Xi’s strategy is as meticulous as it is bold. He has purged opposition within his ranks, securing a loyal cadre committed to his vision of Chinese supremacy on the world stage. His deft handling of relationships with giants like the US, India, Japan, and Russia has redefined traditional alliances and rivalries. For those watching, there’s a palpable sense of urgency – a recognition that we are witnessing the dawn of a new global order where China’s influence is inescapable and undeniable.

Meanwhile, the stage is set in India for a political showdown as the Lok Sabha Elections close. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to secure a third consecutive term with his charisma (for his critics – an engineered charisma) and steadfast leadership. Despite murmurs of an upset from the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), Modi’s decade-long tenure has undeniably transformed India into a formidable force on the global stage despite growing dissent, frustrations, and inequality in the constituency. 

Under his watch, India’s economy has flourished and its population of 1.5 billion stands as its greatest asset, driving innovation and growth. As the election results loom, the world watches closely, recognising that India’s trajectory under Modi’s continued leadership could redefine the balance of power in Asia and beyond.

China and India hold the key to unlocking the full potential of Asia, bearing the hopes and aspirations of 4.5 billion people in the region. This is undeniably Asia’s century, a period marked by rapid growth, technological innovation, and unprecedented influence on the global stage. As China leverages its economic clout and India capitalises on its vast human resources, both nations are poised to lead Asia into a new era of prosperity and power. The world can no longer deny these two giants’ pivotal role in shaping Asia’s future and the world. 

Anti-Modi narratives

Focusing on the Indian elections, many predicted an easy victory for Modi, yet doubt crept in during the campaign trail with various narratives at play. A section of Western media and their proxies crafted stories forecasting Modi’s downfall, challenging his bid for a third consecutive term. 

Historically, Western media narratives have often been critical of Asia’s rise and this election cycle was no different. For decades, one of Asia’s finest, Lee Kuan Yew, showcased the hypocrisy of Western media with one-sided narratives and it was the turn of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to turn the heat on the Western press this time.

Hundreds of op-eds and articles from around the globe were critical of Premier Narendra Modi, and the BJP mushroomed during the campaign trail. Some projected Modi as a face and Home Minister Amit Shah as everything else. It would have been a tremendous and balanced story if they had also mentioned the Bush-Cheney and Blair-Mandelson combinations without projecting only in Asia, as these things occur. Politics is universal; no one has a monopoly on the power play.

However, dissent is reasonable as it allows you to recreate your narrative compellingly, if necessary; otherwise some of it can be ignored. Premier Modi and the Opposition leaders, such as Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, all faced cyberbullying and hate from millions of social media critics. 

Dhruv Rathee, a young Indian YouTuber with 20.8 million subscribers, was adored by the anti-Modi section and hated by the Modi lovers. On average, his videos had 15 million views; some reaching 25 million views based on controversial subjects. Some of my colleagues who held independent or anti-Modi sentiments wanted to end Modi rule. Some were fearless and some were fearful. Young Rathee has shown the price of being daring, taking on a “tyrant,” as he narrated. Some enjoy money, some want fame, and some want power. Some want all three.

In our digital age, anti-Modi sentiments were widely disseminated and consumed. However, the impact on India’s 960 million voters will only become apparent in a few days as the world watches to see if these narratives swayed the electorate.

Modi and BJP campaign

The Modi and BJP campaign was bolstered by a decade of tangible successes, earning credibility despite facing numerous challenges and frustrations. Modi was presented as the definitive leader, synonymous with India’s recent economic strides and global presence. 

In contrast, the Opposition’s campaign lacked a singular anchor, relying instead on a collective team effort. Going up against a worldwide brand like Modi, with his track record of economic achievements, demanded a monumental and unified Opposition strategy. As election results loom, the question remains whether this collective effort was enough to challenge the incumbency and sway the electorate.

Modi projected himself as a divine gift to rejuvenate India and secure its rightful place on the global stage. This ‘messiah’ narrative is a familiar trope in political communications, evoking a sense of destiny and inevitability. 

The Opposition needed another charismatic leader or a robust alternative policy, action plan, and narrative to counter such an influential figure. However, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, the latest torchbearers of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, were criticised for their lack of imagination and coherence in their campaign. As a result, their efforts struggled to gain traction against Modi’s well-crafted persona and proven track record. 

It is seldom that a leader can blow his own trumpet. You need your allies to project how great you are. However, Modi said he was a godsend and gifted and his team said he was a godsend and gifted. It was missing in the Rahul and Priyanka duo. INDIA leaders like Kumar, Banerjee, Kejriwal, Yadav, Stalin, and Pawar seldom backed an anchor in cohesion. It’s understandable; all the above political brands are too big to sing hosanna for someone else. The fragile egos, personal interests, and political empires do not allow you to be united. Even in sports, all-star teams end up faring poorly. 

