Shows
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelNusrat F Jafri on a personal history of caste and conversions in India: Southasia Review of Books podcast #17Uncovering her maternal ancestors’ past rooted in the Bhantu identity, the cinematographer and writer Nusrat F Jafri offers a rare account of the so-called criminal tribe, the circumstances of their conversions and the continuities of caste oppression in India today.himalmag.com/podcast/nusrat-jafri-caste-conversions-identity-indiaWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, speaks to Nusrat F Jafri about her memoirThis Land We Call Home: The Story Of A Family, Caste, Conversions An...2025-02-101h 03
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelKanupriya Dhingra on the survival of Old Delhi’s book bazaar: Southasia Review of Books podcast #16A conversation with the book historian on how Daryaganj’s Patri Kitab Bazaar tells the story of Delhi’s urban aspirations, spatial politics and informal economies: https://www.himalmag.com/podcast/kanupriya-dhingra-delhi-daryaganj-book-bazaar
Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, speaks to the book historian Kanupriya Dhingra about her recent monograph, Old Delhi’s Parallel Book Bazaar (Cambridge University Press, November 2024)
Tucked in the lanes of Old Delhi, the Daryaganj Sunday Book Market is a name that’s famili...2025-02-0340 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelPriyanka Dubey on the risks to journalists in India’s hinterlands: State of Southasia #17On 3 January, the body of Mukesh Chandrakar, a journalist in the Bastar region of India’s Chhattisgarh state, was found in a septic tank, bearing signs that he had been brutally killed. He had been missing for two days. Investigations into the case indicate that his murder is linked to his reporting for a national news channel about corruption in a road construction project. The main accused in the case is the project contractor, who also happens to be Mukesh’s cousin.
In 2011, Jyotirmoy Dey, a crimes and investigations editor for a newspaper in Mumbai who had written...2025-01-2737 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelWeena Pun on the invisibility of women in Nepal’s society and literature: Southasia Review of Books podcast #15A conversation with the Nepali-born writer on her debut novel ‘Kanchhi’, and capturing the realities of women’s lives in rural Nepal.
https://www.himalmag.com/podcast/weena-pun-kanchhi-women-rural-nepal-literature
Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, speaks to Weena Pun about her new debut novel Kanchhi (Hachett India, September 2024).
In Torikhola in the western midhills of Nepal, Kanchhi, the only daughter of her single mother, is at odds with the ru...2025-01-2042 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSusan Banki on the battles of Nepali-Bhutanese refugees: State of Southasia #16Bhutan’s Nepali-speaking diaspora, created by the expulsion of the Lhotshampa in the 1990s, can help the country’s tottering economy, the researcher says – if the Bhutan government were ready to reach out.
In the introduction to her book The Ecosystem of Exile Politics: Why Proximity and Precarity Matter for Bhutan’s Homeland Activists, Susan Banki, a researcher of the international refugee system, tells the story of Bhakta Ghimire, a homeland activist from the community of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese. In the early 1990s, Ghimire was a young man working in a cement factory in Samste, in south...2025-01-1351 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSadaf Wani on the lifeworlds of Srinagar: Southasia Review of Books podcast #14In her biography of the city, the Kashmiri writer highlights the complications of Srinagar’s identity and recentres the everyday lives of its people, particularly women.
https://www.himalmag.com/podcast/srinagar-kashmir-identity-women-memory-tourism-history-sadaf-wani
Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, speaks to the Kashmiri writer Sadaf Wani about her new book City as Memory: A Short Biography of Srinagar (Aleph Book Company, June 2024).
Srinagar, in its...2025-01-0749 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia in review 2024Putting the year in perspective, editor Roman Gautam and the hosts of Himal’s podcasts take a look back at the highlights, stories and episodes that shaped an extraordinary and challenging year
December is nearly over, and 2025 is just around the corner, so we’re bringing you a very special episode where Himal’s editor Roman Gautam and podcast hosts Nayantara Narayanan and Shwetha Srikanthan reflect on what has been an incredible year here at Himal Southasian.
In 2024, we launched a new website, a revamped Himal’s Patron programme, brought you more ambitious...2024-12-2344 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books podcast #13: Tariq Ali on a life in writing and dissentIn his new memoir, spanning the 1980s and the present, the renowned writer and activist reflects on neoliberalism in the West and turmoil in Southasia, and fiercely critiques the War on Terror and the crimes of Israel: https://www.himalmag.com/podcast/writing-dissent-activism-southasia-palestine-revolutions-memoir-tariq-ali
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Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated aut...2024-12-0953 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books podcast #12: Ari Gautier on the dark side of PondicherryWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, associate editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to Ari Gautier on his new short story collection, Nocturne Pondicherry, translated from the French by Roopam Singh (Hachette India, June 2024), and his novel, Lakshmi’s Secret Diary, translated by Sheela Mahadevan (Columbia University Press, September 2024).
Blending philosophy, retellings of Southasian mythology, and the little-known history of French colonialism in Pondicherry, Lakshmi’s Secret Diary tells the fictionalised story of a...2024-11-251h 25
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books podcast #11: Sex, scandal and the death of a poet in 1970s KarachiIn this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, associate editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to the journalists Saba Imtiaz and Tooba Masood-Khan about their new book Society Girl: A Tale of Sex, Lies, and Scandal (October 2024, Roli Books).
On one October morning in 1970, phones began ringing all over Karachi. The established poet and former civil servant Mustafa Zaidi had been found dead in his bedroom. He wasn’t alone: Shahnaz Gul, a socialite in her late twenties, who was Zaidi’s muse and lover, was lying unconscious in the next room.
What seemed like an apparent suicide turned into...2024-11-1056 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelState of Southasia #12: Hurmat Ali Shah on Pashtuns and the Pakistani stateIn January 2018, Naqeebullah Mehsud, a young Pashtun from Waziristan was killed at the hands of police in Karachi. The incident triggered mass protests by Pashtuns, the ethnic community to which Mehsud belonged, which then consolidated into the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). Pashtuns had for decades alleged and protested extra judicial killings and enforced disappearances by Pakistan’s security forces. However, in 2018, thousands joined the protests and civil society across Pakistan supported the movement.
