👩🏽📚How do we read Arundhati Roy? – Southasia Weekly #95
The last week has seen devastation across Sri Lanka due to landslides and flooding in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. Rescue teams are still trying to reach inundated areas. The footage I’m seeing reminds me of the people I met when I travelled to Batticaloa in the eastern province of Sri Lanka in 2011 as a reporter. The people I spoke to had seen their livelihoods wiped away in the space of two nights. Their fishing nets were gone, their fishing boats missing and their paddy fields were filled with mud. In many of the smaller villages, aid had yet to reach them even weeks after the floods.
A decade later, Sri Lanka still struggles to respond swiftly during a natural disaster, despite receiving advance warning. I wrote about why for Himal this week. Each week, we aim to bring you the story behind the story to give you insight on Southasia, beyond the bite-size news updates you’ll see in international headlines. We’re here after the headlines fade - and it’s your support that keeps us going. So in case you haven’t, please become a Patron and support our work!
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This week in Himal
Supriya Nair writes about ‘Mother Mary Comes to Me’, Arundhati Roy’s memoir about love, loyalty, and the larger-than-life Mrs Roy – don’t miss it!
This week in Southasia
The death toll from Cyclone Ditwah which caused widespread flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka has reached 607 as of 5 December, while four people in Tamil Nadu died due to rain-related incidents over the past week. In Sri Lanka, the extent of the damage is only now becoming clear; only 478 kilometres of Sri Lanka’s rail network is usable, with many areas still inaccessible due to landslides blocking the roads.
‘Flash’ disasters such as the rare band of cyclones seen across South and Southeast Asia in the past week are growing increasingly common due to warming seas caused by continued fossil-fuel burning, making predictions on tropical cyclones much more difficult. Sri Lanka is also ill-prepared to deal with the impacts of cyclones, despite being badly impacted by flooding in the past. Criticism is mounting about the slow response of the NPP government, especially as warnings were provided about heavy rains well in advance. In response, the government introduced sweeping emergency regulations on 29 November which granted the military sweeping detention powers and contained broad provisions that activists fear could be used to crackdown on criticism of the government. Since then, both government officials and police officers have said they will launch investigations into social media posts sharing misinformation.
Elsewhere in Southasia:
India announces plan to pre-install state-owned cybersecurity app on all new phones, cancels plan after public backlash around privacy, surveillance
US terminates all visas, asylum requests for Afghan applicants in wake of National Guard shooting
Pakistan army chief Asim Munir appointed “chief of defense forces” in wake of 27th amendment, promised five-year term
Russian president Vladimir Putin travels to India months after Trump tariffs due to Indian purchases of Russian oil, defence ties, oil trade on the agenda
Taliban publicly executes man accused of murder at sports stadium marking 11th execution since 2021
Former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia to be flown to London for advanced care after she was admitted to hospital with lung infection, condition critical
Pakistan permits UN aid convoys to cross into Afghanistan at two land border points on humanitarian grounds
Former prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and niece sentenced in corruption case, arrest warrant issued for Hasina’s son for internet shutdown during July 2024 protests
President Mohamed Muizzu ratifies changes to Decentralisation Act abolishing atoll councils ahead of local council elections, critics say move a bid to centralise power
Pakistani government official and members of his guard killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwah, a day after suicide bombing leaves policeman dead
Myanmar junta detains first candidate of opposition party ahead of scheduled elections
Revisit the below archival stories from Himal adding more context to this week's news updates from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Snap Southasia
Where in Southasia is this image from? Click on your guess below (and check in next week to see if you guessed right!)
Dharavi, Mumbai
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Orangi Town, Karachi