Modi, the saviour

Modi’s projection of himself as India’s saviour draws parallels to historical figures like Ashoka, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great, who also cast themselves as divinely-ordained leaders. After his transformative embrace of Buddhism, Ashoka positioned himself as a benevolent ruler destined to bring peace and prosperity to South Asia. Similarly, Napoleon portrayed himself as bringing order and reform to post-revolutionary France. At the same time, Alexander the Great saw himself as a destined conqueror, spreading Greek culture across the known world. 

In the book ‘Discovery of India’ (written in 1946), the great Jawaharlal Nehru (first Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964) writes: “Often, as I wandered from meeting to meeting, I spoke to my audience of this India of ours, of Hindustan and of Bharata, the old Sanskrit name derived from the mythical founder of the race. I seldom did so in the cities, for their audiences were more sophisticated and wanted strong fare. But to the peasant, with his limited outlook, I spoke of this great country for whose freedom we were struggling, of how each part differed from the other and yet was India, of common problems of the peasants from north to south and east to west, of the swaraj that only could be for all and every part and not for some. 

“I told them about journeying from the Khyber Pass in the far northwest to Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin in the distant south and how everywhere the peasants put me identical questions, for their troubles were the same – poverty, debt, vested interests, landlords, moneylenders, heavy rents and taxes, police harassment, and all these wrapped up in the structure that the foreign government had imposed upon us – and relief must also come for all. 

“I tried to make them think of India as a whole and even to some little extent of this wide world of which we were a part. I brought in the struggle in China, Spain, Abyssinia, Central Europe, Egypt, and the countries of Western Asia. I told them of the wonderful changes in the Soviet Union and the great progress made in America. The task was not easy, yet it was not so difficult as I had imagined, for our ancient epics, myths, and legends, which they knew so well, had made them familiar with the conception of their country. Some there were always who had travelled far and wide to the great places of pilgrimage, situated at the four corners of India.”

I quote him again: “Sometimes I reached a gathering, a great roar of welcome would greet me. ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ – ‘Victory to Mother India’. I would ask them unexpectedly what they meant by that cry: who was this ‘Bharat Mata,’ Mother India, whose victory they wanted? My question would amuse them and surprise them, and then, not knowing exactly what to answer, they would look at each other and me. I persisted in my questioning. At last, a vigorous Jat, wedded to the soil from immemorial generations, would say it was the ‘dharti,’ the good earth of India, that they meant. What earth? Their particular village patch, or all the patches in the district or province, or in the whole of India? And so question and answer went on till they would ask me impatiently to tell them all about it. 

“I would endeavour to do so and explain that India was all this that they had thought, but it was much more. The mountains and the rivers of India, and the forests and the broad fields, which gave us food, were all dear to us, but what counted ultimately were the people of India, people like them and me, who were speared out all over this vast land. ‘Bharat Mata,’ Mother India, was essentially these millions of people, and victory to her meant victory to these people. You are parts of this ‘Bharat Mata,’ I told them, you are in a manner to yourselves ‘Bharat Mata,’ and as this idea slowly soaked into their brains, their eyes would light up as if they had made an extraordinary discovery.”

Rahul and Priyanka, the great-grandchildren of the great Jawaharlal Nehru, were leading the anti-Modi campaign. The above paragraph could have been their campaign narrative, but it was Modi’s campaign line for the last 10 years – and for the next five years, if he succeeds in securing a third successive term on 4 June. 

Religio-political wars

‘Bharat Mata’ was the underlying campaign theme for Modi 3.0, which took Nehru’s ‘Bharat Mata’ concept to a different level. Nehru was widely regarded for his stand for secular India but there are severe questions and critics of Modi’s path for India – weaponising Hinduism for political power. In India, approximately 80% of the population by religion are Hindus and 14% are believers of Islam as per the 2011 census. As per census reports, a 1951 to 2011 comparison shows a 5% reduction of Hindus and in the same period a 45% growth of believers of Islam. 

The religious political wars have become the norm again; even the rise of Muslim political leadership in the United Kingdom has been the talk of the town recently, with Sadiq Khan holding onto the Mayorship of London since 2016. In Indonesia, vote bank politics are shaping up, with Islam as a shield; in Russia, the orthodox church plays a role in politics; and in the US, Christian nationalism is on the rise. 

