By Aroussa Hafeez

As the markets are increasingly globalized, trade and shipping industry has also soared. Since the rise of intercontinental air travel, sea travel has become important around the world as a mean of transportation. Albeit, from the last two years COVID-19 has shaken international trade and hardly hit the global shipping industry. Since the start of pandemic, potential repercussions for international trade became obvious. People across the globe are facing immense challenges and sufferings due to the pandemic. COVID-19 has spurred a number of obstacles for global trade and shipping industry.

Shipping is the life blood of global economy. More than 50,000 merchant ships are trading internationally. The world fleet, which is registered in more than 150 nations is crewed by millions of seafarers. International shipping industry relies greatly on seafarers and India is one of the biggest provider of seafarers for the shipping industry. However, recently India has been affected the most by the coronavirus pandemic. The second wave of COVID-19 has strongly hit the country. Coronavirus cases are increasing at an alarming rate and every single day witness record high deaths and infections. India’s huge wave of coronavirus pandemic has also strongly hit the international trade and shipping industry.

Where, maritime transport is the backbone of globalized trade and 80 percent of goods trade is carried by sea but on the other hand due to the coronavirus pandemic maritime port traffic has slowed down. In the start of 2020, port ship traffic was down by more than 10 percent on the same period in 2019 and in the second half of May 2020, global port calls had fallen to less than 80 percent. UNCTAD estimates in its Review of Maritime Transport 2020 that Global maritime trade plunge by 4.1% in 2020 due to the unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19.

India’s unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases hits the work at ports, which also cause the slowdown of global trade. Due to explosive outbreak of COVID-19, global trade and shipping industry has witnessed disruptions. Slow shipment and delays in vessels offloading create supply chain bottlenecks. In the month of May, India has 21.9 million tons of cargoes scheduled to arrive but due to the shortages of seafarers and labour many vessels could see delays in scheduled loadings and discharge. Moreover, according to the Container Availability Index (CAx) data, the equipment shortages are also causing increase in container prices at major Indian ports.

The changing circumstances of global market affects the shipping industry. Logistic chain of shipping company suffers when it does not adapt to global industry trends but now due to coronavirus pandemic, everything has slowed down and Indian shipping industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. Although, the divergent trade flow and shipping industry which has gone down during COVID-19 outbreak in India has much to do with the policies of Indian government to combat it. Drastically reducing employment in shipping industry due to surge of coronavirus pandemic has caused difficulties for seafarers in India. Total of seafarers serving on internationally trading merchant ships are estimated at 1,647,500 seafarers and according to India’s maritime administration, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), the number of Indian seafarers employed globally has exceeded 150,000 in 2018. According to the DGS, at the end of 2017, India had 154,349 seafarers employed on merchant ships, compared to 143,940 in 2016 but now the numbers of seafarers from India, serving on international trading merchant ships has decreased.

Recently, a number of seaports are closing their doors for thousands of seafarers to and from India. Many companies are tapping seafarers from other countries. Thousands of seafarers across India who are unable to get out of the country because of COVID-19 that sparked travel curbs and restrictions on Indian crews. Many shipping authorities have advised Indian crew not to sign off from the vessel until the COVID-19 situation improves. Earlier, the Wilhelmsen Ship Management, a crew provider said that Zhoushan in China has banned the entry of ships or crew that have visited India or Bangladesh in the past three months. Industry executives also added that many crew members coming from India are tested positive for COVID-19. Port authority of South Africa also said that a vessel arrived in Durban from India was quarantined in which 14 Filipino crew tested positive for Covid-19. Last year, almost 400,000 seafarers were stranded at sea beyond their contract length because of the pandemic.

An estimated 240,000 Indian seafarers were supposed to receive Indian-made vaccines, from May 1^st but the shortage of stock has postpone the vaccination. India is facing extreme shortages of medicines, oxygen cylinders and vaccines. It seems crucial in vaccinating the whole country. India, is one of the biggest vaccine producer but now it does not have enough doses to protect its own citizens because India has donated 8 million doses and sold almost 52 million doses to other countries.

India’s COVID-19 crisis take a bigger hit to global Shipping industry which will cause difficulties for seafarers. The Global maritime trade also lost momentum due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, which has drastically changed the global environment and the recovery is still uncertain. Notwithstanding the challenges experienced due to the pandemic, coordinated efforts are needed to recover from the crisis.

HERAT, 04 May 2021 (TON): At least 18 people were killed as heavy rains and flash floods that hit parts of Afghanistan's Herat province.

Worse hit is Adraskan district and neighboring districts in Herat province. The floods also destroyed tens of residential houses and orchards in the districts and caused closure of several district roads to traffic.

Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority has been activated. The spokesperson confirmed that floods destroyed hundreds of homes and swept through makeshift shelters that housed displaced families.

Floods are a common occurrence in Afghanistan. The country has little infrastructure, such as ditches and sewers, to manage water run-off from rain or melting snow.

NEW DELHI, 04 May 2021 (TON): The sports authorities are doubtful of organizaing Indian Premier League (IPL) due the mismanagement due to Indian health and administrative authorities. In the letest setback two Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) tested positive for Covid-19, resulting in the postponement of the KKR-Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) match in Ahmedabad while similar news emerged from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp and Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. As per health authorities reports many of the ground staff at the Arun Jaitley Stadium have tested positive.

Meanwhile, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the positive results of KKR’s Varun Chakaravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, it did not specify when and where the rescheduled KKR-RCB would be played.

New Delhi was scheduled to host successive matches including Sun Risers Hyderabad versus Mumbai Indians on 4 May and Rajasthan Royals versus CSK on 5 May. These matches have been canclelled which would also affect rest of the IPL.

The 60-match IPL reached its halfway mark on Monday with 30th match still to go but mismanagement from India authorities has badly affected the games and other events.

ISTANBUL, 2 May 2021, (TON): Turkey’s Directorate General of Security has issued a circular banning citizens from filming or recording police officers during demonstrations.

Amid COVID-19 and pandemic lockdown, only the leaders of labor unions were allowed to hold memorials to mark Labour Day on 1 May. More than 200 demonstrators were kept in preventive detention in defiance of the lockdown ban.

Meanwhile, Progressive Lawyers Association has warned that the ban is unlawful and will threaten citizens’ rights by weakening police accountability and preventing evidence collection, especially in cases where police commit violence against demonstrators. While rejecting the circular, it said, “There is no legal basis of such a circular. The constitution grants the rights.”

The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey said on Twitter that journalists filming the May Day demonstrations were being blocked by police. Faik Oztrak, the spokesperson of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, expressed fears that the move “could result in increased police brutality.”

Turkey follows rule of law where judiciary is independent. Few days back Turkey’s Constitutional Court decided on 29 April that there was a violation of rights when the state denied permission for a trial of police officers involved in the injury of a protester during the Gezi Park protests and ordered trial against the police officers involved will begin eight years after the incident.

The Western governments and organizations were critical of latest circular and voiced in favour of demonstrators.

TON Research Section

It is claimed that Sikhism first emerged in Bengal when Guru Nanak visited Bangladesh in 1504 and established several Gurdwaras. Gurdwara Nanak Shahi is the principal Sikh Gurdwara (prayer hall) in Dhaka. Bangladesh does not have any significant Sikh population. Most of the Sikhs in the country are officials of the Indian High Commission, Businessmen, or pilgrims. According to the 2011 census, there were only 23000 Sikhs in Bangladesh. There were eighteen historical Gurdwaras in Bangladesh. The relations of Sikhs with the Bengalies are remarkable and quite tangible.

According to reports, the main Gurdwara was built in 1830, during the East India Company by the Britishers. In the adjacent buildings, which then housed the Langar-Khana (community kitchen and place for free distribution of food) and Musafir-Khana ( rest-house for guests/pilgrims) probably the Gurdwara was also built during the same time, as evident from the same architectural pattern. For decades, a few of the Sikhs living in Bangladesh without any fear or any disruption by most locals.

In 2019 India announced the CAA bill provided opportunity to Sikh and Hindus living in Bangladesh to regularize their migration in India, although they are living peacefully in Bangladesh. According to the International Monetary Fund, Bangladesh's per capita GDP was likely to expand by 4% in 2020 to $1,888, while in the case of India, it was expected to fall by 10.5% to $1,877. The GDP number for both countries was at current prices. On the other hand, Amit Shah stated that" the poor in Bangladesh "go hungry," but figures say otherwise. On the contarary to the Amit Shah’s claim India ranks 94 among 107 nations in Global Hunger Index 2020 below Bangladesh which is at ranks 75 and falls under the serious category. One wonders if they are living peacefully, then why India has offered Indian nationality to Sikhs, which may in the future graded as dual nationality?

Sikhs Farmers are protesting in New Delhi for four months, but the government did not respond to the demand of the Sikhs farmers but on the other hand, according to the CAA bill, they want to Sikh community to acquire Indian nationality. The ambiguous behavior of India leads to logical debate. Britain is also helping India to focus work on Sikhs card to change the demography of Bangladesh. According to Britain House, there are 5 lac Sikhs are living in the UK and contributing to the British economy. Prince Charles of Wales Visited at Bangla Sahib in 2019 and showed his concern towards the Sikh community. Prince was overwhelmed seeing Langar getting prepared at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. The wants to become closer to the Sikhs to established Sikhs diaspora in different communities to change the culture and demography under the flag of Diversity.

