Shows
Mitti PaoEP 11: 'Bogeymen or Props' - UP Elections, Muslims, and IslamophobiaComprising over 200 million people, Uttar Pradesh (or UP) holds a decisive influence over Indian politics. In the 2017 state elections, the Hindu-nationalist came to power with a thumping majority, largely due to a campaign based on promises of development and 'keeping the Muslims in check'. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Abdullah Khan, a political activist from Aligarh and a scholar of media studies, about the recently concluded 2022 state elections, and specifically the role of Muslims in local politics. Historically, the community has been seen either as a 'threat' that can be used to pull votes in the name...
2022-03-0647 minMitti PaoEP 10: Cricket and Discrimination (Captain Russell ko Africa Kyun Bheja?)In this episode, we peel apart the layers of the gentleman's game and talk about the role played by caste, race, and religion in cricket. We start with Azeem Rafiq's testimony in England, and then move on to the subcontinent, where we answer the most important question of all - In the film Lagaan, Why was Captain Russell sent to Africa?
2021-11-2257 minMitti PaoEpisode 9: Killing & Buying the Messenger (India Edition): An Interview With Dr. Swati MaheshwariHow does the media suffocate freedom of press, and what role does the government play? In this episode, we discuss these matters with Dr. Swati Maheshwari, a Media Studies researcher based in Singapore. She completed her PhD from the Hong Kong Baptist University investigating the relationship between journalism and the ruling elite in the Indian context. Her research interests centre on freedom of the press and political communication. She has published in journals like Journalism and International Journal of Communication. Before joining academia, she was a journalist with the leading Indian news channel NDTV for ten years.Sw...
2021-10-1555 minMitti PaoEpisode 8: Listening to Afghanistan - An Interview With Sahar SabaIn this episode, we talk to the Afghan activist Sahar Saba about the situation in Afghanistan, its impact on the population (especially women and minorities) and finally, how *not* to talk about Afghanistan. Hence, we eschew all talk of lashkhars this and networks that dominate mainstream coverage of the country.Completely subverting the point of the video, Usman and I yap on till 8:00, please skip to the that point in case you would prefer just listening to SaharAbout the guest: Sahar Saba is an Afghan women rights' activist. She has worked for many...
2021-10-0340 min
Mitti PaoEpisode 7: Qissa-e Aam (Part 2) - Mirza Se Mao Tak!In this episode, we discuss mangoes in the modern era, beginning from Ghalib's donkeys, Mao's gift of mangoes, and how democracy was restored in Pakistan, thanks to a case full of mangoes.Executive Producer: Natallia Khaniejo
2021-07-2332 minMitti PaoEpisode 6: Qissa-e Aam - or How I learned to stop worrying and enjoy the mango - Part 1In this two-episode series, we discuss all things mango, and how it has affected both our past and the present. In the first part we look at the history of the mango in the subcontinent, and how it is the Forrest Gump of fruits - present wherever the action is.Executive Producer: Natallia Khaniejo
2021-07-1328 minMitti PaoEpisode 5: Silencing, Harassing, and Doxxing the Messenger - Part 1: An Interview with Tahir Imran MianIn the first episode of this series, we interview the renowned Pakistani journalist Tahir Imran Mian on various problems faced by journalists in Pakistan, ranging from press freedom to cyber bullying and the mental toll it takes on them (and their families).Tahir Imran Mian is an award winning investigative journalist & was previously the Social Media Editor for BBC Urdu. You can follow him on @TahirImranTimestamps4:50 - Starting point of the interview9:00 - Credibility of media11:30 - Self Censorship12:55 - Threats, accusations faced by journalists13:40 - 20:24 - Cyberbullying/Mental...
2021-06-2435 minMitti PaoEpisode 4: Vikas ki Bakwaas: What South Asia Gets Wrong About the Environment - Part 2In this episode, we interview Siddharth Singh, author of 'The Great Smog of India' (link below), a book on India's ongoing air pollution and environmental crisis. Apart from shedding light on the flaws of our so-called 'vikas', i.e. the developmental model, Sid tells us the real reason why you should care about the environment and air pollution - you will get diabetes, your kid will score lower in math and your sea-front property will be worth a lot less in the coming years.This episode is dedicated to Lil B - hope you are in a...
2021-06-1840 minMitti PaoEpisode 3: Taraqqi kee tareeki: What South Asia Gets Wrong About The Environment - Part 1As the world celebrates World Environment Day, we take a closer look at how Pakistan subverts the environmentalist paradigm with climate change expert Fatima Yamin. We learn why environmental conservation is so poorly misunderstood and badly managed in favor of our aspirations towards development (taraqqi) for betterment (Khushhaali), when in reality, these very aspirations are threatening to regress our lives and incite conflict both within the country, as well as the region.Podcast Hosts: Usman Zafar, Amit JulkaGuest: Fatima YaminExecutive Producer: Natallia Khaniejo جون کو عالمی ماحولیاتی دن منایا جا رہا ہے۔ موسمی تبلیلی کا بحران پوری دنیا کے لیے ایک آزمائش ہے۔ لیکن کیا پاکستان اس بحران کو سنجیدگی سے لے رہا ہے؟ کیا اس موضوع پر ہمارے طرزِ بیان میں اصلاح کی ضرورت ہے؟ کیا ہم نے ترقی اور خوشحالی کے نام پر ماحولی بدلاؤ اور اس کے نقصانات کو نظر انداز کر دیا ہے؟ اس موضوع پر ہم گفتگو کریں گے ماحولیاتی ماہر فاطمہ یمین سے۔Reading Listhttps://nayadaur.tv/amp/2020/12/rethink-the-masculinist-political-economy-of-water-management/https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/world-environment-day-2021-positive-future-b1859929.htmlhttps://nayadaur.tv/amp/2020/11/motorways-mountains-and-tourism-what-lies-has-ahead-for-the-people-in-north/https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/02/11/briefer-climate-change-and-the-india-pakistan-rivalry/https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/comment-why-was-pakistan-left-out-of-bidens-clima
2021-06-0739 minMitti PaoEpisode 2: Despising Shylock, Envying SharonDuring the current Israel-Palestine crisis, support for the Palestinians in Pakistan ranged from legitimate criticism of the Israeli state to crude anti-semitic tropes. On the other side of the border, while many called for reconciliation and peace, a majoritarian political ideology envies Israel, casting it as an ideal for how India should act, especially in the context of Pakistan. This 'Israel envy' and anti-semitism are in reality two sides of the same coin. In this episode, we explore both these pathologies.Timestamps:0:00-25:58 - Antisemitism in Pakistan25:58 onwards - India's Israel EnvyReferences: Chomsky, Noam. ‘Israel, the Holocaust, and Anti Semitism’, https...
2021-06-0153 minMitti PaoEpisode 1: Viruses: Biological and PoliticalIn the first episode of the Mitti Pao podcast, we take a look at the politics around the second wave of coronavirus in India and the rise of the Tehreek-e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement. While these may seem worlds apart, they ultimately share the same core - states unable and unwilling to ride the majoritarian and anti-rational tigers they fed. Sound and artwork credits: Natallia Khaniejo Timestamps (approximate)00:00-04:00 - Introduction and general faffing4:00-33:00 - India's second wave, sympathetic Pakistanis and India Today's Infographic Islamophobia33:00 onwards - Tehreek-e La...
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