Unfortunately, over centuries, humankind has been divided by religion. Instead, can religion unite people? Can a rejuvenated Bharat show the way for tolerance, diversity, and harmony to the world? 

In the last 30 years, India rebranded its main cities from colonial names to national names. Today, Bombay is Mumbai, Calcutta is Kolkata, Madras is Chennai, Bangalore is Bengaluru, Poona is Pune, and Banaras is Varanasi. If Modi succeeds in securing his third successive term on 4 June, will we see Bharat instead of India? Bharat will be Modi’s Ashoka moment. If that occurs, this will be one of the most significant brand changes in humanity’s history.

Xi and the ‘Chinese dream’

Like Modi, Xi crafted a narrative positioning himself as the chosen one, uniquely destined to lead China into a new era of greatness. Xi didn’t rely solely on revolutionary or economic credentials like Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping. Instead, he blended these legacies, portraying himself as the leader who could fulfil China’s historic rejuvenation mission.

Just as Ashoka, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great used the mantle of destiny to consolidate their power, Xi presented himself as the harbinger of a ‘Chinese dream’ – a vision of national renewal and global prominence. Through sweeping reforms, an assertive foreign policy, and strategic purges within his party, Xi solidified his position, projecting an image of stability and certainty.

These modern leaders harnessed historical narratives of messianic leadership in China and India, crafting personas destined to elevate their nations. Modi and Xi’s stories underscore a timeless political truth: when a leader casts themselves as a divinely favoured saviour, it becomes a formidable task for any opposition to mount a practical challenge without an equally compelling vision or figurehead. As a result, their nations stand at the forefront of Asia’s rise, shaping the region’s destiny in profound and lasting ways.

Enter Arvind Kejriwal

In China, the one-party rule under Xi ensures a controlled political landscape. However, in India’s vibrant democracy, winning a third successive term is an uphill battle for any leader. Modi’s stature and the BJP’s well-oiled political machinery present formidable challenges. Yet, amidst this daunting scenario, INDIA began to find momentum in the middle of the campaign. 

Emerging against all odds, this coalition started to resonate with voters, presenting a united front capable of challenging Modi’s dominance. Its late surge introduced an element of unpredictability, with many fearing an upset. The alliance’s ability to galvanise support and craft a compelling narrative in the final stages underscored the dynamic and resilient nature of Indian democracy, where even the most entrenched leaders can face significant challenges.

Not many would agree with me, but the Arvind Kejriwal fiasco and his subsequent jail term significantly disrupted INDIA’s momentum. Suddenly, amid a carefully orchestrated campaign, the focus shifted entirely to Kejriwal. This unplanned and unwarranted incident highlights how fragile political campaigns can be. 

In the high-stakes arena of political campaigning, unexpected events can swiftly derail even the most well-planned strategies. INDIA, which had begun to find its footing and generate genuine enthusiasm, was blindsided by the controversy surrounding Kejriwal. Instead of pushing forward with its collective message, it was forced into a defensive position, grappling with damage control and standing for Kejriwal.

Power struggle on the cards

If Kejriwal survives his legal battles and Modi secures another victory, the political arena is set for a dramatic power struggle. Kejriwal, driven by boundless ambition and armed with a reputation for grassroots activism, could challenge the leadership of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi within the Opposition. His relentless focus on anti-corruption (but he is booked for corruption now) and governance reforms resonates strongly with urban middle-class and disenfranchised voters, positioning him as a compelling alternative to Modi. 

This rise would inevitably clash with the Gandhis, who have long been the faces of the Congress Party and national politics. As Kejriwal’s influence grows, a fierce battle for dominance within the Opposition is likely to unfold, with his soaring ambitions threatening to overshadow the traditional leadership of the Gandhis. This internal struggle could redefine the dynamics of Indian politics, with both sides vying for the mantle of a chief challenger to Modi’s BJP.

‘Messiah’ narrative

The ‘messiah’ narrative is not confined to Asia. Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency in 2017 was a masterclass in creating a narrative more significant than life itself. With his ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan, he cast himself as the saviour of a nation that, in his telling, had lost its way. This powerful, emotionally-charged message resonated deeply with many Americans who felt left behind by the political establishment.

Trump’s unconventional, often irrational approach allowed him to dominate the news cycle and overshadow his opponent, Hillary Clinton. While Clinton campaigned on experience and policy, Trump ran circles around her with his relentless energy and brash rhetoric. His ability to tap into the fears and hopes of voters, combined with a relentless focus on his narrative of national rejuvenation, ultimately won him the day. Despite his unpredictability and contentious style, Trump’s message struck a chord, propelling him to a victory that defied conventional political logic. 