The Pashtun community is the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan, making up about 15 percent of the country’s population. They have...2024-11-0444 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books podcast #10: Zara Chowdhary on ‘The Lucky Ones’ and surviving the violence of the 2002 Gujarat pogromWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, associate editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to the writer, producer, and educator Zara Chowdhary, joining us from Madison, to talk about her memoir, The Lucky Ones (Context, September 2024)
On the 27th February 2002, two train carriages were lit on fire in Gujarat, claiming the lives of sixty Hindu right-wing volunteers. The chief minister of the state at the time, Narendra Modi, called the burning an “act of...2024-10-271h 05
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelState of Southasia #09: Anna M M Vetticad on the gender reckoning in Malayalam cinemaOn 19 August, the government of the Indian state of Kerala released 233 pages of a report on gender discrimination in the Malayalam language film industry based in the state. The government released the report six years after it was commissioned and more than four years after it was first submitted. The report has come to be called the Hema Committee report, named for the chairperson, the former judge K Hema. The other two members of the committee were the veteran actor T Sharada and the retired civil services officer K B Vasalakumari. The committee was constituted after a group of actors...2024-09-1657 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSaRB #08: The Afghan women writers who bore witness to the fall of KabulIn the three years since its return to power, the Taliban have excluded women and girls from almost every aspect of public life in Afghanistan, denying them access to education, employment, even speaking or showing their faces outside their homes. Published this August, My Dear Kabul: A Year in the Life of An Afghan Women’s Writing Group (Coronet, August 2024) is the collective diary of 21 fiercely brilliant Afghan women writers, compiled using WhatsApp messages, offering courageous and intimate testimonies of the fall of Kabul in 2021 and its aftermath, of life under Taliban rule and far from home in exile.
In Au...2024-09-091h 29
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books podcast #7: Neha DixitWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to Neha Dixit about her debut non-fiction book The Many Lives of Syeda X: The Story of an Unknown Indian.
Neha is an independent journalist based in New Delhi. She has covered politics, gender and social justice in print, TV and online media for 17 years. She reports for Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, the Caravan, The Wire and others. She has won over a dozen...2024-08-1252 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelState of Southasia #07: Ali Riaz on Bangladesh’s mass protestsIn this episode of ‘State of Southasia’, Nayantara Narayanan speaks to Ali Riaz, distinguished professor at Illinois State University, who studies democratisation, violent extremism, political Islam, and Southasian and Bangladeshi politics. Riaz details how, after the government displayed absolute disregard for people’s lives, it has further lost legitimacy and seen the political ground shift in Bangladesh.
State of Southasia releases a new interview every four weeks.2024-07-2955 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books podcast #06: Vajra ChandrasekeraWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to the Colombo-based author Vajra Chandrasekera about his debut novel 'The Saint of Bright Doors' (July 2023) and his second and most recent novel, 'Rakesfall' (June 2024).
In The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra paints a vivid picture of a city on the brink – tracing Fetter’s path from child assassin, raised to kill his saintly father to misguided adult with the ability to see devils, anti-gods and...2024-07-1557 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelScreen Southasia: Q/A on 'Split Ends' with filmmaker Rajan KathetAt Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.
Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal Southasian and Film Southasia.
Film: Split Ends
Country: Nepal
Released: 2016
Q and A with director: 7 JUNE 2024 (FRIDAY)
Time: 6 pm IST, 6:15 pm NPT, 5:30 pm PKT
Synopsis:
A barbershop becomes a place of refuge for Nepali migrants who travel to Portugal in search of the European...2024-06-1936 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books podcast #05: Siddhartha Deb on India’s macabre new realitiesWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to Siddhartha Deb about his novel 'The Light at the End of the World' and his latest book, 'Twilight Prisoners: The Rise of the Hindu Right and the Fall of India'.
'The Light at the End of the World', Siddhartha Deb’s first novel in fifteen years, reinvents Southasian fiction for our time.
The novel, beginning and ending in a dystopian future of authoritarianism and cl...2024-06-1753 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Fiction Fest 2024: The future of Southasian Fiction in TranslationWelcome to the second edition of the Himal Fiction Fest, where we celebrated Southasian fiction in translation. Southasia’s rich literary tradition spans hundreds of languages, cultures, regions and traditions – and translators play a vital role in bringing these works the exposure and recognition they deserve, and connect.
To kick off the festival, we hosted an online reading of translated stories originally written in Bangla, Farsi, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi and Tamil by their translators. These stories are published on our website. This was followed by a panel discussion on the future of Southasian fiction in translation, which featured the prize-winning tran...2024-06-121h 51
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelState of Southasia #05: Journalism in crisis across SouthasiaIn this episode of State of Southasia, Nayantara Narayanan speaks to Laxmi Murthy, a senior journalist and the editor of the report, about the important role of the media and the struggles of journalists working in crisis conditions in an especially important year for the region, when several countries in Southasia are holding elections. (Disclosure: Laxmi Murthy is a Contributing Editor for Himal Southasian.)
State of Southasia releases a new interview every four weeks.2024-06-0356 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books Podcast #04: Sumana Roy on literature from the Southasian provincesWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to the Siliguri-based poet, writer and essayist Sumana Roy about her latest book 'Provincials: Postcards from the Peripheries'.
In Southasian literature, it seems that there might not be any other way to see the province except in contrast to the city. So much has been said about cosmopolitanism, but what of provincialism?
Growing up in Siliguri, a sub-Himalayan town in Bengal, Sumana Roy’s experiences ha...2024-05-2039 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelState of Southasia #04: Counting the costs of another historic heatwave in SouthasiaExtreme heat has immense economic and social impacts in Southasia, an area that is most vulnerable to heat, that is densely populated, and that has a large numbers of people living in poverty. Research says that extreme heat is here to stay and will likely only get worse. An analysis of the 2022 heatwave across India and Pakistan showed that human-induced climate change makes Southasian heatwaves 30 times more likely.
In this episode of State of Southasia, Nayantara Narayanan speaks to Chandni Singh, a senior researcher at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements who works on climate change adaptation across Southasia. Singh...2024-05-0656 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books Podcast #03: Taha Kehar on Southasian mystery novelsWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to the Karachi-based author Taha Kehar about his latest novel No Funeral for Nazia.
https://www.himalmag.com/podcast/taha-kehar-no-funeral-for-nazia-karachi-pakistan-literature-southasian-mystery-novels
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Rituals of mourning are a huge part of cultures across Southasia, but as a society we don’t often speak about grief and death. The decision about what happens to us after death is one of the most personal choices we make, and it might be...2024-04-2233 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelState of Southasia #03: Aakar Patel on the unprecedented threats to India’s electionOver the last many decades, India has taken pride in an election process that, while allowing close to a billion people to exercise their franchise, has always been largely free and fair. However, Narendra Modi’s government has taken a series of actions that have called the sanctity of the country's 2024 general elections into question. This includes a dubious scheme of electoral bonds that has allowed parties – Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party more than others – to raise funds from anonymous donors, as well as a reconstitution of the Election Commission that will likely favour the ruling party. The BJP has also dea...2024-04-0851 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasian Conversation: The costs of Reliance's wildlife ambitionsThis Southasian Conversation looks at the costs of Reliance's wildlife ambitions, featuring conservationist M D Madhusudan, environmental lawyer Shibani Ghosh and journalist M Rajshekhar in conversation with Roman Gautam, Editor of Himal Southasian.
