Business Policy World

India’s Right to Pursue Lucrative Russian Oil Deals

NATO must revisit their unrealistic expectation for New Delhi to cut off ties with Moscow. Local currency oil deals should be the future K.A.Badarinath / New Delhi There’s raging debate over India’s crude purchase from Russia that has invaded Ukraine thereby pitching Moscow against combined might of European Union, UK, the US and other NATO allies. In last four weeks, lot has changed in terms of geo-political scenario especially in Eastern Europe and Baltic region thereby bringing oil trade into big focus. India that pursued a ‘balanced’, ‘independent’ policy puts her on equidistant terms vis-à-vis the sanctioned Russia and NATO allies in the Ukrainian conflict. India’s position has come under enhanced scrutiny of world community owing to this unwavering approach. While overwhelmingly, Indians internationally have hailed a ‘hands off’ policy towards the conflict, humanitarian intervention and ‘Operation Ganga’ have hogged global headlines. In the melee, oil purchases from Russia that may total to two per cent of Indian imports have been questioned by pro-western lobbies. Veteran parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy stopped short of calling India’s policy as nothing short of being ‘tragic’ and ‘unsustainable’. Hawks apart, India’s call to buy about 33 million barrels oil from Russia’s top-end exporter Roseneft is pragmatic and rooted in long term sustainability. On March 9, an internal note got circulated amongst top echelons of Modi government. And, as insiders divulge, March 11, Prime Minister Modi himself took a call to continue with the oil imports from Russia on Indian terms. Russian President Vladimir Putin who’s under increasing isolation seems to have more than accommodated India in the oil and other bilateral trade deals. Offering deep discounts, taking care of insurance costs, safe passage and delivery of crude at Indian ports were some terms that were tempting for India that was battling high oil import bill. Payment in rupee terms for oil or settlements against Russian Ruble at pre-designated rates provides a cushion for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman whose budget maths would have otherwise gone awry with Brent crude prices touching $114 per barrel on Monday. Also, setting off oil payments against Russian exports especially the rough diamonds is not a bad idea in content and spirit of free trade. Hence, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Mangalore Refineries & Petroleum Ltd, and a host of oil importers jumped into the fray to conclude contracts that would translate to billions of dollars for India. It’s not just Russia, the entire middle-east line up has been tapped to conclude deals that could be showcased as to how geo-politics and oil trade were inseparable. With US and UK phasing out hydrocarbon imports from Russia and European Union seeking to fall suit, very handsome deals may still be possible in local currencies to get around the sanctions. For instance, Iran that was touted as the biggest oil supplier to India with unflinching ties, was the fall guy to Donald Trump’s sanctions owing to its nuclear programmes. Only two days back, taking cue from Russian deals, Iran had hinted at resuming rupee – rial designated oil supplies with bilateral trade potential at $30 billion this fiscal. From $17 billion in pre-sanctioned era of 2019, bilateral trade has plunged to a very modest $2 billion this fiscal. There’s no denial that both NATO and other western powers recognize India’s compulsions give its 85 percent crude requirements are met through imports. While the world is critiquing India’s sustained oil imports from Russia, India is all set to increase its share of oil import from the US by 11 percent. Moreover, both EU and the US have till now not considered India’s oil deals with Russia as violating war-related sanctions. But, western lobbyists and the rumour mill around this ecosystem has been working overtime to put India on defensive mode to justify its continued oil deals with Russia. India owes no explanation to anyone but herself. In fact, exploring local currency based oil and other trade deals would encourage multiplicity of such transactions lending variety to these transactions that are done away from referenced US dollar or the Euro. The four largest oil suppliers like US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria should also explore more innovative deals for India that’s spoilt with varied options. Oil deals – both in spot and futures market—concluded by India cannot be subjected to sanctions that are being used as new neo-nuclear weapons by Western allies. India’s economic and political interests globally are diverse and each response from New Delhi is laced with nuances that cannot be set aside by the world community. It does not necessarily mean that India should not consider other energy options that limit hydrocarbons dependency. The earlier, it’s that much better. (Author is Director & Chief Executive of Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies based in New Delhi. Views expressed are author’s own.) E-mail – [email protected]

Fact Sheet Hindus Human Rights

669

Brief: Seven Exoduses and the Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus

In the late 1980s and early 90s, the Kashmir Valley was engulfed by terrorism aided and funded in the name of ‘Islam’ by Pakistan as part of its neferious K2 (Kashmir and Khalistan) policy by initiating ‘Operation Tupac’, which aspired to foster successionist movements in India. As a result, several radical Islamist factions, Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and their local Kashmiri sympathisers joined hands to nurture an Islamist separatist movement in Kashmir that would be both religious and political depending on convenience and timing. The campaign was hinged on its brutal aggression against Kashmir’s minority Kashmiri Hindus, who were considered infidels and labelled as Indian agents by Pakistan backed Islamists, terrorists and their sympathisers in the valley of Kashmir. In the years following, Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and their local collaborators organised a terror campaign of targeted killings, rape, threats, inflicted systematic damage and destruction of Hindu homes and places of worship. Faced with imminent threat and persecution by torture, crimes against humanity and systematic elimination of the minority community in Kashmir. Kashmiri Hindus were forced to flee their native homeland in the seventh mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the valley of Kashmir.

Fact Sheet Human Rights Policy World

569

Indian Students Evacuated Amidst War Torn Ukraine

Operation Ganga, largest evacuation exercise since world war two demonstrates the country’s strength, compassion and reach globally Rohan Giri / New Delhi Millions of students and professionals from different countries were stuck in Ukraine during special military operation launched by Russia two weeks back that included massive air raids, rolling out columns of tanks and firing of missiles. Most of these individuals and families were anxious to head back home to escape the Russian operations. But then, the Russian attack left them stranded with airspace is shut, trains suspended and borders sealed. Especially, students that form large chunk of foreign nationals in Ukraine were left with very few options to escape from the military action unleashed by Russia headed by President Vladimir Putin. Prior to the attack, several European, the US and Western countries embassies as well as High Commissions had issued advisories to their respective citizens to leave the conflict ridden country. On its part, Indian Embassy in Ukraine did the same. As the military conflict situation evolved, Indians mostly students studying medicine in several Ukrainian universities found it a daunting task to escape from their cities. While most countries left their citizens to fend for themselves, Indian government along with a host of voluntary and semi-government organizations launched ‘Operation Ganga’, code-named for the biggest evacuation campaign since World War II. Apart from a small Indian Business community in Ukraine, more than 18000 Indian students study medicine and engineering in Ukrainian universities were to be pulled out of military conflict zones especially in Eastern region. Apart from issuing advisories from time to time, India asked its citizens whose stay was non-essential to move out to safe harbours. This was essentially viewed as a temporary measure as the conflict was expected to end in a couple of days. But, as the air raids intensified, bombing continued round the clock and tanks rolled into city after city, it became virtually impossible for Indians to stay back like other foreign nationals. This was the backdrop to launch ‘Operation Ganga’ with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading from the front. Following the first advisory on February 15, Indian mission not only in Ukraine, but several other countries in Baltic region came in for coordinated efforts to get out the Indians. Before the ‘Operation Ganga’ was launched, several measures were rolled out by Indian government as precursor to a difficult humanitarian operation that was conducted with dexterity and precision. Prime Minister Modi’s personal engagement with his counterparts in Russia and Ukraine worked wonders. A brief timeline of how events unfolded demonstrate the way things were planned to bring Indians back home with very little fuss. Here’s the Timeline: On February 16, Cap on passengers was removed under the Air bubble arrangement. On February 18, Air India flights were announced for evacuation on Feb 22, 24 and 26. On February 20, Air India was considering postponing flights due to no booking from Ukraine. The mission issued the second advisory strongly urging Indian Nationals to leave on the same day. On February 22, a third advisory was issued regarding additional flights. On February 24, the Airspace of Ukraine has been closed, and alternative arrangements are being made. On February 25, the Government of India and the Embassy of India are working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary. Advised to Print out the Indian flag and paste it prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling. On February 26, those staying in the Eastern area of Ukraine remain in their current places of residence until further instruction. On March 01, successfully facilitated the movement of more than 1400 students out of Zaporizhzhia, city in South-East Ukraine, westwards. On March 02, Urgent advisory to Indian students in Kharkiv for their safety and security must leave Kharkiv immediately. Operation Ganga As the crisis between Russia and Ukraine escalated, Ukraine closed its Airspace for civilian flights. More than 18,000 Indian expatriates, mostly students, were left stranded during the crisis. As students appealed for evacuation from the shelters, the Indian government launched a multi-pronged evacuation plan called ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring its citizens home. The Indian missions in Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary were made Arrangements under ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring back Indian citizens from Ukraine. Under ‘Operation Ganga’, Minister of Petroleum, Government of India, Hardeep Puri was sent to Hungary, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was sent to Romania and Moldova to bring back Indian citizens; Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia and Minister of State for Civil Aviation in Poland VK Singh were sent. Major Evacuation Operations by Indian government The Indian diaspora is the most skilled in the world. In difficult times, the Government of India has started many operations to bring back its people. When the Covid-19 outbreak attacked the world, India’s government launched the “Vande Bharat Mission” to return Indian people who got stucked in foreign lands. As of April 30, 2021, around 60 lakh Indians had been returned through multiple phases of the operation. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Operation Samudra Setu was a naval operation that was part of a national attempt to bring back Indian citizens who had been abroad. It was able to return 3,992 Indian citizens to their motherland by sea. The Indian Naval ships Jalashwa (Landing Platform Dock) and Airavat, Shardul, and Magar (Landing Ship Tanks) took part in the 55-day operation, which covered more than 23,000 kilometers by sea. In March 2016, Terrorist attacks occurred at Brussels Airport in Zaventem and Maalbeek Metro station in central Brussels. A Jet Airways flight brought back 242 Indians, including 28 crew members. The Yemeni government and Houthi rebels were engaged in a conflict in 2015. Thousands of Indians were trapped, and Yemen was cut off from the rest of the world by Saudi Arabia’s declaration of a no-fly zone. India rescued almost 5,600 people from Yemen as part of Operation Raahat. In the wake of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the Indian government and the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Maitri, a cooperative relief