Trump vs. Biden in 2024 will be a great watch. The US needs a strongman at the negotiation table with Xi, Modi, and Putin. If the former President runs, he will inevitably invoke ‘Make America Great Again’ with more vigour than in 2016. The US is not Reagan’s US anymore. It’s easier to talk about the inner core desires of Americans for pride. The pride they grew up with is slowly vanishing by the day.

Politics makes strange bedfellows. It’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s a blood sport. It’s all about the art of possibility. It’s about capturing power and, most importantly, sustaining power. The below from ‘The Panchatantra’ sums up the world: ‘All things in the world live off one another, using many different strategies to do so, some peaceful, others not so peaceful. Think.’

Rulers live off their lands,

Physicians off the sick,

Merchants live off the consumers, 

They learned from fools;

Thieves live off the unwary,

Almsmen off householders;

Harlots off pleasure seekers,

And workers of the whole world.

Snares of many sorts are carefully set;

Day and night, they lie in wait, watchful,

Surviving by sheer strength – fish eating fish. 

Fish eating fish — for survival. Once in power, you would not want to leave. Politics is a microcosm of human life. ‘Messiahs’ are not immortal and there is a downside. The sustainability of the narrative depends on not only the leader’s code of conduct but also his followers and the machinery. 

In the midst of this, Asia is rising. There is hope for the world.

By Saliya Weerakoon

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AKIPRESS.COM – Bukhara Regional Department of Preschool and School Education and Acharya University signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in retraining and advanced training of personnel, UzA reports.

According to the document, it is planned to train 1,600 teachers of computer science, English, and mathematics in advanced courses during the year.

A branch of Acharya University was opened in Uzbekistan’s Karakul district. Students are trained in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, business analysis, and other areas. The courses are taught mainly by teachers from India.

Source: Akipress

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Amsterdam, Berlin (16/11 – 10)

Diwali, a.k.a. Deepavali, is a Hindu religious celebration as well as a traditional festival, celebrated across India. Customarily known as “The Festival of Lights”, as it is festooned with arrays of colored illumination, it is held from October to November every year. Deepavali 2023 was celebrated on November 12, over a five-day period. 

Deepavali is the annual Hindu celebration of the triumph of light over darkness. Rarely will you visit a Hindu home during Deepavali without passing under a doorway highlighted by a beautiful, vividly-colored picture created out of flour, rice or flower petals. It can take the form of a geometric pattern, a floral shape or a more detailed representation of animals or nature. These artworks are created to usher deities into the home, inviting them to bless the household for the year ahead.

Hindus around the world have celebrated the Deepavali festival of lights for more than 2,500 years. In India, the five-day Deepavali festival is traditionally the grandest annual holiday.

According to Pankaj Jain, a Professor of Anthropology, Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Texas, the Deepavali celebration is linked to stories in religious texts; it is a mystery to divine as to which came first, or when Deepavali was first celebrated.

Many are the stories in India recounting the triumph of good over evil. In the northern part of the vast country, a common story associates Deepavali with King Rama, one of the many incarnations of Lord Vishnu. When an evil king in Lanka (which some people associate with Sri Lanka) kidnapped Sita, Rama’s wife, King Rama “raised an army of monkeys” to rescue her.

The army of simians “…built a bridge from India to Sri Lanka, and invaded Sri Lanka to free Sita – during a battle to kill the evil king,” Professor Jain recounts. When Rama and Sita return north, “…millions of lights were scattered throughout the city of Ayodhya, arrayed to guide them home, simply to welcome them.” Thus lighted lamps have long been one manifestation of how Hindus celebrate Deepavali.

In southern India, Deepavali is popularly associated with the story of the Hindu god Krishna, yet a different incarnation of Vishnu. He is known to have freed about 16,000 enslaved women from an evil king.

In the Gujarat area of western India, the New Year coincides with Deepavali (there are several “New Years” celebrated in India), and Deepavali is associated with prayers to the Goddess Lakshmi, for prosperity in the coming year. During this celebration, celebrants ritually exchange gifts and coins.

Meanwhile, neighbor religions like Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism appropriate Deepavali to mark important events in their history. Professor Jain pointed out how Deepavali is both a religious holiday and a national holiday in India.

According to Vasudha Narayanan, a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Florida, not all Indians celebrate Deepavali. Nevertheless, with some 80 percent of India practicing Hinduism—with Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs accounting for 2-3 percent more, Deepavali is celebrated by the majority of Indians.