Led by Anant Ambani and supported by the Indian government, the Reliance conglomerate’s effort to shelter abused elephants has transmuted into an enormous wildlife centre – raising concerns over the sourcing of some animals as well as over India’s wildlife management. Here we dive deeper into the past and disturbing present of wildlife conservation in India and beyond.
Read M Rajshekhar's story 'The costs of Reliance’s wildli...2024-04-051h 33
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books Podcast #02: Smriti Ravindra on ‘The Woman Who Climbed Trees’Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia.
In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, speaks to the author Smriti Ravindra about her debut novel 'The Woman Who Climbed Trees' and the representation of the Madhesi community in the literary imagination of Nepal.
The Nepali-Indian writer Smriti Ravindra is a Fulbright scholar and holds an MFA in creative writing from the North Carolina State University. Her fiction and journalism have been published in the United States and in India, and she...2024-03-2534 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia Review of Books Podcast #01: V V Ganeshananthan on Brotherless NightWelcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast from Himal Southasian, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, the novelist V V Ganeshananthan joins host Shwetha Srikanthan, assistant editor at Himal Southasian, to talk about the books that define her latest novel, Brotherless Night, and women’s writing on Sri Lanka’s long history of anti-Tamil violence.
V V Ganeshananthan, also known as Sugi, is the author of the novels Brotherless Night (a New York Times Editors’ Choice) and Love Marriage, which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize and named one of t...2024-02-2638 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSCREEN SOUTHASIA: Q/A session on 'Demons in Paradise' with Jude RatnamAt Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.
Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal Southasian and Film Southasia.
In this Screen Southasia Q&A session, recorded on 5 February 2024, we speak with the filmmaker Jude Ratnam on his film 'Demons in Paradise'
Synopsis
Sri Lanka 1983 – Jude Ratnam is five years old. On a red train, he flees the massacre of...2024-02-1956 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelINTERVIEW: Unpacking India’s caste censusAnil Varghese and Nawal Kishore Kumar discuss Bihar’s caste survey and its implications for affirmative action
In October 2023, the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, released the results of a caste survey of his state – a landmark development given that India has not had a comprehensive count of its caste composition since 1931, and pushed through despite resistance from the central government under the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Bihar’s survey found that over two-thirds of the state’s population of 130 million belonged to oppressed castes, establishing an essential fact in the wider battle for expanded affirmative action for oppressed communities. The resu...2024-02-0440 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelPodcast: Cracks in the INDIA alliance, Pakistan accuses India of targeted assassinations, and moreSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. We are in the process of upgrading and improving our podcast offerings, including experimenting with different formats. We will continue to bring you news and analysis. Please stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.
In this episode, we talk about two key members pulling out of the opposition-led India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) months before elections, fisticuffs in Maldives’ Parliament, Pakistan accusing India of targeted assassinations, Ne...2024-02-0312 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere 20 Jan: India out of Maldives, elections in Bangladesh and Bhutan and moreSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.
In this episode, we talk about escalating tensions between the Maldives and India, national elections in Bangladesh and Bhutan, justice for Bilkis Bano and the inauguration of Ram Mandir, PTI losing its cricket bat symbol, the continuation of Operation 1027 despite a China-brokered ceasefire, Nepal’s former cricket captain receiving an 8 year sentence for rape, Iran launching a missile attack on Balochistan, the new Dhaka-Kathmandu bus service and es...2024-01-2011 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelINTERVIEW: India and Israel’s deepening ties and the implications for SouthasiaIsrael’s brutal bombardment of Gaza has killed over 20,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 50,000 others since the 7 October attack by Hamas.
While India strongly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Israel, India recently voted in favour of several draft resolutions in the United Nations that criticised Israel’s conduct in Gaza and supported aid for Palestinian civilians, after initially abstaining on a resolution that had called for an immediate humanitarian truce and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza strip. This signifies that deeper shifts have taken place in India’s approach to Israel.
For most of independent India’s history...2024-01-1432 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere 6 Jan: India’s hit and run law, the launch of XPoSAT, and moreJanuary 2024 - Updates and analysis from around the region
Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.
In this episode, we talk about truckers protesting India’s proposed hit and run laws, Pakistan’s Election Commission rejecting Imran Khan’s nomination for upcoming elections, India’s Space Research Organisation launching a rocket to study black holes, Nobel laureate Muhammed Yunus being convicted of violating Bangladesh’s labour laws, protests in Balochistan, the resumption of work on a Chine...2024-01-0711 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere 25 Dec: INDIA Opposition MPs suspended, Imran Khan’s virtual rally and moreDecember 2023 - Updates and analysis from around the region
Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.
In this episode, we talk about flooding in Tamil Nadu, the mass suspension of India’s opposition MPs and key bills passed in the Lok Sabha, Imran Khan using AI to participate in a virtual Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rally, a large Bangladesh Nationalist Party rally ahead of Bangladesh’s elections, Maldives ending a hydrographic survey of India, 56 Sri Lankans bein...2023-12-2512 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelINTERVIEW: COP28, the transition from fossil fuels and the Loss and Damage fundThe 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known as COP28, was held from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai. This year the main focus was global progress on the Paris Agreement, a crucial legally binding climate change deal signed by the parties in 2015. For Southasia, the conference was primarily about finding financial assistance for their communities, who face the worst impacts of climate change and have the highest adaptation costs.
At the end of COP28, participants agreed to transition away from fossil fuels for the first time. Another milestone was the establishment of a loss and damage fund to help...2023-12-2323 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Bangladesh’s one-sided parliamentary elections, crackdown on political oppositionBangladesh’s parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held on 7 January. In the run up to the elections, there have been escalating protests led by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party calling for Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to resign and transfer power to a non-partisan caretaker government to ensure a free and fair election. Historically, Bangladesh’s elections have been marred by violence and crackdowns on political opposition. This election has already seen a number of BNP party members and supporters being arrested by the Awami League government, and there are now calls from political opposition to boycott the electi...2023-12-1824 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere 17 Nov: Armed groups challenge Myanmar’s military junta, Sri Lanka’s 2024 budgetSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.
