasantha Mudalige, the contentious Maldivian presidential primaries, and much more. For “Bookmarked”, we talk about the documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, shot in the Nilgiri Mountaints in Tamil Nadu, which has been nominated for an Oscar.

Full episode and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/silent-strikes-myanmar-coup-militancy-debt-pakistan-peshawar-elephant-whisperers/

Episode notes:

Resisting a coup: https://www.himalmag.com/resisting-a-coup-myanmar-interview-2021/

Southasiasphere episode 25 January 2023: https://www.himalmag.com/southasiasphere-protests-gwadar-bbc-documentary-modi-gujarat-riots-tamil-fiction-translation/

Rebound or relapse: Debt restructuring in a time of crisis: https://www.himalmag.com/debt-restructuring-imf-economic-crisis-southasia/

Pakistan needs to go beyond the 18th amendment to end the military’s role in politics: https://www.himalmag.com/pakistan-military-beyond-18th-amendment-constitution-politics/

Musharraf’s last stand: https://www.himalmag.com/musharrafs-last-stand/

Adani Group: How the world’s third richest man is pulling the largest con in corporate history: https://hindenburgresearch.com/adani/

The Elephant Whisperers: https://www.netflix.com/title/81312835

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out twice a month. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here: https://himalmag.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=0c87df9f0948bcfa1bc80d2b4&id=2c748501e0

In this episode, we look at the Gwadar Rights Movement and other burgeoning protests across Pakistan, from demonstrations against the local government elections in Karachi to protests around skyrocketing inflation in Swabi and against rising militancy in Sindh. We also unpack the recent BBC documentary on Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots - and the Indian government's reaction to it. In Around Southasia in Five Minutes, we talk about the impact of the Afghan winter and malnutrition in Sri Lanka, an eviction drive in Jammu and Kashmir, an attempt to merge madrassas and allow for state surveillance in Assam, proposed amendments to the Press Council Act in Bangladesh. For Bookmarked, we discuss the Mozhi Prize for Tamil fiction in translation.

Episode Notes:

Gujarat as another country: https://www.himalmag.com/gujarat-another-country/

The long wait for justice: https://www.himalmag.com/the-long-wait-for-justice-srilanka-2020/

A tool for oppression: https://www.himalmag.com/bangladesh-a-tool-for-oppression-dsa-2022/

Mozhi: https://mozhi.co.in/

Full episode and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/southasiasphere-protests-gwadar-bbc-documentary-modi-gujarat-riots-tamil-fiction-translation/

Listen on Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/zoxZ2

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4fDGjSAkCkm3T7x3ccqr5h?si=Nekdi42ZS7qT7z-fUXXALw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/southasiasphere-protests-in-gwadar-a-bbc/id1464880116?i=1000596448152

Youtube: https://youtu.be/KXriCw4R3tQ

Over the past year, Sri Lanka has often been cited as a case study in economic precarity, and while headlines have been full of stories of poverty and the ongoing protests, there has been less dedicated coverage over next steps. The UN states that at least 5.7 million people within the country require humanitarian aid. With food inflation reaching 85.6 percent in October, 28 percent of the population face moderate to severe food insecurity.

These events have to be set against a global cost of living crisis; with reports of inflation everywhere from Pakistan to the UK, France, Kenya and Nigeria. As food and fuel prices rise, lower income countries are disproportionately impacted, and the impacts of debt mismanagement become starkly visible.

In this edition of Southasian Conversation (recorded on 21 January 2023), we ask: how should governments negotiate complex debt restructuring processes? What do examples from the region, and indeed globally, tell us about navigating debt restructuring, and how will this impact people’s lives in the interim? We at Himal hope this will provide an opportunity to revise these questions and also serve as a platform for an open and timely conversation on what’s next for Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Full panel discussion video and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/debt-restructuring-imf-economic-crisis-southasia/

Available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/lvzJL6epHEA

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-162273488/rebound-or-relapse-debt-restructuring-in-a-time-of-crisis?si=5ec8295432ab47f5b33491b2e1842d47&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YNld1yWbw6TTf6lHs4r0S?si=ugsFp678Sbiy9Q0rQAdBpw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rebound-or-relapse-debt-restructuring-in-a-time-of-crisis/id1464880116?i=1000596441692

In this episode, we look at several steps towards accountability for corruption and money-laundering in the region, from Myanmar to the Maldives. But a closer look reveals that the timing of these charges are significant. In Around Southasia in 5 minutes, we talk about the Taliban ban on education for women, Pakistan’s early to bed early to rise policy, the Rohingya crisis at sea, the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to tie India’s Aadhar ID card to public benefit schemes, and the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to Bodh Gaya. And in Bookmarked, we discuss Kite Tales, an online storytelling initiative from Myanmar.

Episode notes and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/southasiasphere-yameen-conviction-taliban-womens-education-rohingya-crisis-2023/

In this episode, we unpack the recent elections in Nepal by discussing the newly formed parties, key campaign issues, and the likely outcome of these results at a time when the country is facing various political and economic challenges.

In Around Southasia in 5 minutes, we talk about protests against an Adani-backed seaport project in Vizhinjam, Kerala, and the wider influence of the Adani Group in Sri Lanka. We also look at how China’s zero-COVID policies have been received in Tibet, the reimposition of Sharia law in Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff.

Plus in our culture section Bookmarked, we discuss two documentaries by EastMojo marking one year since the Mon massacre in 2021, and ‘Moshari’, a climate-horror short film from Bangladesh.

Cartoon by Gihan de Chickera

Full episode and transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/southasiasphere-nepal-elections-pakistans-new-army-chief-moshari-and-more-2022/

Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/WADAQyQKXDc

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-162273488/nepal-elections-pakistans-new-army-chief-moshari-and-more?si=5ed5c6c1a8a74752a50e7fedbb5682cd&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nepal-elections-pakistans-new-army-chief-moshari-and-more/id1464880116?i=1000590358077

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5KO6rLFTzcpn7fxPhJWgPJ?si=1A174e5QSWeJTFRFA-DKmw