On 21 September, Sri Lankans will elect a new president. Tisaranee Gunasekara takes a deep look at the political life and trajectory of incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, the awkward politician who went from holding a single seat in parliament after (yet another) electoral loss to ascending to the presidency amid a devastating economic crisis in 2022. If you’re an outsider to the twists and turns of Sri Lankan politics, this piece is the perfect primer.
Kanika Gupta writes about the fight to release fishermen detained for crossing the ill-defined maritime border between India and Pakistan, following incredible collaboration between activists in both countries that had succeeded where traditional diplomatic efforts have faltered, leading to the release of nearly 500 Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan in 2023.
In the latest edition of the Southasian Review of Books podcast, host Shwetha Srikanthan talks to three women involved in My Dear Kabul, a collective diary of 21 Afghan women writers; Marie, a contributor, Parwana Fayyaz, a translator and editor and Sunila Galappatti, an editor. The conversation covers how the diary was born out of WhatsApp conversations after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, how writing can be a tool of resilience and unpacks the process of translating and editing the diary.
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Student protests in Manipur bring fresh attention to the ongoing conflict
State authorities imposed curfew and blocked internet access in India’s northeastern state of Manipur after students protesting a fresh surge in violence clashed with police. More than 50 students were injured as police used force to prevent them from marching on the Raj Bhavan (government house) and the chief minister’s residence. At least nine people have been killed in ethnic violence in the past 10 days, with armed groups using makeshift drones and rockets to launch attacks.
The events of the past week bring fresh attention to the conflict in Manipur, which has been simmering for more than a year. The violence is fuelled by ethnic tensions between the dominant Meitei community who primarily live in Imphal Valley and the predominantly hill-dwelling Kuki community, as well as underlying economic concerns including competition over quotas for government jobs and education quotas, land conflict and more. The prolonged violence has shattered friendships and revealed ingrained ethnic chauvinism across the Northeast. It has also led to pointed questions about the lack of intervention on the part of India’s central government, while others point to the BJP’s lack of understanding of the linguistic and ethnic dynamics in Manipur which has only exacerbated tensions.
Pakistan police arrests at least 11 lawmakers, leaders from former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, following a rally demanding his release from jail
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal seeks extradition of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina from neighbouring India, accusing her of carrying out ‘massacres’
Myanmar’s junta starts forcibly conscripting men up to the age of 65 amid mounting battlefield losses against rebel groups, including losing a navy training base in Rakhine state
Sri Lanka passes national minimum wage bill, raising the monthly minimum wage by 12.5 percent to LKR 12,500 and will legislate a daily minimum wage of LKR 500
Bangladesh enforces ban on exporting hilsa to India during Durga Puja festival to ensure the prized fish is available to consumers in Bangladesh, marking distance from Sheikh Hasina’s strategy of ‘hilsa diplomacy’
More than 10 Afghan women participated in a rare protest on the streets of Kabul to demand their rights and call on the international community to denounce Taliban rule
Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government, calls for expedited resettlement of Rohingya refugees to third countries as foreign advisers says it’s ‘not possible’ to take in more Rohingyas
Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) dies at 72, political leaders pay tribute to his ‘deep understanding’ of the country, skill in coalition-building
Production at a key Samsung Electronics plant in south India disrupted as hundreds of workers strike for higher wages
Two Maldivian ministers resigned days ahead of President Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to India. The two ministers were suspended in January after they criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ‘derogatory remarks’
Indians living in West Bengal this week are in mourning because Bangladesh is enforcing a ban on exports, meaning they will be unable to enjoy their favourite hilsa during the Durga Puja festival. Bangladesh’s national fish remains a luxury within the country, particularly as former prime minister Sheikh Hasina would lift the ban during Durga Puja to send large quantities of the fish to India. But advisor to the interim government Muhammad Yunus has put an end to this practice. Netizens aptly captured the grief experienced by residents of West Bengal at the news.
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This week marks 23 years since the September 11 attacks. In light of this, Vijay Prashad’s essay is worth a revisit. Prashad discusses the near-immediate impact of the attacks, including retaliatory racism which marked him out as a terrorist due to the colour of his skin. Prashad reflects on his personal experiences of racism when he first arrived in the US and records the Southasians who lost their lives in the aftermath of September 11 even as he grieves for the lives lost on that day.