The hidden languages of tea estate workers in Assam and Darjeeling – Southasia Weekly #50
This week in Himal
This week, Abhishek Avtans writes about the languages of tea-estate workers in Assam and Darjeeling, following the migration of diverse people to tea estates for work. Many of these workers belonged to marginalised communities, and they brought their languages to their new homes.
For our next Podcast of the Week, host of the State of Southasia podcast Nayantara Narayanan talks to journalist Priyanka Dubey about the recent murder of Chhattisgarh-based journalist Mukesh Chandrakar and the precarities journalists face in India’s hinterlands.
This week in Southasia
Fragile peace as Myanmar junta signs China-brokered ceasefire agreement
On 20 January, Myanmar’s junta signed a ceasefire agreement with the anti-junta group Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), ending over a year of fighting. The agreement was brokered by China, after armed groups gained territory near the Myanmar-China border, seizing a major military base last July. In the lead up to the ceasefire, there has been escalating violence between the junta and anti-junta groups - on 18 January, a junta fighter jet bombed detention centres held by the Arakan Army in Rakhine state, killing 19 women and nine children. Bangladesh has also closed its border to Rohingya refugees fleeing escalating violence.
A prior ceasefire agreement in January 2024 broke down in days. While China initially appeared to support the anti-junta groups in order to curb activity from cyber-crime camps along its border, it has begun mounting pressure on anti-junta groups for a ceasefire agreement due to concerns around instability along the Myanmar-China border, and the preservation of economic and political interests in the country. In November, Myanmar media reported that the MNDAA leader was placed under house arrest in Kunming, though China denied the claims.
Elsewhere in Southasia
Sanjay Roy, the police volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata last August, receives life sentence; judge Anirban Das rejected demands for death penalty, despite federal police arguing that the crime belonged to the ‘rarest-of-rare’ category
Taliban deputy foreign minister Sher Abbas Stanikzai urges leadership to lift education bans on Afghan women and girls, calling the policy a ‘personal choice’ rather than an interpretation of Islamic law. International Criminal Court prosecutor applies for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders on the grounds of crimes against humanity and persecution on gender grounds
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence visits Bangladesh for military and intelligence cooperation, a rare interaction signalling warming relations between the two countries
Myanmar junta airstrike at a temporary detention center in Rakhine state killed 28 people and wounded 29, including family members of the military that were supposed to be released
India identifies 18,000 emigrants living illegally in the US that the country intends to repatriate, aiming to avoid a trade war and strengthen bilateral ties
Taliban frees two Americans held in Afghanistan in a prison swap for Khan Mohammed, who was imprisoned for life on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. The Taliban praises the swap as a step towards the ‘normalisation’ of ties between the US and Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Gwadar police raided a police stall organised by Baloch Students Action Committee, citing concerns over the material; while in India’s Bengaluru, authorities confiscate books and detain event curators of ‘Secret Santa’ event organised by reading group after larger turnout than normal
Sri Lanka to continue Trincomalee oil tank farm with India, despite President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power party previously opposing the project
Maldives Police Service signs agreements with Indian training institutions to boost investigative and operational capabilities, including development of a digital forensic laboratory in the Maldives
Bhutan secures USD 20 million grant from the Global Environment Facility to develop climate resilience in the Thimphu-Paro region. Despite being a carbon-negative nation, Bhutan is experiencing warmer winters, erratic rainfall and dry spells.
Only in Southasia
A recent robbery in India’s Faridabad proved to be quite hair-raising. Ranjit Mandal, owner of a wig-making business, reported the theft of 2 lakhs of Indian rupees… and 150 kilogrammes of human hair, which he claimed was worth 7 lakhs. The robbery occurred at 3 am, and CCTV footage revealed that the thieves may have even hoped to carry off the stash of hair, used to make wigs and hair extensions, as they could be seen inspecting their loot. We hope the police get to the root of the issue.
From the archive
22 January marks one year since the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, with Narendra Modi making it the focal point of his campaign to win a third term in India’s national election. Vaibhav Vats writes that Southasians used to look at India as a positive example of secularism, but Modi’s mixing of Hinduism with politics has led to the erosion of this good example.