In this episode, we talk about armed groups challenging the military junta across Chin, Shan and Rakhine states, Sri Lanka’s budget for 2024, the collapse of a tunnel in Uttarkashi, Nepal’s TikTok ban, garment factory workers’ strikes in Bangladesh, earthquakes in Nepal, the chequered legacy of Indian tycoon Subrata Roy, the International Cricket Council’s suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket for government interference, and over 170,000 Afghan refugees...2023-11-1938 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere 5 Nov: Digital surveillance of Indian opposition, Nawaz Sharif’s return, and moreSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox.
In this episode, we talk about Apple’s alerts warning of potential state-sponsored cyberattacks targeting Indian opposition leaders and journalists, an explosion in Kerala targeting a Jehovah’s Witness convention, Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan, advances by armed groups battling Myanmar’s military junta in Shan state, arrests and deaths of Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists following a three-day blockade in Bangladesh, the launch of an India-Bangladesh railway...2023-11-0536 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere, 22 Oct: Fresh scrutiny on Adani group, Afghan refugees in Pakistan face deportationSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks.
In this episode, we talk about fresh scrutiny on the Adani group in the wake of recent reporting, Pakistan’s deportation order impacting Afghan refugees, the release of two rights activists in Bangladesh on bail, China replacing the name ‘Tibet’ with the Chinese romanised name ‘Xizang’ on official documents, India’s Supreme Court declining to legalise same-sex marriage, Southasian deaths and repatriation efforts in Israel and Gaza, an air strike on a camp for the internally displaced in Myanmar’s Kachin state, and the reopening...2023-10-2232 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere, 9 August: The Bajaur bombing, India’s ban on rice exports, and moreSouthasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.
In this episode, we talk about the recent suicide bomb attack on a political rally in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and crossborder terrorism between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the impact of India’s rice export ban in Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, and communal violence in...2023-08-0921 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSCREEN SOUTHASIA: Q&A session with the filmmaker Shaheen Dill-RiazAt Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.
Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal Southasian and Film Southasia.
In this Screen Southasia Q&A session, recorded on 3 July 2023, we speak with the filmmaker Shaheen Dill-Riaz, to discuss his documentary 'Sand and Water.'
Synopsis: The middle section of the Jamuna, one of the three main rivers in Bangladesh...2023-07-1353 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelScreen Southasia: Q&A session for ‘The Next Guardian’At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia. Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal Southasian and Film Southasia. For updates on future screenings and Q&A sessions, sign up here: https://bit.ly/ScreenSouthasia
For our latest Screen Southasia Q and A session, recorded on 5 June 2023, we speak with Arun Bhattarai, co-director of the documentary film The Next...2023-06-1946 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere, 16 May: Violence in Manipur, Imran Khan's arrest, the Karnataka elections and moreIn this episode, we talk about the violence in Manipur in the past few weeks, and the latest developments following Imran Khan's arrest in Islamabad.
For 'Around Southasia in 5 minutes', we talk about the recently held Karnataka Assembly election and Adani Ports' recently completed sale of its port in Myanmar - at far below the value of the conglomerate’s initial investment. We also talk about the impact of cyclone Mocha in Myanmar and Bangladesh, a string of high-profile arrests in Nepal in connection with what is being called the 'refugee scam', new statistics on rising poverty in Sri Lanka, an...2023-05-1719 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelScreen Southasia: Q&A session for 'Is it too much to ask?'At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia. Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal Southasian and Film Southasia. For updates on future screenings and Q&A sessions, sign up here: http://bit.ly/ScreenSouthasia
In our latest Screen Southasia Q&A session, recorded on 8 May 2023, we speak with the filmmaker Leena Manimekalai and Smile to discuss their 2017 documentary film...2023-05-111h 07
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere, 2 May: Marriage equality in India, fencing the Durand line, and moreIn this episode, we talk about ongoing court cases on marriage equality in India, decriminalisation of same-sex relationships in Sri Lanka, and recognition of foreign same-sex spouses in Nepal. We also talk about the fencing of the Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
For “Around Southasia in 5 minutes”, we'll be talking about April marking 10 years since the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, and 8 years since the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, as well as developments related to the acquittal of 69 Hindus who were accused of murder during the 2002 Gujarat riots in India. We'll also be talking about Bhutan's cryptocurrency holdings, voter data...2023-05-0319 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelAdani In SouthasiaThe Adani Group has been making big news for the wrong reasons. Hindenburg Research’s report accusing the group of “the largest con in corporate history” sent Adani stocks plummeting, wiping well over USD 100 billion off the group’s valuation even as the conglomerate denied doing any wrong. Suddenly Adani is facing extra scrutiny from investors, governments and the media – but activists who had long alleged malpractice in Adani projects in India and across the region, as well as journalists who earlier exposed the group’s questionable practices, are left to wonder what took so long.
The world’s focus has mostly bee...2023-04-182h 02
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelScreen Southasia: Q&A session with the filmmaker Kesang TsetenAt Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia.
Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal Southasian and Film Southasia.
For updates on future screenings and Q&A sessions, sign up here: https://bit.ly/3UwHAaR
In our first Screen Southasia Q&A session, recorded on 3 April 2023, we speak with the filmmaker Kesang Tseten, to discuss his 2006 documentary ‘Hami Kunako Ma...2023-04-1249 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe Rohingya crisis at sea, and beyondAccording to the UN, 2022 was one of the deadliest years for Rohingya refugees at sea since 2014. Over 3500 Rohingya attempted to leave Myanmar or Bangladesh by sea in 2022, and at least 348 lost their lives or went missing while doing so. But these tragedies have already faded from headlines, even though the Rohingya crisis continues.
In this edition of Southasian Conversations, recorded on 27 February 2023, we bring attention to the Rohingya community and their ongoing struggles for survival, dignity and justice. We look at the present crisis but also beyond, to go farther than entrenched narratives focussed solely on Rohingya dispossession.
Moderator:
• Ben Dun...2023-03-021h 28
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasiasphere, 20 Feb: Delayed elections in Sri Lanka, tax raids on BBC in India and moreIn this episode, we talk about delayed local government elections in Sri Lanka. We discuss the tax raid on BBC offices in Mumbai and Delhi. We also discuss the shutdown of embassies in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In “Around Southasia in Five Minutes”, we discuss the release of PTM leader Ali Wazir after almost two years behind bars in Pakistan, a new political party law and a directive from the junta on civilians carrying firearms in Myanmar, the controversial appointment of Victoria Gowri as an additional judge of the Madras High Court in India, rumours of a growing rift in the Tali...2023-02-2216 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHow can Pakistan end the military’s role in politics?“The military’s exit from politics would not only stabilise civilian democracy but also strengthen the Parliament, as the country’s supreme body that is directly accountable to the people,” writes Salman Rafi Sheikh, assistant professor of politics at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, in his article for Himal Briefs looking at how Pakistan needs to go beyond the 18th amendment to end the military’s role in politics.