Disinformation Fact Sheet Hindus Misinformation

775

‘Swastika’, Symbol of Well-Being Misrepresented

Hindus symbol of peace cannot be confused with Hitler’s mark of Hatred. Hindu Swastika has nothing to do with Third Reich or Nazis! Neha Dahiya / New Delhi On February 2, 2022, Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted that it’s time, “to ban hate symbols because we have a responsibility to keep our communities safe for everyone. We can ensure that hatred is given no space to take hold and no air to breathe”. This was in response to agitating Canadian farmers that waved flags having ‘Swastika’ displayed prominently. Singh’s tweet also hit social media after farmers blocked Ottawa demanding relaxation in Covid 19 restrictions. These farmers, many of them Sikhs, had also laid siege to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office as well as restricted movement of cargo across US border. Well, none can dispute any campaign against hatred. But then, why should anyone draw in Hindus symbol of prosperity, ‘Swastika’ into a slugfest between the Canadian government and the farmers? This is not the first time that Swastika has come into focus in Canada and elsewhere. In the past also, Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh had accused that those displaying Swastika were propagating enmity and violence. Both, Trudeu and Singh are grossly wrong. Their statements laced with political nuances may have associated Hindus’ holy symbol to Nazis’ hooked cross intentionally. Through these controversial statements Canadian government officials seem to be bracketing peace loving Hindus with Nazis into one flock. This propelled Hindu PACT (Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective) to urge Trudeau and Singh not to conflate “Swastika,” the ancient and auspicious symbol for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and many indigenous communities around the world with “Hakenkreuz” of Nazis. Nazi symbol of Hatred from the twentieth century in German or the hooked cross in English was never referred to as Swastika even by Adolf Hitler. He always described it as ‘Hakenkreuz’. Hooked Cross has also been usage for long as sacred insignia of Christianity, easily visible in art and engraving across various old churches and chapels. The hooked cross existed as a symbol of Christendom. It was identified in the second century CE on early Christian Graves of Rome. Moreover, ‘Hakenkreuz’ is nowhere similar to the Swastika. Swastika lays flat to the base, unlike the Nazi hooked-cross that was slanted 45 degrees from the horizontal and always oriented in the “S” letter direction for socialism. On the contrary, Swastika mentioned in the Vedas (Hindu Sacred Texts) appears differently. It came into being from Sanskrit words ‘su’ which means “good” and ‘asti’ that denotes “to be”. In other words, well-being or total surrender to Paramatma (supreme soul) and acceptance of the fruits of Karma is what Swastika represents. It was about 6000 years back that Hindu Swastika appeared in rock and cave paintings in India. It rotates clockwise and represents Surya (the sun) and Brahma, the creator. It is thought to be a powerful symbol and the insignia of Ganesha, the Hindu God of luck. Swastika was also prevalent in Ancient Greece, and its remnants can be found in ancient city of Troy that existed 4,000 years ago. Ancient Druids, Celts, and Nordic cultures all embraced the Swastika. Nevertheless, the ‘Hakenkreuz’ is misrepresented as the Swastika and anti-semitism associated with ‘Hakenkreuz’ is attributed to the Swastika. This misrepresentation essentially hides the notion that German socialism originated in Christian Socialism. A legislation in the Canadian parliament restricted display of three different hate symbols that are used to mobilise movements. Bill C-229 barred the display or sale of