Narayanan mentioned how fireworks have come to be a major part of Deepavali celebrations in the last century. During the Deepavali festival of lights, each family ignites their fireworks. Such celebrations have been taking place since before Deepavali.

Hijau Daun (533)

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On September 9, 2023, during the G20 meeting in New Delhi, the governments of seven countries and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding to create an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. Only three of the countries (India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates or the UAE) would be directly part of this corridor, which was to begin in India, go through the Gulf, and terminate in Greece. The European countries (France, Germany, and Italy) as well as the European Union joined this endeavor because they expected the IMEC to be a trade route for their goods to go to India and for them to access Indian goods at, what they hoped would be, a reduced cost.

The United States, which was one of the initiators of the IMEC, pushed it as a means to both isolate China and Iran as well as to hasten the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. It seemed like a perfect instrument for Washington: sequester China and Iran, bring Israel and Saudi Arabia together, and deepen ties with India that seemed to have been weakened by India’s reluctance to join the United States in its policy regarding Russia.

Israel’s war on the Palestinians in Gaza has changed the entire equation and stalled the IMEC. It is now inconceivable for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to enter such a project with the Israelis. Public opinion in the Arab world is red-hot, with inflamed anger at the indiscriminate bombardment by Israel and the catastrophic loss of civilian life. Regional countries with close relations with Israel—such as Jordan and Turkey—have had to harden their rhetoric against Israel. In the short term, at least, it is impossible to imagine the implementation of the IMEC.

Pivot to Asia

Two years before China inaugurated its “One Belt, One Road” or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the United States had already planned a private-sector-funded trade route to link India to Europe and to tighten the links between Washington and New Delhi. In 2011, then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a speech in Chennai, India, where she spoke of the creation of a New Silk Road that would run from India through Pakistan and into Central Asia. This new “international web and network of economic and transit connections” would be an instrument for the United States to create a new intergovernmental forum and a “free trade zone” in which the United States would be a member (in much the same way as the United States is part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC).

The New Silk Road was part of a wider “pivot to Asia,” as U.S. President Barack Obama put it. This “pivot” was designed to check the rise of China and to prevent its influence in Asia. Clinton’s articlein Foreign Policy (“America’s Pacific Century,” October 11, 2011) suggested that this New Silk Road was not antagonistic to China. However, this rhetoric of the “pivot” came alongside the U.S. military’s new AirSea Battle concept that was designed around direct conflict between the United States and China (the concept built on a 1999 Pentagon study called “Asia 2025” which noted that “the threats are in Asia”).

Two years later, the Chinese government said that it would build a massive infrastructure and trade project called “One Belt, One Road,” which would later be called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the next ten years, from 2013 to 2023, the BRI investments totaled $1.04 trillion spread out over 148 countries (three-quarters of the countries in the world). In this short period, the BRI project has made a considerable mark on the world, particularly on the poorer nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where the BRI has made investments to build infrastructure and industry.

Chastened by the growth of the BRI, the United States attempted to block it through various instruments: the América Crece for Latin America and the Millennium Challenge Corporation for South Asia. The weakness in these attempts was that both relied upon funding from an unenthusiastic private sector.

Complications of the IMEC

Even before the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, IMEC faced several serious challenges.

First, the attempt to isolate China appeared illusory, given that the main Greek port in the corridor—at Piraeus—is managed by the China Ocean Shipping Corporation, and that the Dubai Ports have considerable investment from China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan port and the Zhejiang Seaport. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are now members of the BRICS+, and both countries are participants in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Second, the entire IMEC process is reliant upon private-sector funding. The Adani Group—which has close ties to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has come under the spotlight for fraudulent practices—already owns the Mundra port (Gujarat, India) and the Haifa port (Israel), and seeks to take a share in the port at Piraeus. In other words, the IMEC corridor is providing geopolitical cover for Adani’s investments from Greece to Gujarat.

Third, the sea lane between Haifa and Piraeus would go through waters contested between Turkey and Greece. This “Aegean Dispute” has provoked the Turkish government to threaten war if Greece goes through with its designs.

Fourth, the entire project relied upon the “normalization” between Saudi Arabia and Israel, an extension of the Abraham Accords that drew Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates to recognize Israel in August 2020. In July 2022, India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States formed the I2U2 Group, with the intention, among other things, to “modernize infrastructure” and to “advance low-carbon development pathways” through “private enterprise partnerships.” This was the precursor of IMEC. Neither “normalization” with Saudi Arabia nor advancement of the I2U2 process between the UAE and Israel seem possible in this climate. Israel’s bombardment of the Palestinians in Gaza has frozen this process.