In our latest Himal Twitter Spaces session, recorded on 6 February, we speak to Salman about this continued cycle of crises in Pakistan, and how reviving the 2010 reform process can be key to sta...2023-02-151h 11
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelRebound or relapse: Debt restructuring in a time of crisisOver the past year, Sri Lanka has often been cited as a case study in economic precarity, and while headlines have been full of stories of poverty and the ongoing protests, there has been less dedicated coverage over next steps. The UN states that at least 5.7 million people within the country require humanitarian aid. With food inflation reaching 85.6 percent in October, 28 percent of the population face moderate to severe food insecurity.
These events have to be set against a global cost of living crisis; with reports of inflation everywhere from Pakistan to the UK, France, Kenya and Nigeria. As food...2023-01-251h 29
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe hidden costAs the 2022 FIFA World Cup is being broadcast around the world, we discuss the exploitation of Southasian migrant workers who built stadiums for the tournament in Qatar.
In our latest Himal Twitter Spaces session, recorded on 25 November, we speak to Namrata Raju, India Director at Equidem Research and Consulting, which has released a report on migrant workers in Qatar. Bhadra Sharma, a journalist for the New York Times in Nepal, was scheduled to speak but was unable to join the Twitter Space due to technical difficulties.
Transcript: https://www.himalmag.com/the-hidden-cost-migrant-worker-rights-world-cup-2022/2022-12-0647 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe human dimension to Sri Lanka’s economic crisisDiscussions around Sri Lanka’s economic crisis have often focused either on the continuing citizen protests or on economic policy and the details of ongoing IMF staff negotiations. In these discussions, the human cost of living through an economic crisis is often discussed in statistical terms or in one-off narratives that fail to capture the nuanced impacts of increasing poverty, high inflation and widening income inequality. In order to capture some of this, Himal Southasian interviewed economist and author Sonali Deraniyagala.2022-10-1425 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSocial surveillanceA recent Washington Post article detailing a whistle-blower complaint on Twitter’s lack of protection for user data and a number of breachers, alleges that the Indian government forced Twitter to put one of its agents on the payroll, with access to user data at a time of large-scale protests across the country.
In our latest Himal Twitter Spaces session, recorded on 22 September, Apar Gupta speaks to Hija Kamran and Harsha Man Maharjan to understand the interaction between social media platforms and governments in Southasia and how increasing social media use has impacted society.
Moderator:
Apar Gupta - Lawyer, Co-founder and...2022-09-3058 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelUnpacking the floods in PakistanOn 25 August, Pakistan declared a state of emergency due to flooding, which has been described as among the worst in the country’s history. Millions of people have been displaced due to rain and flooding with UN preliminary estimates indicating that 575,000 people were living in relief camps at one point. In light of this crisis, Himal Southasian interviewed public policy analyst Dawar Butt, who is also co-founder of Climate Action Pakistan, a collective of climate environment advocacy groups, in order to discuss the situation on the ground as well as examining some of the root causes for the exacerbation of fl...2022-09-2334 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelAt the doors of the IMFWhat has been the history of the IMF's impact on the politics of Sri Lanka and Pakistan? Why do countries from the global south repeatedly find themselves at the mercy of the IMF? And who ends up taking the short stick of IMF’s demands and what are the ways to protect them from it?
In our latest Himal Twitter space session, recorded on 8 July, we speak to Amita Arudpragasam and Ammar Habib Khan to understand the impact of the IMF programs on developing economies and why they regularly find themselves in need of them.
Speakers:
Amita Arudpragasam - Independent Po...2022-07-211h 12
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelEconomic fallout of Russia’s war on Ukraine, food insecurity in Afghanistan & Bhutan's Oscar entry.In this episode, we look at what Russia’s war on Ukraine means for Southasian economies. In Around Southasia in 5 minutes, we talk about the junta’s crackdown on the People’s Defence Force in Myanmar, food insecurity in Afghanistan, and new regulations on video and streaming services in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Plus in our culture section Bookmarked, we discuss a new Bhutanese film ‘Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom’, a collection of films highlighting digital rights, plus our monthly recommendations for reading and watching.
www.himalmag.com/southasiasphere-economic-fallout-russias-war-on-ukraine-bhutans-oscar-entry-and-more/2022-03-1823 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelRethinking Bangladesh: A Southasian ConversationThe year 2021 saw a welcome profusion of events and anthologies to mark the 50th year of Bangladesh’s Liberation. While much of the focus during these occasions were naturally on the country’s history, we at Himal Southasian felt there was a need for more conversations on Bangladesh’s present, as well as the forces shaping its future. This is what we attempted to do in our special series of articles, titled Rethinking Bangladesh, which brings together over a dozen writers and artists, many of them based in Bangladesh, and all of them with expertise and informed insights on the countr...2022-01-071h 51
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelSouthasia's COP26, Bhutan's political prisoners, the politics of listening and moreSouthasiasphere is our monthly roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here: bit.ly/2QgmtwW
In this episode, we discuss the bold new pledges made by Southasian leaders at the COP26 UN climate summit versus the realities on the ground. In Around Southasia in 5 minutes, we look at Pakistan’s agreement with the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), communal violence in Bangladesh, political prisoners in Bh...2021-11-1537 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelPandora Papers in Southasian media, humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and ‘Manike Mage Hithe’Southasiasphere is our monthly roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here: bit.ly/2QgmtwW
In this episode, we look at how the Pandora Papers were reported by the region's media, and discuss the unfolding healthcare crisis in Afghanistan. In Around Southasia in 5 minutes, we look at Myanmar's shrinking civil society, Pakistan’s growing start-up scene, an evidence bill in the Maldives, and the ki...2021-10-1330 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelWho needs borders?Southasian Conversation #3 | Hosted by Himal Southasian
In this third edition of Southasian Conversations, a series of online crossborder conversations, we hope to discuss how borders impact everyday lives in the margins, how they inflect conversations in the capitals and in national public spheres, and how people/ideas/economies manage to transcend physical borders despite their strict policing. We hope to ask: how have recent border skirmishes, cartographic tensions, and currents of orthodoxies of nationalism impacted the region and its people? And how might we reimagine territorial boundaries given, among other things, the unsettling changes posed by the climate crisis?