The Nazi Swastika (misrepresented Nazi Hakenkreuz), the Ku Klux Klan’s insignia, and the Confederate flag. Responding to the erroneous presentation by Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau, Hindu PACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti said, this would lead to hate crimes against Hindus and Sikhs. Six Hindu temples in Canada’s Greater Vancouver have been vandalised and looted in the past few months. Indian origin member of Canadian Parliament Chandra Arya had appealed for recognising the fundamental difference between Hindu religious holy sign Swastika and the Nazi symbol Hakenkreuz. Chandra Arya said that in Indian language Sanskrit, Swastika means something that offers good luck and represents well-being. He asked people to stop referring Swastika as a Nazi symbol of Hatred. Nazi symbol of Hatred, the Hakenkreuz or hooked cross should be banned. By calling it Swastika, we Hindu-Canadians are being denied the religious right and freedom to use our holy symbol Swastika in everyday life. It’s not first time that the western world misrepresented Swastika or conflated it with Hakenkreuz or Hooked cross. In January 2021, New York Senator Todd Kaminsky introduced a bill in New York Senate that proposed making it mandatory for schools in New York to teach ‘Swastika’, an auspicious and revered sign of Hindu Dharma, as an example of Hate. The Bill titled Senate Bill S2727 conflates the Dharmic Swastika with the Nazi sign of Hakenkreuz, or Hooked Cross, and mandates that the Swastika should be taught as an emblem of Nazi Germany. Therefore it should be taught as a Hate symbol from grade 6 through 12. Currently, the Bill is under review by the education committee of New York. The Bill will then be out for a vote in the New York Senate. Not able to comprehensively distinguish between the Dharmic symbol Swastika and the Nazi hate symbol Hakenkreuz seems to be one aspect of the problem. In 2019, Todd Kaminsky introduced a similar bill titled S 6648, confusing Swastika with Hakenkreuz and ignoring Dharmic religious communities’ sentiments. The Bill was opposed by American Hindus against Defamation (AHAD), an initiative of the World Hindu Council of America. This misrepresentation of Hindu symbol Swastika with Hakenkreuz is also part of well-intentioned individuals, organizations and groups perpetuating anti-Hindu notion. Unless, the world communities sensitize themselves to these devious moves, crimes and abuses against Hindus may get accentuated further. (Author is content writer for Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies based in New Delhi. Views expressed are author’s own.)

Business Technology World

508

Exploring the Metaverse

Prachi Mishra / New Delhi Whether in virtual reality or augmented reality, the promise of the metaverse allows a greater overlap of our digital and physical lives. As Zuckerberg has claimed in his keynote address this year, Metavsere will alter conventional reality. The way people make wealth, view productivity, shop, and seek entertainment will all be altered. The Metaverse will be based on freeform reality, where users live and spend time in the virutal world, where they can create their 3D avatars and use objects like cars and houses which can be used to communicate in the Metaverse and interact with others. Metaverse is based on romantic idealism: a stable, unshakeable system with utter disregard for existing economic predicament, wonders of nature, and resources of the real world. This primer analyzes the implications of Metaverse on society, psychology of humans, and economic activity in the present day context. It also discusses the ethics of Metaverse, cybersecurity issues that will surface, and the privacy and safety of users in the virtual space. (Prachi is a research consultant at Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies.)

