South Asia

Pragya Singh Thakur, leader of the extreme right-wing nationalist party, and six other defendants have been acquitted of a 2008 attack that killed seven people in Malegaon ‘due to lack of evidence’. Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, two nuns remain in prison after being accused of forced conversions despite no evidence to support the charge. The case is sparking political protests and new accusations of repression against religious minorities.

Since the beginning of July, all refugees who fled the Taliban regime in 2021 have been receiving text messages ordering them to leave Tajikistan within 15 days. Those living in the country legally and many former collaborators of the pro-Western government in Kabul are also targeted. There are reports of men, women and children being loaded onto small buses. This crackdown comes on top of others already in place against Afghan exiles in Pakistan and Iran.

New data released yesterday by the FAO in Addis Ababa show a slight improvement, with the global population suffering from undernourishment dropping to 8.2 per cent (approximately 672 million people). However, large increases in Africa and the Middle East have offset much of the gains made by 19.4 million Indians leaving the most at-risk group.

A detailed report on this long-standing phenomenon was released today: an “impure” job reserved for non-Muslims. Although they make up only 2% of the population, 80% of garbage collectors are Christians, with the rest being Hindus. At least 84 have died in the last five years due to outdated infrastructure and techniques: their lives are not worth the cost of modernization. Amnesty: “Pakistan must recognize caste discrimination as a form of racism.”

The Indian Bishops' Conference denounces the arrest of two nuns in Agra on blatantly false charges of “forced conversions”. ‘Christian nuns are increasingly being followed by social agitators, who surround them at railway stations, incite the crowd and use offensive language.’ Appeal to local and central governments in Delhi to guarantee their safety. Rahul Gandhi: ‘This is BJP street justice. The two nuns must be released immediately.’

The arrest of a young man for blasphemy sparked mob violence in a village that saw 14 Hindu homes vandalised, forcing about 50 families to flee. After police arrived, several agents were injured. The incident highlights the rise in anti-minority violence in Bangladesh following last summer's protests that ousted Sheikh Hasina's government.

Nadeesha Chandrasena has received the Global Award for Intellectual Property (WIPO) for her ‘Smart Drain’, an anti-clogging drainage system that prevents urban flooding. The device is patented and can be monitored in real time, overcoming the problem of drainage channels clogged with waste in large cities. The award is a source of pride for the country and its women's movements.

In a report released yesterday, the human rights group accuses India of expelling 1,500 Muslims to Bangladesh between May and June without due process, fuelling religious and ethnic discrimination. Those expelled include Indian citizens with valid papers, as several witnesses testified. In Assam, where the situation is most critical, evictions and home demolitions have been ongoing for months, involving thousands of families, expelled or detained, partly to make way for business development.

Although it has not yet achieved full political recognition from Moscow, Kazakhstan has signed an agreement with the Taliban for an important railway line. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are also promoting agreements with Beijing's blessing. The only exception remains Tajikistan, where the issue of discrimination against the Tajik minority in Afghanistan still weighs heavily.

The container ship that sank in 2021 off the coast of Sri Lanka caused one of the worst environmental disasters in the country's history. The Supreme Court ordered the company that owned it to pay compensation. The court also ruled that the authorities, including former State Minister Nalaka Godahewa, failed to take adequate measures to prevent the tragedy.

Farmers’ association slammed as “unconstitutional” the new agricultural income tax imposed by the International Monetary Fund. Pakistani agriculture is already reeling from the collapse of cotton production, rising costs, and falling market prices. Farmers want alternative crops, demanding tax breaks equal to those for other sectors.

In Trichy, Tamil Nadu, “outcastes” are marginalised even during annual Catholic celebrations. Bishop Amalanathan noted that inside the Church, Dalits “participate in the choir, do the readings, prayers, collections, etc.”, but the problem lies “outside celebrations”. For him, “all should be treated equally.”