The...2021-09-142h 00
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelAfghan journalists under attack, surveillance after Pegasus, Olympics 2020, and moreSouthasiasphere is our monthly roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here: bit.ly/2QgmtwW
In this episode, we talk about the impact of escalating violence on journalists in Afghanistan, and digital surveillance in Southasia beyond India, which was the only country from the region to feature in recent investigative reports on the Pegasus spyware. In 'Around Southasia in 5 minutes', we look at the...2021-08-1334 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelJournalists under attack, marine disaster in Sri Lanka, chasing monkeys, and moreSouthasiasphere is our monthly roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here: bit.ly/2QgmtwW
In this episode, we talk about the recent cases of attack on and intimidation of journalists in Southasia, particularly in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar. In ‘Around Southasia in 5 minutes', we’ll be looking at stories of environmental crises in Sri Lanka and Nepal, a currency-swap deal between Sri Lanka and...2021-06-0924 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelGetting the jab doneSouthasian Conversation #2 | Himal Southasian
Like the pandemic itself, the problems faced by the inoculation drives over the past few months has revealed to us the confines of public health and the need to confront existing political, social and economic structures of our societies. In this second edition of Southasian Conversation, a series of online crossborder conversation, we hope to sift through the information (and jargon) to bring you interdisciplinary perspectives on COVID-19 vaccinations in Southasia. In this wide-ranging public conversation, recorded on 29 April, the panel explored the debates on vaccine production and distribution, the crisis of global and regional collaboration...2021-05-072h 03
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe deep roots of Myanmar’s crisisIn this episode of Himal interviews, we speak to Geoffrey Aung, an anthropologist of Myanmar whose area of research focuses on the politics of infrastructure and the economic history of postcolonial Myanmar. He is currently a PhD candidate at Columbia University. In the context of the military coup and ongoing violence against civilians, Aung talks to us about the changing composition and strategies of the resistance movement, the limits of international intervention, and why a nuanced history of postcolonial Myanmar might help us better understand the current crisis.
https://www.himalmag.com/deep-roots-of-myanmars-crisis-geoffrey-aung-podcast-2021/2021-04-1630 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelWhat the military coup means for Myanmar's ethnic conflictsIn this episode of Himal interviews, we speak to David Brenner, a Himal contributor, the author of Rebel Politics: A Political Sociology of Armed Struggle in Myanmar's Borderlands, and a lecturer at the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex. Brenner talks to us about how the military coup will impact the country’s unresolved ethnic conflicts, how international aid has sometimes empowered the military establishment, and why there’s a need to support a diverse, multi-ethnic coalition of opposition groups in Myanmar.2021-02-0529 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelMore than a seat at the tableSouthasian Conversation #1 | Himal Southasian
The swearing in of Kamala Harris as the first female vice president of the United States has renewed conversations on women in political leadership around the world. In Southasia, where several women have assumed the prime ministerial and presidential offices in the past, these discussions are complicated by the dynastic background of the leaders, from Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Indira Gandhi, to Benazir Bhutto and Sheikh Hasina.
But does dynasty alone explain the presence of a few prominent women in national electoral politics in Southasia? How do we view the space for women leaders in provincial or...2021-01-271h 58
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelImperfect marketsIn recent months there has been increased discussion around regulating content online. Pakistan recently enforced its rules on removal and blocking of unlawful online content, giving the state regulator broad powers to restrict online content. Recently, India brought online news portals and entertainment content providers, such as Netflix, under its purview, while Sri Lanka has announced plans to formulate laws modelled on Singapore’s rules governing online digital content.
In this episode of Himal podcasts, our senior assistant editor Raisa Wickrematunge interviews Dr. V Sridhar, Professor at the Centre for IT and Public Policy at the International Institute of Information Te...2021-01-0831 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelElections in Myanmar, opposition rallies in Pakistan, collaboration for COVID-19 vaccines and moreSouthasiasphere, our analysis of regional affairs will be a monthly podcast featuring Himal editors! If you’re a member, you’ll automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you’re not yet a member, you can still get it for free (for the time being..) by signing up here: bit.ly/2QE7wkN
In this audio episode of the roundup, we talk about the Myanmar elections, large opposition rallies in Pakistan, and collaboration for COVID-19 vaccines in Southasia.2020-11-0617 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelConstitutional change in Sri Lanka, Afghan peace talks, Bhutan-Bangladesh trade agreements and moreSouthasiasphere, our analysis of regional affairs will be a monthly podcast featuring Himal editors! If you're a member, you'll automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you're not yet a member, you can still get it for free (for the time being..) by signing up here: bit.ly/2QE7wkN
In this second podcast episode of the roundup, we talk about constitutional change in Sri Lanka, Afghan peace talks, Bhutan-Bangladesh trade agreements and more.2020-10-0518 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelWhat the Maithili Movement tells us about language politics in IndiaOn 9 August, an official at an airport questioned the Indian identity of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi because she did not know Hindi. In response, Kanimozhi tweeted “I would like to know from when being Indian is equal to knowing Hindi” with the hashtag #hindiimposition. The incident triggered viral responses on social media. Actors and politicians wore T-shirts with the slogan ‘I am Indian, I don’t speak Hindi’.
On 2 September, the central government also proposed legislation in parliament under which Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will have five official languages – Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri and English – even though Urdu ha...2020-10-0243 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe disconnect on Digital PakistanOn September 1, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocked access to five dating and live streaming apps, including Tinder and Grindr, citing immoral or indecent content. This is only the latest instance of the regulator cracking down on apps using Pakistan’s Prevention on Electronic Crimes Act, commonly known as the Cyber Crimes Law, passed in 2016. While Pakistan’s current Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to end discriminatory law upon being elected into power, proposed regulations allow for greater state intervention on online content, including on social media platforms like Facebook, Google and Twitter, even as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government is investing in d...2020-09-0819 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelElections in Sri Lanka, freedom of speech debates in India, war on drugs in Bangladesh and moreStarting this month, we are happy to announce that Southasiasphere, our analysis of regional affairs will be a monthly podcast featuring Himal editors! If you're a member, you'll automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you're not yet a member, you can still get it for free (for the time being..) by signing up here: https://bit.ly/2QE7wkN
In this first audio episode of the roundup, we talk about elections in Sri Lanka, freedom of speech debates in India, war on drugs in Bangladesh and more.2020-09-0317 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelA special podcast with the editors of HimalIn this special podcast, the editors of Himal mark the release of ten issues of Southasiasphere, our fortnightly newsletter, and take stock of some of the major events that shaped the region over the last several months. From militarisation of our democracies to growing Islamophobia, and from the emerging economic crisis to the plight of workers – all under the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic – we analyse what transpired in Southasia in the first six months of 2020, and talk about some key dates in the weeks and months ahead.2020-07-3018 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelInterview with CP Chandrasekhar on role of IMF and World Bank during COVID-19As the COVID-19 outbreak impacts economies around the world with debilitating effects, international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank face the prospect of helping keep the engines of the global economy running. Several countries, particularly developing economies, have been seeking assistance from these organisations. But how effective have their responses been, and how will the global south’s relationship with international finance evolve in the coming days?