Disinformation Fact Sheet Human Rights Misinformation Policy World

567

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: India’s Foreign Policy Implications

Rahul Pawa / New Delhi On February 23, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Russia has long opposed Ukraine joining the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the West’s defensive military alliance. He accused NATO of threatening Russia’s “historic future as a nation” and announced Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. “The purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime,” Putin added. Subsequently, several media outlets reported explosions in numerous locations and large-scale Russian military operations throughout Ukraine. Ever since Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, was overthrown in 2014 after months of protests against his government, Russian President Vladimir Putin has regularly flagged Ukraine of being taken over by extremists. Russia responded by seizing Crimea’s southern region and sparking a revolution in the east, backing hardliners against Ukrainian soldiers in a war that has claimed 14,000 lives. Regardless, the current issue has its roots in the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, had the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal when the Soviet Union disintegrated in the early 1990s. The US and Russia collaborated with Ukraine to de-nuclearise the country. In a series of diplomatic deals, Kyiv returned hundreds of nuclear warheads to Russia for security assurances against a possible Russian assault. However, the assurances did not stand; below, we examine the 2022 Russia-Ukraine Crisis and discuss India’s foreign policy implications in that context. Download Explainer – Russia Ukraine Crisis (Author is the Director for Research at Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies)

Human Rights Media Policy World

534

Human Cost Should Deter War!

India’s independent approach to Russian invasion on Ukraine balances its relations with NATO, European partners Amrit Pal Kaur / New Delhi Critics from either side of foreign policy matrix may have issues with India charting an independent and balanced course on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as against NATO allies and European Union opposition to this intrusion. Pro-NATO and European think tanks have made out that India missed the bus in playing a decisive role in world affairs yet again by keeping off the conflict mostly unconcerned and untouched. Soviet era Russia’s backers have hailed India’s ‘sensible’ decision not to go whole hog with NATO alliance given her varied offensive and defensive interests. But then, Modi government hardly had many options in changing course of events leading to military aggression on Ukraine by Russia while both NATO and European Union went ahead with severely sanctioning Moscow. China that subtly supported Russian invasion chose to talk of winding down the violence though the two countries communist leadership has been led by oligarchs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephonic conversation with President Vladimir Putin is a milestone in long chain of events that led the present invasion. India’s appeals for peace and getting back to diplomatic dialogue on outstanding issues relating to Ukraine cannot be ignored by the world community. Russia’s ‘military operation’ in Ukraine has virtually sealed the possibility of rapprochement with Europe that continued to hang in balance during last 30 years. India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar rightly mapped the genesis of Ukrainian issue that emanates from complexities of ‘Post Soviet Politics, expansion of NATO and relationship between Russia and Europe.’ In last three decades, Russia concluded numerous arms-reduction treaties with Western countries including 1997 Russia-NATO Act, Budapest Memorandum, Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (1990), Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1987) and Open Skies Treaty that put an end to cold war in Europe and opened avenues for cooperation between Russia and Europe. Some genuinely believe that Russia did not reap benefit of the cooperation with Europe. Breaking point perhaps was granting NATO membership to Ukraine that brings Europe’s sphere of influence to Russia’s doorstep. President Putin’s statement that Russia wants demilitarization of Ukraine and it ‘does not intend to occupy’ the country implies that the conflict goes beyond their bilateral relations and points to involvement of greater Western powers. In this larger struggle for supremacy, one country which has been asked to pick sides is India. As an emerging market economy, credible and substantial international power, India has largely seen herself as a stabilizing factor that pushes seriously for peace and prosperity. Such is the case especially after India became an equivalent member of QUAD after shunning ‘hesitations of history’ that defined non-alignment. Indian position has come into greater focus due to its close relations with Russia, USA and European Union. Its membership and current chairmanship at UNSC has only accentuated India’s stake given that she been a longtime votary of independent foreign policy and pluri-lateral world order. Since India has had close civilizational links with both sides, it’s pragmatic and logical to abstain from voting on Ukraine issue at UNSC. India’s representative at UN Tirumurti spelt out India’s stand and asked countries to find peaceful, diplomatic solution through Minsk mechanism. It’s rather impractical to expect India to severe its relations with Russia that has been her single largest defense partner with 60 per cent share in defense inventory. On the other hand, India has also nursed progressive relations with US as well as Europe for over 20 years, since Vajpayee-Clinton era. India as a fast-developing country has its own pressing needs with over 1.4 billion to feed and enable spread of prosperity. Therefore, expectations on either side for India to align may not fit into the New Delhi’s scheme of things. Her compulsions to lift a vast majority out of poverty and put herself on growth mode are what drive India’s foreign policy. In fact, these very imperatives pushed India’s position striking a fine line between Russia and West at large. Instability on eastern flank of Europe brings home the acute need to develop in house inventory of defense mechanisms and systems without depending on imports. Self-reliance is the key to great power status. ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defense sector is a significant component of the policy choice made by the government. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is bound to create ripple effects already being felt in India though New Delhi has stayed away from swinging either ways. Crude prices touching $ 105 per barrel in spot markets would translate to larger fuel import bill thereby upsetting budget numbers outlined by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. As Russia apart from OPEC has been large exporter of hydrocarbons in particular to Europe, the crisis will increase fuel prices and shortage in almost all of Europe. For instance, Finland imports most of its crude while Hungary gets 83 per cent, Austria – 62 per cent and Germany imports 46 per cent of its natural gas. Russia’s output had kept fuel prices competitive while curbing the Gulf dominance, its engagement otherwise will give space for the monopolies that’s bound to distort market prices, distribution as well as access. Precarious growth of world economy that’s bracing post-Covid will be badly hit. Most importantly, it will create crude induced inflationary pressures in countries like India where over 80 per cent fuel demand is met through imports. Recent World Bank report Global Economic Prospects argued that the world is walking towards global slowdown as the fiscal support in the wake of corona virus pandemic wanes, increase in debts and inequalities would kick in across the world. There is no denying that Europe and the world at large are treading choppy waters. Though the ongoing invasion may not go the cold war way, it will certainly wreak havoc on lives of innocent people caught in the crossfire. Human cost involved in the war should act as deterrence and the countries involved should