Previous Indian trade route projects, such as the International North-South Trade Corridor (with India, Iran, and Russia) and the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (led by India and Japan), have not gone from paper to port for a host of reasons. These, at least, had the merit of being viable. IMEC will suffer the same fate as these corridors, to some extent due to Israel’s bombing of Gaza but also due to Washington’s fantasy that it can “defeat” China in an economic war.

Source:Counter Punch

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Sangam (India) (AFP) – When the Cricket World Cup opens in India next month several players will carry Kashmiri willow wood bats, but manufacturers say over-exploitation of trees means their craft faces ruin.

Unchecked logging without replanting has reduced swathes of woodland to scrub in the disputed Indian-administered Himalayan territory, and bat manufacturers face a bleak future.

“It’s a case of culling all the time and no sowing,” said Irfan Ali Shah, a senior official in the government’s forest service.

Willow grows far more slowly than the more commercially viable poplar, and bat-makers warn the entire industry — a major employer — is at risk.

“We have started searching far-off corners of the valley, but there is not much good willow to be found anywhere for making the best quality bats,” said Fawzul Kabiir, whose GR8 bats are International Cricket Council-approved and sold worldwide.

“If the government doesn’t help plant again soon on a large scale… we will run out of raw material in three to five years,” he told AFP.

Found from Europe to central Asia, water-loving white willows — scientific name Salix alba — are deciduous trees growing up to 30 metres (100 feet) tall.

Numbers expanded enormously during the 19th century under British colonial rule, when plantations were laid for firewood during the freezing mountain winter.

The ready supply of willow — the wood favoured by cricketers — also sparked a craft in bats.

Tendulkar, Kohli and Waugh

Willow has criss-crossing fibres that give it strength and tiny air pockets that reduce vibrations, making the wood light but powerful enough to smash a ball for six.

International big hitters have traditionally preferred willow from England, but the same tree grows in Kashmir and every year the region now produces three million “clefts” — the rough-cut blocks of wood ready for shaping.

It is the bulk of global supply and bat-maker Kabiir, 31, insists: “The best Kashmir willow bat is at least as good as English willow.”

GR8 says its customers include cricketing greats from Indian heroes Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli to Australia’s Steve Waugh and South Africa’s Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers.

Kashmir’s bat-makers prospered over the decades as cricket’s popularity grew — demand surged after India’s 1983 World Cup win and the sport now has more than a billion fans globally.

Today, the industry employs some 120,000 people across 400 workshops, according to manufacturers.

It is a key contributor to the economy of Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but split between them, with the portion controlled by New Delhi roiled by a long-running insurgency.

– ‘Near extermination’ –

But supplies are vanishing fast.

Agricultural scientists at Sher-e-Kashmir University have warned female willow trees — the most suitable for bat-making — are facing “near extermination” in Kashmir.

Nearly a million trees were logged in the past decade as the government removed plantations sucking up water from the shrinking Wular lake, protected under the United Nations Ramsar convention.

Elsewhere, willows have been hacked down to make space for farmland and rice paddies.

Demand for timber from other industries, including plywood and pencils, has meant some have replaced willow with swifter-growing poplar.

“A willow tree matures in 30 years and poplar in half the time, and it fetches the same price,” said Feroz Ahmed Reshi, whose family has supplied willow wood to bat-makers for generations. “This year, we planted 300 poplars and about five willows.”

‘Our SOS’

The government banned cleft exports to the rest of India or overseas 25 years ago in a bid to control logging and boost industry in Kashmir.

But the law is repeatedly flouted with some 100,000 clefts illegally sent elsewhere annually, a bat-makers association official said.

“Smuggling of our precious raw material has not stopped,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

Authorities used to plant willow on state land to maintain firewood supplies but stopped decades ago as electricity and gas became available for heating.

Shah, the forestry official, believes bat-makers must “plant their own willow on their own land” to replace each tree felled.

But private land is scarce in Kashmir, and prices have surged since New Delhi suspended the region’s semi-autonomous status and imposed direct rule in 2019.

That allowed Indians from elsewhere to buy land in Kashmir for the first time, a policy denounced by critics as “settler colonialism”.

GR8’s factory and showroom are in the small town of Sangam, the centre of the bat industry, where tourists snap up bats from lines of stores, spending anything from $12 to $180.

“This is our SOS to the government,” owner Kabiir said. “We cannot do it alone.”

Source: France24

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AKIPRESS.COM – Deputy Head of Namangan region Okibjon Inomov and head of the EI Company (India) Mitesh Verma held a meeting in Delhi with the support of the Embassy of Uzbekistan, UzA reported.

