At our edit meeting this Wednesday, we debated what should be highlighted as the main story in this newsletter. Should we talk about the broader implications of Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest? Or the Bangladesh interim government’s seven-point-plan to repatriate Rohingya refugees, even as Rohingya highlighted ongoing violence perpetrated by Myanmar’s ruling junta and anti-junta groups on those still trapped in the country? Or the crowd crush at a rally for actor-turned-politician Vijay in Tamil Nadu, which led to the tragic loss of lives? Each week, we discuss which story deserves highlighting, and often struggle to decide between trending news and important yet under-discussed topics.
In the end and after some discussion, we decided that a spate of deaths across Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh due to suspected cough syrup poisoning - most deserved highlighting. With this newsletter, I aim to give you as comprehensive an overview as possible about what’s happening in Southasia, including what stories we’re keeping an eye on as they develop. If you value our regional focus, make sure to support our work, so we can continue bringing you the latest from across Southasia.
With that, I bring you this week’s update.
Tanushree Bhasin writes that the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup could be one of the biggest moments for women's cricket in India in 50 years, encouraging more women to pursue a career in sport - if they manage to pull off a win.
Anupam Debashis Roy and Rishija Singh write about the overlapping factors that led to uprisings in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
We’re screening ‘Machines’ directed by Rahul Jain for this month’s edition of Screen Southasia, and hosting a Q and A with him on 6 October at 6 PM IST. Register here - we hope to see you there! In Machines, Rahul Jain delves into the lives of workers in a textile factory in Gujarat, providing a window into the labour that goes into textile-making.
If the hidden histories and labour of textile-making excites you, our partners at MAP Academy are still taking applications for the MAP Academy & Nalli Fellowships for Textile Research. The programme will support four research fellowships on the region’s textile cultures from any part of Southasia - spread the word!
Applications are still open for the MAP Academy & Nalli Fellowships, a programme that supports research into under-explored textile histories, practices, and traditions from across South Asia. Individual researchers, designers, archivists, journalists, writers, educators, practitioners, as well as collectives and non-profit organisations are all eligible to apply. Project proposals should have clear stakes, a specific and original focus, and an understanding of the social worlds from which textile practices emerge. The last date to submit your applications is 15 October 2025. Find the application form here.
Eight children die due to suspected cough syrup poisoning in India
This week, news broke that eight children across Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have died over the past month due to suspected cough syrup poisoning. Six of the deaths were reported from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, while two children lost their lives in Rajasthan’s Sikar and Bharatpur districts. In Bharatpur, a doctor who consumed a cough syrup to prove its safety fell unconscious eight hours later. The children fell ill after consuming a cough syrup found at many government health centres, with some of the children going into kidney failure. NDTV reported that biopsies revealed the presence of diethylene glycol contamination in Madhya Pradesh, a toxic chemical often associated with pharmaceutical poisoning. Two syrups were banned in Madhya Pradesh while Rajasthan banned 22 batches of one generic cough syrup as a result of the deaths. The union health ministry has launched a multi-agency investigation into the deaths.
Tragically, this is not the first time that children have lost their lives due to substandard cough syrup. In 2022, around 70 children in Gambia died after consuming cough syrup produced by a single Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, with a court in Uzbekistan sentencing 23 people including an Indian national for deaths there. The Indian government cancelled the licenses of 18 pharmaceutical companies in March 2023 as a result of the scandal. The recent deaths have revived discussions about the massive gaps in India’s drug regulatory system, as a result of lax laws, easily exploited loopholes and lobbying by pharmaceutical companies, leaving millions in India and beyond at risk.
Given the recent news, our investigative series from March 2025, ‘Pills, Perils, Profits’ by Vidya Krishnan and Arshu John, is worth revisiting, in particular the story on the Gambia cough syrup poisonings and the broader story on the failures in India’s drug regulatory system.
Elsewhere in Southasia:
Internet access returns to Afghanistan after 48 hours, Taliban denies ban despite restrictions in connectivity to ‘prevent vice’ in Balkh, several other provinces in September
Gitanjali Angmo, wife of detained Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, writes to Indian president alleging illegal surveillance and demanding his unconditional release
Crowd surge at rally supporting actor-turned-politician Vijay in Tamil Nadu, India leaves 39 dead
Rohingya representatives highlight ongoing violence in virtual address to UN General Assembly after Bangladeshi interim leader Mohammed Yunus reveals seven-point plan to repatriate Rohingya to Myanmar despite ongoing conflict; several Western nations pledge financial assistance to refugees after USAID cuts
Over 10 people, including eight civilians, lose their lives in car bomb explosion near paramilitary headquarters in Quetta, Pakistan; no group has taken responsibility
Sri Lankan government says Tamil journalist Kumanan Kanapathipillai linked with ‘terrorist activity’ at UN Committee after questioning from counterterrorism police linked with his coverage of mass grave excavations
Direct flights between India and China reintroduced for first time since COVID-19 pandemic
Audit of Maldivian utility service Fenaka Corporation reveals administrative fund misappropriation among opposition party members after release by ruling party-aligned media; Fenaka managing director sentenced to four years in prison
Justice for Myanmar receives Right Livelihood Award for activism in investigating the junta government’s international funding links
Protests erupt across Pakistan-administered Kashmir, leaving four dead just days after shooting by Awami Joint Action Committee disrupts peace rally in Muzaffarabad
Revisit some of our archival stories adding more context to some of this week's news updates from Bangladesh and Pakistan
Where in Southasia was this photo taken? Click on your guess below!
Lee Market, Karachi
Peliyagoda fish market, Colombo
Adabor Bazar, Dhaka
The feature in this newsletter to promote the MAP Academy & Nalli Fellowship is part of a paid partnership. To partner on Himal’s newsletters, write to sushimt@himalmag.com.