Business Policy

1.02K

Sri Lankan Economic Crisis: Way Out Not in Sight!

Shift to organic farming without buffers, hoarding & profiteering led to food, fuel crisis; economic outlook uncertain! Ayodhya Ram When India extended $ one billion worth aid and loans to pull the funds starved Sri Lankan economy out of morass this January, not many would have understood its importance. But, Sri Lanka’s central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, heaved a sigh of relief as the olive branch offered by India helped him avert a default with global lenders and in particular China. For the island nation, adhering to loan repayments was important to prevent an accentuated food and fuel shortage given the non-availability of sufficient agricultural products in different states that in turn led to skyrocketing of commodities prices and runaway inflation. As reports suggest, India’s emergency financial assistance was offered in terms of currency swap, deferred loan repayments and dedicated lines of credit after the Sri Lankan government led by Gotabaya Rajapaksha made a request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late December 2021. Publicly available data suggests that Sri Lankan government is battling a massive economic, food and fuel crisis owing to some of its own policies. Sri Lanka has the obligation to service US $ 7.3 billion outstanding debt in 2022. This includes bonds worth $ 500 million that were to be discharged in January 2022 and another $ one billion in July this year. For the moment, Sri Lanka has preserved itself from the ignominy of a payments default that has other serious repercussions as well. But, the latest crisis provides the perfect backdrop to take a deep dive look at the South Asian island economy. In fact, the economic crisis so acute that Sri Lanka has run out of cash to buy diesel and petrol. The government did not have even the foreign exchange to pay for the two shipments that arrived last week. Last month, Sri Lankan government had bought 40,000 tonnes of diesel and petrol from India to meet emergency requirements. Drastic policy changes like imposing a ban on imports of fertilizers and pesticides, decline in revenues from tourism and hospitality, hoardings of essential food items, depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, mounting foreign debt have roiled the island economy with families and individuals scurrying for relief and support from the government. Short supply in basic food items like rice, sugar, milk powder, cooking oil has only brought focus to the crisis that’s in full show. People queuing up outside the supermarkets to buy essential items have hogged headlines. Starvation due to unavailability of food items and limited purchase power is something that the Sri Lanka’s government needs to tackle. Grievously impacted livelihoods and lack of even low paying jobs point to a medium term mess that the country has into. Policy issues like shift to 100 per cent organic farming phasing out chemicals, fertilizers and hazardous plant nutrients is a laudable move. Inadequate planning and wrong approach to achieving 100 per cent natural and organic farming seems to have played havoc with Sri Lankans lives. Scaling up the global supply value chain in agricultural commodities and inducing sustainable agricultural practices is reportedly the stated objective of Sri Lankan government’s new policy framework. Shoddy planning or lack of transition plan during the shift to organic agriculture seems to have contributed to the present economic crisis leading to shortage in food items. Shift to organic farming should have been done in a phased manner by maintaining stability of agricultural products, adequate buffers and planned counter-measures to tackle the crisis. The transition space was not available for Sri Lanka because of also because of dwindled incomes[1]. Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa had imposed a ban on chemical fertilizer and pesticides citing the many incommunicable diseases[2]. The decision was part of a larger plan to achieve 100 percent organic farming and preserving foreign exchange reserves that got drained owing to import of both food items and farm ingredients like fertilizers. It cannot be possible overnight. Agriculture sector represents 8.36 percent of the county’s GDP[3]. Import of fertilizers has been reduced to $ 8.2 million in 2020 which was earlier $ 32.2 million in 2019[4]. Sri Lankan economy dependent on two streams of foreign exchange earnings: tourism that was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic for over two and half years. Workers’ remittances were also adversely impacted as several of its citizens employed abroad lost their jobs. As per Central bank of Sri Lanka statistics, tourism sector earned only US $ 261.1 million last year as against US $ 4.38 billion in 2018. The income from workers’ remittances which is another major source of foreign exchange also fell to US $ 5.491 billion last year from a high of US $ 7.1 billion during 2020. Both were the prime sources for the foreign exchange reserves[5]. Heavy reliance on borrowings from abroad has also impacted the Sri Lankan economy leading to the present food crisis as scarce resources were channeled to repayments. Earnings, Debt Profile Earnings 2018 2019 2020 2021 1 Tourism 4,380 USD Mn 3,606.9 Mn[1] 682.4 Mn 261.1 Mn[2] 2 Workers’ Remittances 7,015 USD Mn 6,717 Mn[3] 7,103 Mn 5,491 Mn[4] Figures in USD Millions Country / Organization Year Loans 1 Asian Development Bank July 2021 $ 150 million[1] 2 China March 2021 $ 1.5 billion[2] 3 Bangladesh June 2021 $ 200 million[3] 4 The World Bank Sep 2020 $ 56 million[4] 5 International Monetary Fund Sep 2021 $ 787 million[5] Sri Lanka borrowed over $ three billion from both multilateral and bilateral sources including Asian Development Bank, IMF, World Bank and countries like China and Bangladesh in less than 12 months. By far, China has been the biggest lender at US $ 1.5 billion in March 2021. And, most funds mobilized by Sri Lankan government went to service the debt availed from Xi Jingping’s China. Foreign exchange shortages have forced Colombo to ban import of more than 600 non-essential goods.[6] Traders’ hoarding and profiteering from essential commodities in part led to food and fuel shortages and

Disinformation Fact Sheet Human Rights Misinformation

576

Factsheet: Minorities in India

There is a need for course correction on false narratives around Indian minorities, particularly Christians. One cannot gloss over the affirmative actions on socio-economic development framework intended to uplift minorities and achieving inclusivity. Download Factsheet

