olitical instability and general discontent have marred South Asia, precisely because of the neo-liberal economic policies implemented in the region. That was the crux of the comments and observations made by speakers at the screening of Boston-based Pakistani journalist and filmmaker Beena Sarwar’s documentary at Alhamra’s Adabi Baithak.

The documentary, titled Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines, looks at Sri Lanka’s socio-political landscape, “exploring the impact of the 2022 economic crisis through the voices of villagers, policymakers, academics and political representatives.”

The documentary not only documents what the Sri Lankans went through during the great political turmoil but also depicts what other people in the region have been subjected to for decades. “The fact of the matter is that the people, though made to suffer almost the same problems and situations, were not able to respond collectively due to the disconnect manufactured by neo-liberal policies,” remarked a speaker in a follow-up discussion.

Earlier, artist Salima Hashmi described Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan as “juvenile” neighbours whose boys with the toys do have not the heart to give up their positions. “Ordinary mortals like us should work for connectivity with the people in the region which is the only way to bring about change in their lives,” she said.

Hashmi lauded the contents of the documentary and thanked Beena Sarwar for “telling us through your work about the happenings in Sri Lanka [that are] quite similar to the happenings in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.”

She said that the story of Sri Lanka “goes well past the confines of a map of Sri Lanka, and spills over to the rest of South Asia.” The story of farmers in Sri Lanka, as depicted in the documentary, is similar to the story of farmers in the entire region, she added.

Activist Khawar Mumtaz was of the view that neo-liberal politics had entrapped all the countries in the region: “It’s a global economic trap. It needs a collective response from the region.”

Talking about democracy in the region she said, “Merely voting is not enough, listening to people and to their needs is also required... It is important to see whether the common people are benefitting from the growth at the top.”

Mumtaz concluded by saying that the region as a whole needed greater connectivity at people’s level, as the desired change would not come from top down; efforts are needed to bring the change at the bottom.

Speaking on the occasion, Zafar Masud, the chief executive officer of The Bank of Punjab, said that the crisis in Sri Lanka was largely due to the pandemic, and that Sri Lanka fared poorly during the crisis whereas Pakistan managed relatively well. Our remittances witnessed a 26 percent increase; those of Sri Lanka which dipped into the negative.

Masud also said that short-term commercial loans and imports of essential items ate up the dollars in the two countries; hence, the crisis. He said that Chinese investment was blamed for the economic meltdown in the two countries.

Narrating her experience of meeting with Sri Lankan farmers before and during the making of the documentary, Sarwar said that the economic and political salvation of the people in the region lay in connectivity and in sharing and seeking the resolution of problems collectivity.

She stated that her resolve to bring the people of South Asia closer was the motivating factor behind the making of the documentary.

The documentary was initially scheduled to be officially released on August 25. However, its release has been delayed. A new date could be announced soon.

Muhammad Akram is a senior journalist who has worked for several TV channels, digital media outlets and newspapers, including The News.