Shows
Return to BandungEmpire and the Polycrisis with Tim SahayIn this episode, I’m joined by Tim Sahay, co-director of Johns Hopkins University’s Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab and co-editor of Phenomenal World’s The Polycrisis newsletter, to discuss the many interconnected crises facing our world today, from the climate crisis to the rise of the authoritarian far-right to the collapse of the liberal international order—an intersection that some have termed ‘the polycrisis.’ We dig into the scope and meaning of this concept, its usefulness as a tool to make sense of our shifting global order, and the ways it can help us deepen our understanding of global im...2025-05-071h 09Return to BandungMaking Sense of Dollar Imperialism with Radhika DesaiIn this episode, I’m joined by Radhika Desai, professor in the Department of Political Studies and director of the Geopolitical Economy Research Group at the University of Manitoba, to discuss dollar imperialism and the key role that the U.S. dollar plays in upholding American dominance on the world stage. We dig into the history of the dollar system from the early 20th century onwards, examining the significance and contradictions of the dollar’s status as global reserve currency in the capitalist world system, and explore the concept of ‘de-dollarization’ and what it means for the future of American...2025-04-2358 minReturn to BandungImperialism and Resistance in West Africa with Black Alliance for PeaceIn this episode, I’m joined by Netfa Freeman, Coordinating Committee member of the Black Alliance for Peace and Co-Coordinator of BAP’s Africa team, to discuss the history of imperialism and anticolonial resistance in West Africa, with a specific focus on the developments in the Sahel region over the last few years. Examining the ongoing legacies of French colonialism and neocolonialism in this region, and the current upsurge of mass anticolonial sentiment that has manifested most recently in the rise of military leaders like Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré, we situate these developments within a longer history of West Af...2025-04-0952 minReturn to BandungChina's Role in the Global Order with Tings ChakIn this episode, I’m joined by Tings Chak, Art Director at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Editor of Wenhua Zongheng: A Journal of Contemporary Chinese Thought, to discuss China’s role in the shifting global order. We examine the achievements of China’s socialist revolution, its meteoric rise on the world stage in recent decades, and the complex dynamics of the ‘New Cold War’ that the United States is waging against China. In particular, we focus on the most common myths and misconceptions regarding China’s engagement with African nations and other countries in the Global South, and work to...2025-03-2656 minReturn to BandungImperialism and Resistance in Haiti with Black Alliance for PeaceIn this episode, I’m joined by Erica Caines, Coordinating Committee member of the Black Alliance for Peace and Co-Coordinator of BAP’s Haiti/Americas team, to discuss the history of imperialism and anticolonial resistance in Haiti. We explore Haiti’s historical position as the world’s first Black republic, and the imperialist onslaught that has continued unabated against the country from the moment it first won independence from France in 1804. Delving into the complexities of the current crisis in Haiti, we examine how Haiti has come to function as a key laboratory for imperialist violence and aggression in the Amer...2025-03-1253 minReturn to BandungIndigenous Resistance in North America with Nick EstesIn this episode, I’m joined by Nick Estes—associate professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota, cofounder of The Red Nation, and author of Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance (Verso Books, 2019)—to discuss the long and rich history of Indigenous resistance to colonialism in North America. We explore the different ways that Indigenous peoples have stood up against settler-colonial displacement and erasure, both historically and in the present, and situate this history within a broader international context, tying together Indigenous struggles for la...2025-02-261h 04Return to BandungThe Imperial Boomerang with Julian GoIn this episode, I’m joined by Julian Go, professor of sociology at the University of Chicago and author of Policing Empires: Race, Militarization and the Imperial Boomerang in the US and Great Britain (Oxford University Press, 2023), to discuss the intertwined relationship between imperialist violence abroad and fascism and state repression here at home—a concept known as the “imperial boomerang.” We explore the concept's origins in anticolonial analyses of Nazism’s rise in 20th-century Europe, as well as the ways in which this important idea can help us understand the resurgence of fascism and neo-fascism in our current political...2025-02-1259 minReturn to BandungMaking Sense of Settler Colonialism with Sai EnglertIn this episode, I’m joined by Sai Englert, lecturer in the political economy of the Middle East at Leiden University’s Institute for Area Studies, to talk about the frequently invoked (but less frequently understood) concept of settler colonialism. We explore the nuances of what the term ‘settler colonialism’ really means, as well as how this phenomenon has historically manifested and continues to manifest in different contexts—from North America to Palestine and beyond. We also discuss the framework for understanding settler colonialism that Sai puts forth in his book Settler Colonialism: An Introduction, and how this framework overlaps w...2025-01-291h 07Return to BandungThird Worldism and its Legacies with Vijay PrashadEpisode summary:
In this episode, I’m joined by Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and author of forty books including The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, to talk about the history and contemporary legacies of Third Worldism. We discuss the origins and trajectory of Third Worldism and the ‘Bandung Spirit,’ what became of this radical worldmaking project, and what lessons this rich history holds for anti-imperialist organizing and internationalist solidarity in the present day. We also discuss the challenges and contradictions of internationalism, and what it really means to sta...2025-01-1557 minReturn to BandungBuilding an Anti-Imperialist Cultural Front with Writers Against the War on GazaIn this episode, I’m joined by Tiana Reid, an assistant professor of English at York University in Toronto and a member of Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG), to talk about WAWOG’s work organizing a revolutionary cultural front against Zionism and imperialism. We discuss the crucial role that cultural production and political education have historically played in anti-imperialist struggle, and the urgent need for writers, artists, musicians, and other cultural workers to use their art and their platforms to stand in solidarity with Palestinians against apartheid, occupation, and genocide.