Disinformation Fact Sheet Human Rights Misinformation

648

Hijab: History, Mystery and Propaganda

Hijab is not part of any religious faith & the controversy fuelled by Islamists was to portray India as being inimical to Muslims’ interests Neha Dahiya & Rohan Giri Hijab controversy unfolded in Indian southern state of Karnataka when six girl students in Udupi government run pre- university college started wearing Hijab to the classroom beginning December 2021. They were turned out of classrooms for not following uniform rules. These girls started protesting outside the college and insisted on wearing Hijab with claims that it was part of their religious practice. And, they argued for freedom to practice their religion and attire associated with it. The girls in class 11 & 12 also admitted that while taking admissions they had signed an undertaking to abide by the college uniform or dress code. The girls became overnight global celebrities owing to protests while being anonymous until they followed the college norms upto December 30, 2021. The controversy intensified and led to massive protests for and against wearing hijab in several educational institutions across Karnataka and elsewhere in Indian states. The issue gained momentum drawing ire from political parties, activists, and leaders. If one were to dissect the controversy, hijab has roots in Persian and known as ḥajaba or the veil in Arabic. In Quran, hijab is termed as ‘Khimar’ which means curtain or partition in literal or metaphorical sense. Khimar originates from trilateral verb ‘khamara’, which again means ‘ghatta’, to conceal, hide, or cover something. Quran Surah al-Ahzab, verse-53 says, “Let them wear their Khimar over their juyub” referring to their chest. Allah instructed the believing women to bring the fabric to their front by drawing Khimar over their chests, as a covering. Khumurihina (plural of Khimar) used in this Quran verse refers to scarves that females wore on the Arabian Peninsula at the time. Given the clear distinction, justifiably one wonders as to why Hijab is used while Quran refers to it a scarf or Khimar. Subsequently, verse 30 in chapter 24 and verse 54 in Chapter 33, Holy Quran asked both men and women to act with “decency” and “integrity,” both physically and morally. The Quran did not mandate a strictly religious “uniform,” and the first spiritual message did not mean to impose strict or “fixed” dress rules once and for all as propagated by Islamist fanatics but rather to “recommend” an “attitude” or “ethic” towards the body and soul. Khimar versus hijab is not one of Islam’s pillars but rather relate to moral principles, behaviour and relational ethics. Only when religious faith is exercised freely can it meaning something. As a result, discussing Islamic obligation to wear a hijab or Khimar is spiritually and technically incorrect as the Quran states, “No compulsion in religion.” (256 of Al-Baqara). Muslim girls U-turn on uniform code in Udipi town may not have been incidental if one were to examine chronology of events that metamorphosed into an international controversy of sorts. It seems more like a pre-planned propaganda by radical Islamists to create fear psychosis within larger Muslim minorities that total over 200 million painting a dystopian picture about current state of affairs and drive oft-repeated myth that the state was against Muslims. Groundwork for the propaganda began in September 2021 when Campus Front of India (CFI), the notorious student wing of the radical Islamist outfit of Popular Front of India (PFI), began recruiting students from institutions across the country including Udupi. Aliya Assadi, Ayesha Hajeera Almas, Ayesha, and Muskaan Zainab, the four initially stated victims of Hijab controversy created Twitter accounts a month after CFI started its membership push. They subsequently began participating in hashtag campaigns to promote CFI extremist islamist agenda. Almas AH who spearheaded the Hijab controversy was interviewed by BBC, where she claimed that they were not CFI members and only contacted the organization when stopped from attending classes. But, Twitter handles of these girls present diametrically opposite side of the story. On November 1, 2021, they copy-pasted tweets of CFI against the new education policy. A cursory look at the content posting by these girls denotes that it has been done by design simultaneously. On November 8, 2021, these girls participated in CFI hashtag to disrepute Supreme Court decision relating to Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi (Birthplace of Lord Ram) issue. On the same day, these girls promoted #BabriMasjidVictimsofJustice hashtag posted by CFI president to oppose the Supreme Court verdict. Likewise, on November 19, 2021, these four Muslim girls participated in CFI #SaveKarnatakaFromFascists campaign against the state government. On December 12, 2021, the purported victims of hijab issue posted copied tweets and same hashtags of CFI in support of arrested criminal Rauf Shareef. Hence, protest for Hijab was motivated by radical Islamist organizations and these girls were only paraded to depict that Muslims were victimized in India. Hijab is not a compulsion as per Islamic faith and certainly not above education for kids from the minority communities in particular. Yasmin Nigar Khan, granddaughter of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan & president of All India Pakhtoon Jirga-e-Hind said a uniform code should be followed in schools. If girls wear a burqa or hijab in school premises, then there will be an issue of identification. There should be no politics in this. In schools, all students are equal and religion should be followed to an extent only. Karnataka high court in its interim order pending hearings restrained all students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing scarves, Hijab, saffron shawls in the classroom. There are provisions and restrictions for face covering or wearing a Hijab due to several reasons in different countries. For instance, in 2004, France imposed a fine equivalent to Rs 13,000 on those that wore hijab. Similarly, Syria where the Islamic State or ISIS has had considerable hold, hijab was banned in colleges way back in 2010. In 2012, President Putin’s administration in Russia banned hijab in schools and colleges. Three years later, Belgium banned niqab and Burqa in 2015. On the other hand, Bulgaria made covering of

Blog Post