Hello, everyone. Good morning, afternoon or evening, and welcome to this edition of Notes from South Asia. You can find all the articles in the series here (along with my other diaries).
Today I will cover the state of the media in India, HDI and skills in Bhutan and state of the economy in Sri Lanka.
Note: I am not here at home today, will not have my laptop in my possession and would not be able to add the tweets in the comments. I will schedule the post and leave. Hopefully, it’ll work since it has worked the past few times I tried it.
India
Modi Media
Journalist Srinivasan Jain has done a great report in English on the state of the media in India. It is there on Al Jazeera and I thought I might share that. Please spare twenty five minutes of your time to watch this video.
Summer of Suffering
It is very hot in Bangalore, which used to be a hill station once and rarely saw the high temperatures it is seeing today. On April 1st, our high was 37 degrees. So, it should come as no surprise that Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a scorching summer for most parts of India. Akshit Sangomla reporting for Down to Earth.
Most of India may suffer from above normal day time and night time temperatures along with heatwaves in the summer season of April-May-June, according to the latest seasonal outlook issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Temperatures across India are already soaring, with four states having recorded either heatwave conditions or warm night conditions between March 27 and April 1. These are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Heatwave conditions prevail when the maximum temperatures of a place cross 40 degrees Celsius (°C) for the plains and are above normal by 4.5°C. For coastal areas, the threshold is 37°C and for the hills, it is 30°C.
IMD says that except for isolated places in east, the Northeast and northwest, the rest of India may likely experience above normal maximum temperatures in April, May and June. The prediction is similar for the month of April as well.
People may not get much respite from the heat even during the nights, as the weather agency forecasts above normal minimum temperatures for all of India barring a few areas in the Northeast and northwest of the country. The prediction remains the same for the month of April as well.
Karnataka is among the states showing “the highest anomaly of days with heatwaves”. Zimbabwe is suffering from drought due to El Nino. So are we.
Trading Diplomacy for Political Gain
The Prime Minister of India recently used an uninhabited island called Katchatheevu to attack the main national opposition party, Indian National Congress (INC or Congress). India had relinquished the claim to the territory in 1974 when Congress was in power. Meera Srinivasan reports for the Hindu that the Sri Lankan media is not happy.
The Sri Lankan government is yet to comment on the recent remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Katchatheevu, but the island nation’s media took a critical view of the development, while fishermen’s associations urged Sri Lankan authorities to take up the issue of bottom trawling more vocally with the Indian government.
The Colombo-based English newspaper Daily Mirror, in its editorial on Tuesday, noted: “Sadly, even the seemingly unflappable Indian External Affairs Minister - Jaishankar - has dropped all pretence of statesmanship and has joined hands with his premier to rouse communal feelings in the hope of gaining a few votes in Tamil Nadu.” “Lanka desires to be left to its own devices away from India’s internal politics,” it said.
The editorial was responding to Mr. Modi’s claim — and Dr. Jaishankar’s subsequent media statement which sought to back it — that the Congress party “callously gave away” Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. In its editorial titled ‘Katchatheevu was not India’s to ‘give away’’, business newspaper Daily Financial Times termed their remarks “a distortion of the facts, a dog whistle to South Indian nationalism and a dangerous and unnecessary provocation of a friendly neighbour that could have serious repercussions”.
“The constant provocative claims on Sri Lankan territory, especially from the highest echelons of power in India, would only force our country to seek security guarantees elsewhere. Having learnt the art of diplomacy from Ashoka and strategy from Kautilya, it would be tragic for all concerned if Sri Lanka needs to apply the foreign policy theory of Rajamandala to find ‘friends’ elsewhere to protect itself against a ‘near foe’,” the newspaper’s editorial observed.
As per former diplomats, India did not give away Katchatheevu. The government relinquished their claim because they thought Sri Lanka had a better claim. (The dispute if any was between British India and British Ceylon, i.e. Sri Lanka).
Here is the editorial from Daily Mirror that she excerpts.
Lankans expected more of Indian leaders and have often tended to look at its top leaders as statesmen and stateswomen rather than opportunistic politicians.
Great Indian personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subash Chandra Bose, Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri are among the names that come to mind.
Sadly, even the seemingly unflappable Indian External Affairs Minister -Jaishankar- has dropped all pretence of statesmanship and has joined hands with his premier to rouse communal feelings in the hope of gaining a few votes in Tamil Nadu.
Both the Indian premier and his Minister of External Affairs are attempting to rake up old sores in the hope that the issue will come in handy in the BJP’s efforts to gain political traction among the Tamil population in the Southern state during the Lok Sabha polls.
On an earlier occasion, Indian meddling in Lankan affairs led to a nearly three-decade- long civil war and ruined the economy of our country. That war also led to the deaths of thousands of Indian troops whom India sent in to impose an Indian solution to a Sri Lankan problem.
(I did not know whether to include this in India or Sri Lanka but then decided to include it here since Sri Lanka needs better treatment than focus on Indian politics.)
It is not clear if Sri Lankan government has made any official comment on the subject. No media reports in Sri Lanka has indicated that (as of writing this article). An Indian news channel did invite Sri Lanka’s foreign minister to speak on the subject though and he said the matter is settled.
Bhutan
Human Development
Bhutan Broadcasting Cooperation reports that Bhutan’s human development indicators have improved.
Bhutan climbed two positions to 125 in 2022 from 2021’s rank, with a Human Development Index score of 0.681.