The parties discussed the prospects for implementing the project to create a sanatorium and health complex in Chartak district.

The sides paid particular attention to organizational issues related to the construction of a new joint recreational facility.

They exchanged views on providing the facility with modern equipment, introducing new technologies and knowledge, and taking measures to improve the skills of specialists on a systematic basis.

To implement this project, the Indian company plans to invest $5 million.

Source: Akipress

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Health care to farming sectors short of workers after Europeans shut out

LONDON — Nurses and midwives trained in India outnumbered their Filipino counterparts in the U.K. for the first time this year, as Asian workers fill vacancies in sectors from health care to agriculture seven years after Brexit triggered an exodus of EU citizens, recent figures show.

Before Britain voted to leave the European Union, citizens from the bloc were free to live and work in the U.K. With an aging population, Britain’s industries and services were kept running by an inflow of European workers. The National Health Service, in particular, benefited hugely from EU labor because it was already facing shortages after the government cut spending and downsized public services to balance the books following the 2007-2008 credit crisis.

England had a shortfall of 40,000 nursing staff at the end of last year, based on NHS figures. Against this backdrop, the U.K.’s post-Brexit immigration policy has made it easier for Asians to take such jobs more easily.

“The U.K. is a popular destination,” said John (not his real name), 25, who qualified as a nurse in Southern India in January 2022 and moved to the U.K. to work in the NHS soon after, following in the footsteps of others from his school. Many British hospital trusts now have a section on their recruitment pages aimed at Indian nurses, offering to pay for their tuition and exam fees, accommodation, and even airfare.

There are now 48,395 nurses, midwives and nursing associates trained in India registered to work in the U.K., based on March figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Council. For the first time, that figure was higher than the 45,472 people trained in the Philippines. By contrast, there are 26,805 workers from the European Economic Area — which includes the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway — working in the field, down more than 20% versus September 2017.

“You are not coming here to work as a front-line staff nurse for the next 20 years,” he said. “We need to think about how we are going to grow you, and help you to progress in your career within the NHS.”

The annual number of Indian nurses and midwives joining the British register has grown rapidly, to 10,841 as of March 2023, up from just 638 in March 2018, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The number of Filipinos grew to 5,118 from 1,702 over the same period.

The British government’s vow to employ an additional 50,000 nurses by 2024 is providing “top-down political drive,” said Jim Buchan, a professor and senior visiting fellow at the Health Foundation, an independent charity. He pointed to funds being made available to NHS employers to recruit internationally to reach the target.

Since November 2021, the U.K. has signed agreements with India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka to facilitate the recruitment of health care workers. These agreements allow managed recruitment of health care workers from countries facing their own shortages, such as Nepal, where nurses joining the British register rose from a mere 37 in March 2018 to 295 in March 2023. Recruits from Kenya also rose significantly, although those from Malaysia and Sri Lanka remained largely unchanged.

The Philippines is a leading global supplier of nurses, but the outflow of talent has led to labor shortages at home. The country’s Department of Health recently announced plans to hire thousands of unlicensed nurses to fill vacancies in government hospitals. India, too, faces a dearth of nurses and the government is hoping to address the problem by opening 157 new nursing colleges within two years to meet domestic demand.

Overall, South Asia is the biggest contributor of skilled workers to the U.K., making up nearly half the 28,390 such visas issued in the first quarter of this year, based on government figures. The U.K. has also granted “Global Talent Visas” to 1,536 Indians working in academia or research, arts and culture, and digital technology since the program’s introduction in February 2020. Indians are the largest group to have gained this visa, followed by a recent surge of Russians.

A cut in the skills requirement is a factor in rising immigration, said Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.

“Instead of having to be in a graduate job, they made middle-skilled occupations eligible,” said Sumption. Aiming to attract a bigger pool of workers, the minimum salary for skilled workers was reduced by about 4,000 pounds ($5,110) to 26,200 pounds. In the health care sector, the government has lowered the bar so that anyone can apply to join. 

Agriculture is another sector that is benefiting from Asian labor. EU nationals made up to 98% of the seasonal agricultural workforce in the U.K in the past. But under the new post-Brexit scheme for seasonal workers, up to 40% of seasonal agricultural workers now come from the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, with a growing number from Nepal and Indonesia.

Added to this mix are Hong Kongers who have come for a different reason. The U.K. Home Office says it has granted over 130,000 Hong Kong residents and dependents British National Overseas (BNO) visas, which offer a new route to citizenship. These were granted in response to Beijing’s crackdown on dissent.

