Bengal’s tryst with Hindu nationalism – Southasia Weekly #119

It’s been quite a whirlwind week in Southasia. India has been making diplomatic overtures to both the United Arab Emirates and Europe, signing key agreements even as Modi dodged pointed questions from Norway’s press. Thirteen media outlets in the Maldives blacked out their front pages to highlight growing media repression from president Mohamed Muizzu after the release of a documentary accusing him of sexual misconduct. This week, over 5000 Afghans were forcibly returned to the country in a single day. And Sri Lanka watched as Tamils commemorated Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day while the government held Victory Day celebrations, underscoring the fissures that remain even decades after the civil war.

War, geopolitical shifts, media censorship and more. It can be dizzying to try to make sense of it all, but that’s what we at Himal try to do, week after week. We hope that we’ve been able to cut through the chaos to bring you the latest from across the region - and if you value our coverage, please consider signing up to our Patrons programme to support our work.

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This week in Himal

Ankush Pal writes that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory at the West Bengal elections is about more than the Special Intensive Revision process and voter deletions, but rather exposes the deep Bengali roots of Hindu nationalism and shatters the myth of secular bhadralok liberalism.