Right Wing Resurgence in the South Asian Subcontinent
Today via Twitter, I learned that Pakistan had dropped in it’s Transparency International ratings. And that the official spokesperson of the PTI party, similar to the the Trump Administration, spun this information into something which simply wasn’t true. https://www.geo.tv/latest/332167-pakistan-is-more-corrupt-than-last-year-transparency-international Basically, Pakistan has seen to have become corrupt over the past 4 years. This is interesting because fighting corruption was one of the PTI’s major stated goals, and remains to this day.
Also in Pakistan, leaders of Student Unions, who have been protesting with the decision of universities in Pakistan to have in person final exams for the past Fall semester. Student groups argue that the semesters were taught online, and the instruction was poor, classes weren’t always accessible, professors weren’t accessible, etc, and that the exams should either be taught online or that they should receive two months of in person instruction prior to the exams being given. Well- after appearing on a news program, the Punjab Police came and arrested a number of these Student leaders.
Meanwhile, across the border in India, a young Muslim comedian, was arrested, jailed, and has been denied bail for weeks for… telling a joke that hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. One would find that this would be an odd offense in the world’s largest democracy, but it gets worse: he never told such a joke. He was arrested at the beginning of his set at the urging of a local politician/mafioso’s son.
Also in India, Farmers from Punjab have organized and been taking part in a protest in the capital of the nation, Delhi. Many rode in on tractors. They’re protesting recently passed laws which they say will cripple their industry. The reaction from the police and media in India has been unfortunate. The police have been violently attacking these protesters and the media has portrayed them as being “anti-nationalists”.
Despite the decades of separation by a border, India and Pakistan remain subjugated by communalism, authoritarianism, and right wing sentiments and beliefs which go against the ideals they say they support in being Republics.