Source: Asia Nikkei

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Iran’s full membership admission to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the signing of a memorandum of commitment by Belarus to join the SCO is scheduled for July 4 at the Council of Heads of State of the organization, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated.

“At the upcoming July 4 meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State, Iran’s full membership will be formalized, and a memorandum of commitment by Belarus will be signed, which will also launch the procedure for its full accession to the SCO.” he said.

Lavrov also stated that the group also welcomes new dialogue partners. “From now on, the SCO space, taking into account both new members and dialogue partner states, stretches from Europe and the Middle East to South and Southeast Asia.” he added.

The SCO is a trade and security bloc that was founded in 2001 and currently includes as full members China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In addition to the full members, the SCO also includes Afghanistan and Mongolia as observers, and dialogue partners in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, and the UAE. They will also be present, along with guests – who will include ASEAN and the CIS blocs, Turkmenistan, and the UN.

There have also been discussions to integrate the SCO with the EAEU and BRICS.

New Delhi currently holds the Chairmanship of the SCO.  The July 4^th SCO summit is to take place in an online format, with Russian President Putin and Indian Prime Minister Modi discussing details of the event’s programme last Friday (June 30). Modi has also recently seen US President Biden in Washington.

Source: Silk Road Briefing

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It will be Putin’s first participation in a multilateral summit after a mercenary group launched a short-lived armed rebellion last week that rocked Moscow.

The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) under India’s presidency is also set to welcome Iran as the new permanent member of the grouping.

The summit is also taking place against the backdrop of the over three-year eastern Ladakh border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops, and two weeks after Prime Minister Modi’s high-profile visit to the US.

The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.
India assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit of SCO on September 16 last year.

Heads of the two SCO bodies — the secretariat and the SCO RATS (Regional Anti- Terrorist Structure) are also set to attend Tuesday’s virtual summit whose theme is “Towards a SECURE SCO!The situation in Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict and enhancing cooperation among the SCO member countries are expected to figure in the summit, people familiar with the matter said, adding boosting connectivity and trade is also likely to be discussed.

The SECURE acronym was coined by Prime Minister Modi at the 2018 SCO summit and it stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; and Environment.

Heads of six international and regional organisations have also been invited to the summit.
The organisations are the UN, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation), EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia).

India’s presidency of the SCO saw significant activities in a number of areas. New Delhi created five new pillars for cooperation in SCO. These are startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment and shared Buddhist heritage.

The special working group on startups and innovation and experts working group on traditional medicine were created on India’s initiative.
“We intend to contribute substantially in both these areas,” said one of the people cited above.

To further Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakom (world is one family), India emphasised on building greater people-to-people connect, the person said.
A number of signature events were held under the Indian presidency with the intention to further deepen people to people connect.

India’s association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its RATS, which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017.

Source: Times of India

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Maharashtra State Agricultural Board (MSAMB) has decided to introduce Indian mangoes this season to Central Asian countries.

MSAMB general manager D D Shinde told The Indian Express they planned promotional events with Indian Embassies in these countries. Other than this, the US phytosanitary inspector was expected to arrive on April 10, marking the start of exports to the country.

The current season has put some doubts about the availability of mangoes in the country. Unusually high February temperatures followed by rains and hailstorms in March have seen farmers complain about the availability of quality fruit.

However, this season, Kesar, the produce of Marathwada, is expected to arrive earlier than usual. Alphonso or Hapus – the priced produce of the Konkan coast of Maharashtra – can suffer from a lower-than-usual production.

The last financial year saw Indian exporters ship out 32,745 tonnes of the fruit. Most of the fruit is exported to Central Asian countries, while European Union countries and the US occupy essential shelves in the export basket.

In most countries, exporters send their consignment via air freight, which is both uncertain and costly. For the US, the air freight sometimes comes out more than the consignment cost at the US markets. Land and sea freight is comparatively lower, but given the perishable nature of the fruit, it has yet to be explored much.

Shinde said their decision to introduce Indian mangoes to Central Asian countries was to explore markets which can be served by road and ship freight. “We are in talks with Indian Embassies to hold promotional events there,” he said. This season, some of the exporters are also in talks with their trade counterparts in the US to explore sea freight.

As per protocol, shipments to the US are made under the supervision of the inspector. Exports to the US start once the inspector arrives. Australia, New Zealand and Japan’s export season will also begin soon.

The MSAMB runs a massive export facilitation centre in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, which exporters use to treat their consignments before shipping. Countries have their protocol, including vapour heat treatment, irradiation (exposing the consignment to weak radioactive rays) and hot water treatment.

Source : Indian Express

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