Bangladesh has two schools teaching the Punjabi language. The schools are being constructed by Sampardai Kar Sewa, Sarhali, a religious organization. The religious organization supported by the Indian Punjab Government. Stealthy, they are penetrating in the culture of Bengalis. This religious organization had already set up a Sikh Research Centre (SRC) at Gurdwara Nanakshahi with Dhaka University professor Nirol Kazi as its head. If we analyze history, India played the same strategy during the separation of East Pakistan. Not all but some of the teacher brainwash the people and spread feelings of hatred against each other. It is an established fact that India is playing a dual rule regarding Sikhs diaspora.

The CAA bill amends India's 64-year-old citizenship law, which currently prohibits illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens. However, it is a false conspiracy against the Bengalis. This bill also expedites the path to Indian citizenship for members of six religious minority communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian - if they can prove that they are from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh. Why India focus on these three countries? They gave citizenship and train the diaspora, especially Sikhs for Bangladesh, Hindu for Pakistan, and Buddhist claiming to be from Afghanistan. After the training, they will sent back and change the entire culture and tradition.

KATHMANDU, 8 March 2021, (TON): In a huge blow to the two warring leaders amidst a tussle for power, Nepal’s Supreme Court on 3 March quashed the unification of the erstwhile Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) led by Prime Minister K  Sharma Oli and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda.

The CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) merged in May 2018 to form a unified Nepal Communist Party following victory of their alliance in the 2017 general elections.

On Sunday, an apex court bench of justices Kumar Regmi and Bam Kumar Shrestha issued the verdict giving authenticity of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) to Rishiram Kattel, who had registered the party at the Election Commission (EC) in his name prior to the formation of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Oli and Prachanda, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. Kattel had challenged the Election Commission’s decision to register Nepal Communist Party (NCP) under Oli and Prachanda in May 2018. The Bench said that a new party cannot be registered with the Election Commission when it already has a party registered with a similar name.

GENEVA, 5 March 2012 (TON): The United Nations human rights investigator on Myanmar said on 4 March that Myanmar’s military has murdered, beaten and unlawfully arrested protesters since it seized power in a coup on 1 February this year and called for wide-ranging punitive sanctions.

In a UN Human Rights Council report, Thomas Andrews urged the UN Security Council to impose a global arms embargo and targeted economic sanctions on the military rulers and refer alleged atrocities to the International Criminal Court for prosecution. He said, “States should impose sanctions on the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, now controlled by the military and its largest source of revenue.”

As The UNSC is due to discuss the situation on Friday in a closed meeting, the protests supported and funded by foreign nations have increased. In support, the UN investigator’s statement confirmed that 38 people had been killed during Wednesday’s demonstrations while till 1 March 23 were believed to have been killed. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party said in a statement that flags would fly at half-mast at its offices to commemorate the dead.

As per the details, Police opened fire and used tear gas to disperse protests in Yangon, Monywa, Pathein and Taunggyi.

The UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, called on the security forces to stop “vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters”. She added tha more than 1,700 people had been arrested, including 29 journalists.

The European Union suspended support for development projects to avoid providing financial assistance to the military, officials said on Thursday. The support in past years has involved more than 200 million euros ($240.7m) in separate programmes often running for four years.

Meanwhile, there are confirmed reports that India is using its soil and funding to create unrest in Myanmar’s military and Police. Foreign media reported that 19 Myanmar police officers have crossed over into India for unknown reasons.

SANNA, 27 February 2021, (TON): Yemeni security forces have claimed that heavy fighting between rebels and Government forces in Yemen's oil-rich Marib has killed at least 27 people.

According to the local tribal leaders Iran has intensified increased its military aid to the rebels. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels earlier this month renewed their attack on Marib to defeat the Yemeni forces allied with the internationally recognized government. Reports claims that Houthi rebels are also being equipped and aided by the foreign western groups as well as the Iranian government. One witness said that in the past twenty-four hours most of those killed were rebel fighters to had launched offensive attacks to take over the area from Yemeni forces.       

WASHINGTON, 27 FEBRUARY 2021, (TON): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award at during an annual international energy conference next week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also deliver the virtual keynote address at the CERAWeek Conference-2021, which will be held virtually from 1 to 5 March 2021. Prominent speakers at the conference include US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and founder of Breakthrough Energy Bill Gates and president and CEO, Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser.

The annual international conference is a gathering of energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policy makers, leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities, and energy technology innovators.