In the life expectancy sub-category which is measured in years, Bhutan scored 72.2. The gross national income per capita is 10, 625 Purchasing Power Parity(PPP) dollars.
Bhutan has progressed in health and income indicators while the education indicator has remained same since 2020.
In 2021, Bhutan had a score of 0.666. Bhutan stands in the medium human development category. The rankings are among 193 countries.
“Bhutan jumped two places and this is due to life expectancy and income. That is good news for Bhutan. The life expectancy is also another important indicator. Bhutan’s free health system and education play an important role to enhance Bhutan’s position in the Human Development Index,” said Mohammad Younus, Resident Representative of UNDP.
The Human Development Report 2023-2024 titled “Breaking the gridlock: reimagining cooperation in a polarized world” is based on statistics from 2022.
According to the UNDP, among the 35 Least Developed Countries that experienced a decline in their HDI in 2020-2021, almost 20 have not yet recovered to their human development levels of 2019.
Globally, Switzerland and Norway are leading the ranking while South Sudan and Somalia have the lowest scores in Human Development Index.
Training and Market Needs
KP Sharma writes for Kuensel: Can TVET reforms bridge Bhutan’s skill gap?
TVET is widely acknowledged as a key driver of economic growth and a potential remedy for addressing unemployment challenges in various countries, globally.
However, despite proven effectiveness and importance, TVET often has remained undervalued and overlooked, both in terms of public perception and policy priorities.
Is it how we look at TVET?
The crisp answer is “Yes”.
The lack of popularity and the low societal image of TVET in Bhutan have hindered its development over the years.
Without significant reforms in the sector, the gap between TVET institutes and the needs of employment market has widened.
No wonder so young Bhutanese are looking elsewhere for better opportunities.
According to the World Bank’s Bhutan Labour Market Assessment Report 2024, there is a need for a demand-driven approach and closer collaboration between TVET institutions and employers to effectively address the identified skill mismatches in the labour
To tackle these issues, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Humber College in Canada, has initiated consultations and meetings with various stakeholders of TVET institutions to discuss reform initiatives aimed at making them more suitable for current times.
Nalini Andrade, the Director of the International Development Institute (IDI) at Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, said that the college is leading comprehensive TVET reform initiatives in Bhutan.
Sri Lanka
Economy and Jobs
The Daily Mirror reports that Sri Lanka’s economy shows signs of stabilization, but poverty remains elevated
According to the Sri Lanka Development Update released today, Sri Lanka saw declining inflation, higher revenues on the back of the implementation of new fiscal policies, and a current account surplus for the first time in nearly five decades, buoyed by increased remittances and a rebound in tourism.
However, poverty rates continued to rise for the fourth year in a row, with an estimated 25.9% of Sri Lankans living below the poverty line in 2023. Labor force participation has also seen a decline, particularly among women and in urban areas, exacerbated by the closure of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Households are grappling with multiple pressures from high prices, income losses, and under employment. This has led to households taking on debt to meet food requirements and maintain spending on health and education. [...]
Looking forward, the report projects a modest pickup in growth of 2.5% in 2025, with a gradual increase in inflation and a small current account surplus. However, high debt service obligations are expected to exert pressure on fiscal balances. Poverty rates are anticipated to remain above 22% until 2026. Risks to the outlook remain, particularly related to inadequate debt restructuring, reversal of reforms, financial sector vulnerabilities, and the enduring impact of the crisis. The report emphasizes that strong reform implementation will be fundamental to fostering a resilient economy through continued macro-fiscal-financial stability, greater private sector investment, and addressing risks associated with state-owned enterprises.
A reason why people fall into traps promising employment opportunities.
Safrah Fazal reports for the Daily Mirror how Sri Lankans are being trafficked to Ukrainian frontline.
A group of 55 Sri Lankans, comprising former soldiers as well as civilians, had been trafficked to war-torn Ukraine with the promise of securing jobs in Georgia, Poland and Ukraine
- Two suspects operating a foreign employment agency in Kadawatha were arrested this month on charges of trafficking a group of 55 Sri Lankans to conflict zones in Ukraine
- Many ask the question whether it’s worth risking their lives so much in order to find employment abroad?
- Police Spokesperson DIG Attorney-At-Law Nihal Thalduwa urged the public to be cautious of individuals involved in human trafficking
- According to Prof. Herath, when people are desperate and are unaware of what is going on in the world, they often fall prey to such rackets
As with Russia, they are being promised jobs away from the frontlines but then are forced there.
Speaking to Daily Mirror, DIG Thalduwa stated that the victims were aware of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. “Some had thought that they would not be serving in the front-lines, but would serve in the war in other capacities– former military personnel have experience in this. However, when they go to Ukraine, they are compelled to be in the front-lines. Others (civilians) have gone seeking other forms of employment as they have been told that they are being sent for other jobs (in Poland or Georgia). It is when they arrive in Ukraine that they realise where they are. After that, they have no way of coming back,” said DIG Thalduwa.
He added that each person had been charged between Rs. 250,000 and 500,000 by the fraudulent foreign employment agency.
As per the sociologists the reporter interviewed, the people have lost faith in Sri Lankan political system and are hence seeking better life abroad.
That is it for today, everyone. I will see you next Friday, if the heat does not kill me first. Have a good week ahead. Stay safe. Be well. Take care.
May we come to our senses and start seriously working on adapting and mitigating global warming.