In this episode of Himal Podcasts, we discuss these issues with C P Chandrasekhar, a professor of economics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He ex...2020-04-3027 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelInterview with Anita Gurumurthy on data and surveillance capitalismInterview with Anita Gurumurthy on data and surveillance capitalism by Himal Southasian2020-02-1815 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interview with Nivedita MenonA shocking explosion of violence broke out in New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday night, 5 January 2020, when armed and masked groups muscled their way into the university campus, entered student’s hostels and attacked students violently with rods and stones.
The JNU Teachers’ Association and the JNU Students’ Union have both blamed the JNU administration, specifically the vice chancellor, seeking his removal. Testimony from students and teachers at the university campus has pointed to an organised attack perpetrated by activists associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its student affiliate the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). While th...2020-01-0730 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe future of democracy in the Maldives: Interview with Mushfiq MohamedThe defeat of Abdulla Yameen to the Maldivian Democratic Party candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the 2018 presidential elections was seen as a watershed moment for the political future of the Maldives. Following the MDP’s resounding victory in the April 2019 parliamentary elections, hopes for democratic reforms and justice for past atrocities rose still higher. But is the new government in Male living up to its democratic pledges?
In this episode of Himal Interviews, our Editor Aunohita Mojumdar is in conversation with Mushfiq Mohamed, a senior legal officer at the Maldives Democracy Network. Mohamed talks about the new government’s efforts at r...2019-08-0215 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelPTM and Pakistan’s civil-rights movementIn late May 2019, Pakistan’s security forces fired at a procession of activists in Khar Qamar area of North Waziristan, which killed several protestors. The procession was part of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (or the Movement for the Protection of Pashtuns). Also known as the PTM, the movement has been seeking accountability for extrajudicial killings and disappearances during the ‘war on terror’ in Pakistan, and also demanded the removal of land mines.
What are the roots of the PTM and why is the Pakistani state suppressing a non-violent movement for human rights? In this week’s Himal Interviews, we talk to Sarah...2019-06-1933 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelAnti-terror law after the Easter attacksAmong the many political fallouts of the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka was the renewal of debates on the need for robust anti-terrorism laws. The government has sped up deliberations on a proposed law, Counter Terrorism Act (CTA), which seeks to replace the older, and notoriously draconian, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). But how necessary is a new anti-terror law? Will it reign in the excesses of the previous legislation? And how likely is the government to implement the law without bias?
In this episode of Himal Interviews, our Deputy Associate Editor Shubhanga Pandey talks to human-rights researcher and lawyer...2019-06-1325 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe crisis in Pakistani journalism: In conversation with Omar WaraichPakistan’s media has of late made news for all the wrong reasons: from state censorship to journalists being laid off in large numbers. Despite a growth in the number of media establishments in the last several years, the state has found new ways to silence independent journalism and manage public perception.
In this episode of Himal Interviews, we talk to Omar Waraich, who reported from Pakistan for TIME magazine and the Independent daily for nearly a decade, and is currently Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia. In this conversation with our editor Aunohita Mojumdar, Waraich talks abou...2019-05-3138 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelJayadeva Uyangoda on Easter Sunday attacks and its aftermathThe Easter Sunday attacks on 21 April 2019 in Sri Lanka, which killed over 250 people, have shocked the country and left people fearful and uncertain. While some details about the conspiracy behind the coordinated bombings of churches and hotels have come out, much remains unclear. Political infighting within the government has added to the lack of credible information, compromising the general public’s ability to arrive at a clear understanding of the situation. Several instances of anti-Muslim violence this week has also led to fears of a communal conflagration.
Himal Southasian’s Editor Aunohita Mojumdar spoke with Jayadeva Uyangoda, a Colombo-based political scie...2019-05-1539 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Shahidul Alam on 2019 Indian electionsAs India heads towards the last phase of its month-long general elections, the results of the polls are being keenly anticipated not just by its citizens but also by many others in Southasia. Close links between the peoples – and politicians – of India and its regional neighbours means that the political landscape of the region’s largest country has considerable impact on its neighbourhood. Given worrying developments, such as the rise of majoritarian politics, not just in India but in several Southasian countries, the electoral outcome could affect the fate of their shared challenges as well.
Himal Southasian’s editor Aunohita Mojumdar...2019-05-0920 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelKanak Mani Dixit on 'Have we failed our democracies?'Kanak Mani Dixit is a Kathmandu-based writer and the founding editor of Himal Southasian. He spoke on the enduring democratic spirit of the Southasian masses despite authoritarian setbacks, and asked how complicit civil society has been in the relative failure of democracy in Southasia.
To listen to the full discussion, please visit http://himalmag.com.2019-01-1811 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelKhushi Kabir on 'Have we failed our democracies?'Khushi Kabir on 'Have we failed our democracies?' by Himal Southasian2019-01-1816 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelJayadeva Uyangoda on 'Have we failed our democracies?'Jayadeva Uyangoda on 'Have we failed our democracies?' by Himal Southasian2019-01-1819 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Crisis of Bangladeshi democracy with Khushi KabirThe December 2018 general election in Bangladesh was marred by violence and allegations of vote rigging by the ruling Awami League, which won over 80 percent of the seats in the Parliament. With virtually no opposition in the house, and given the recent crackdown on the streets and the new draconian Digital Security
Act, the future of democratic governance in the country looks tenuous.
In this episode of Himal Interviews, we met up with Khushi Kabir, a social activist and feminist who has been working on grassroots democracy in Bangladesh for over four decades. She spoke to our Editor Aunohita Mojumdar on...2019-01-1731 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: The Abdus Salam story with Zakir ThaverThe legacy of theoretical physicist Abdus Salam (1926-1996) is controversial in his home country Pakistan. Remembered by some as the Nobel-prize winning scientist and a pioneer of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, Salam was also rejected for being a member of the community of Ahmedi Muslims, who have been persecuted for their faith. Officially declared non-Muslims by the Pakistani state, Ahmedis have faced violent attacks and risk imprisonment if they claim to be Muslims.
In our latest episode of Himal Interviews, we spoke to filmmaker Zakir Thaver who joined us from Karachi. Along with his friend Omar Vandal, Thaver co-produced a re...2019-01-0713 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: From Medina to Ayodhya with Pervez HoodbhoyPervez Hoodbhoy needs little introduction to those who follow Southasia. Born and raised in Karachi, Hoodbhoy studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is an award-winning nuclear physicist based in Lahore. Hoodbhoy is well known for his incisive writings and activism on issues of freedom of speech and secularism.
In this podcast, he spoke to our Editor Aunohita Mojumdar about the rightwing politics of the Imran Khan government, religion and nationalism in India and Pakistan, and the fate of the Southasian identity.
Go to www.himalmag.com for more on politics and culture in Southasia.
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Intro and outro...2019-01-0225 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: The Wayward Daughter with Shradha GhaleShradha Ghale’s debut novel The Wayward Daughter has been critically acclaimed by reviewers in Nepal for treading fresh ground. Avoiding the big-ticket events of the country’s contemporary history, Ghale’s novel tells the story of a young girl coming of age in a changing 1990s Kathmandu, revealing the intersections of class, caste and identity in urban Nepal.
In our latest episode of Himal Interviews podcast, our Editor Aunohita Mojumdar caught up with Ghale on a sunny terrace in Kathmandu Valley. Ghale spoke about her novel, why her journalism doesn’t overlap with her fiction writing, and the risks of not t...2018-12-2715 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Human rights in Bangladesh with Saad Hammadi (Amnesty International)Bangladesh is scheduled to have its 11th parliamentary elections on 30 December 2018. In the run up to the polls, we met with the South Asia campaigner for Amnesty International, Saad Hammadi, to talk about the state of human rights in Bangladesh. In this episode of ‘Himal Interviews’, Hammadi speaks to our Editor Aunohita Mojumdar about the Awami League government’s crackdown on peaceful protestors, its lethal ‘war on drugs’, and a new legislation which severely curtails free speech on the internet.
Hammadi is a contributor to Himal Southasian and was the Dhaka bureau chief for WION. His writings have appeared in the Guardi...2018-12-1715 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe Southasian Conversation: Episode 2 - Arts on the streetsAs artists from all across Southasia gathered for Amnesty’s first ‘Arts for Rights’ festival here in Colombo, we seized the opportunity to talk to some of them. Editor Aunohita Mojumdar was in conversation with Maldivian photographer Dhahau Naseem, whose first-ever exhibition captured intense moments of confrontation between the Maldivian people and the Maldivian state. Her photographs provide a visual documentary of the years of repressive autocracy in the Maldives, which recently voted against the government of Abdulla Yameen.
Deputy Associate Editor Shubhanga Pandey spoke with Omaid Sharifi of ArtLords, a collective which has used the streets of Kabul to speak...2018-12-1021 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interview: Radhika Coomaraswamy on MyanmarOn 18 September 2018, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar released its full findings detailing evidence of Myanmar army’s crimes against humanity. Building on its report of 27 August, detailing the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar military’s involvement in crimes against humanity, the UN report has called for investigation into the crimes that could amount to genocide, and the removal of the military from political and civilian life, and said that democratic transition in Myanmar is at a standstill.
The report calls for the investigation and prosecution of Myanmar's army chief, adding that “the Tatmadaw is the greatest impediment to Myanma...2018-09-1926 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelThe Southasian Conversation: Women in mediaOnce perceived as neutral, journalists are being increasingly targeted deliberately, often in violent attacks. In 2017, 65 journalists were killed, ten of them women. Women journalists face additional challenges, their very presence in public spaces often provoking hostility, and the new threats from cyber-violence impacting them disproportionately. When three well-established media professionals – with Najiba Ayubi of Killid Media from Kabul; Subina Shrestha, a journalist and filmmaker from Kathmandu; and Nupur Basu, an independent journalist and documentary maker from Bengaluru – came to Colombo last week, we in Himal thought it a good opportunity to engage them in the first of a series of new...2018-08-0129 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Beena Sarwar on Pakistan electionsMillions of Pakistanis have just voted in the country's general elections. Though the electoral process has been marred by allegations of fraud and undue interference by the military, it is also a significant step, marking the second consecutive democratic transition of power. We spoke to senior journalist and long time Himal contributor Beena Sarwar about what the elections mean for the country.
For more, go to : http://himalmag.com/himal-interviews-beena-sarwar-on-pakistan-elections/2018-07-2617 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Rana Ayyub on the dangers of doing journalism in IndiaIn May 2018, the United Nation’s human-rights experts called on the Indian government “to act urgently to protect journalist Rana Ayyub,” who had received death threats after a hate campaign was directed against her on social media. An independent journalist, Ayyub has documented alleged crimes committed by public officials, including in her 2016 Gujarat Files, which investigated the complicity of politicians, bureaucrats and police in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the state’s chief minister. Matters are worse for journalists outside the privileged media circuits of Delhi or Mumbai, especially those who work in the vernacular languages. In Septe...2018-07-0410 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Onaiza Drabu and Prachi Jha on their literary project 'Daak'In this interview, we bring you Onaiza Drabu and Prachi Jha, who talked to us of their literary project, Daak (daak.co.in), and the challenges and joys of exploring poetry from Southasia.
More here: http://himalmag.com/podcast-women-poets-daak-vaak/
Go to www.himalmag.com for more on politics and culture in Southasia.
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Intro and outro music derived from 'Ways of Rahjan' by Ask Again from Free Music Archive.2018-07-0211 min
Himal Southasian Podcast ChannelHimal Interviews: Annie Zaman on being denied entry to IndiaPakistani writer and researcher Annie Zaman was looking forward to participating in a conference at the Ashoka University in Haryana in July 2018, when the plans were scuppered by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. When the University sought clearance for the participants – as all conference organisers are now required to do in India – the Ministry said it would approve all applicants with the exception of those from Pakistan. Researchers and scholars from 56 of the 57 countries were welcome, but not anyone from Pakistan.
The irony is that Zaman was planning to talk about a subject that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has se...2018-06-1317 min
Himal Southasian Podcast Channel'Where is Arsalan Miyan?' A Short Story by Juanita Kakoty'Where is Arsalan Miyan?'
A short story by Juanita Kakoty, read by Himal Southasian's editor Aunohita Mojumdar.
Text of the fiction available here: http://himalmag.com/where-is-arsalan-miyan-short-story-juanita-kakoty/
Go to www.himalmag.com for more on politics and culture in Southasia.
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Intro and outro music derived from 'Islamatronic cantilliation' by The Orientalist from Free Music Archive.2018-04-3013 min