Return to Bandung is hosted by P...2025-01-0858 minReturn to BandungResisting Imperialism in Korea with Nodutdol Episode summary:
In this episode, I’m joined by Jia Hong, an organizer with Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, to discuss the history and contemporary politics of imperialism and anticolonial resistance in Korea. We dive into the long history of foreign imperialism in the peninsula, from the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century to the ongoing U.S. military presence and its role in inflaming North-South tensions, and discuss the impact of the incoming Trump administration on Korea’s future. We also discuss the U.S. Out of Korea campaign that was launched earlier this summer by N...2024-12-1159 minReturn to BandungLabor and Anti-Imperialist Politics with Alex PressIn this episode, I’m joined by Alex Press, a staff writer and labor reporter for Jacobin Magazine, to examine the complex relationship between the U.S. labor movement and anti-imperialist politics—its history, the current situation, and where we go from here. We discuss the historical entanglement of American labor with imperialism during the Cold War, the complexities and contradictions of anti-imperialist labor organizing in the imperial core, and the role that labor unions have played in the ongoing Palestine solidarity movement over the last year.
Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writ...2024-11-2753 min
Inform Your ResistanceHAF Way to Supremacy: Rebranding Hindu Supremacy as Minority Rights, a Conversation with Safa Ahmed and Pranay SomayajulaThis interview with Savera Coalition partners Safa Ahmed and Pranay Somayajula dives into an expose on the immensely influential Hindu American Foundation, or HAF, as a Hindu supremacist institution masquerading as a civil rights organization. We discuss HAF's reputation as a leader in civil rights and its true agenda to perpetuate caste discrimination and support for the authoritarian Indian Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP regime in the United States.We discuss HAF's roots in the Hindu supremacist or Hindutva movement and its recent, more explicit shift towards the broader U.S. multiracial far right. We conclude with...2024-11-211h 01Inform Your ResistanceHAF Way to Supremacy: Rebranding Hindu Supremacy as Minority Rights, a Conversation with Safa Ahmed and Pranay SomayajulaThis interview with Savera Coalition partners Safa Ahmed and Pranay Somayajula dives into an expose on the immensely influential Hindu American Foundation, or HAF, as a Hindu supremacist institution masquerading as a civil rights organization. We discuss HAF's reputation as a leader in civil rights and its true agenda to perpetuate caste discrimination and support for the authoritarian Indian Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP regime in the United States.We discuss HAF's roots in the Hindu supremacist or Hindutva movement and its recent, more explicit shift towards the broader U.S. multiracial far right. We conclude with...2024-11-211h 01
KPFA - APEX ExpressAPEX Express – November 14, 2024 – South Asia Spotlight: US Elections And Its Implications for South Asia and the Diaspora
On tonight’s show, we analyze the US elections that took place last week. In a historic sweep, the Republicans led by former president Donald Trump won the elections, well defeating a historic candidate in Kamala Harris, a female South Asian and Black candidate – three historic firsts that once more eludes the American presidency.
What do these results mean for South Asian diaspora in the US, and the South Asian subcontinent? How do we make sense of this historic win for the right? How do we situate this win in the larger context of political shifts and turm...2024-11-1459 minReturn to BandungThe BRICS' Push for a Multipolar WorldEpisode summary:
In this episode, I discuss the BRICS—what it is, where it came from, and what significance it holds for the future of international politics. Reflecting on the bloc’s history and the most recent BRICS summit that took place last month, I explore the BRICS’ relationship to the emerging multipolar world order, and tackle the question of how we on the anti-imperialist left should think about projects like the BRICS, which pose a threat to Western hegemony without directly or explicitly challenging the capitalist-imperialist world system.
Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay...2024-11-1356 minReturn to BandungVisualizing Palestine with Aline BatarsehIn this episode, I’m joined by Aline Batarseh, Executive Director of Visualizing Palestine, to reflect on the past year of genocide and resistance in Palestine and beyond. We discuss the current state of the global Palestine solidarity movement, the importance of the information front in the fight against Israel's occupation and apartheid regime, and the crucial work that Visualizing Palestine is doing to combat propaganda and shed light on the truth about what’s really happening in Palestine.
Return to Bandung is hosted by Pranay Somayajula, an Indian-American writer, researcher, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. H...2024-10-301h 06Return to BandungBuilding a New International Economic Order with Michael GalantIn this episode, I’m joined by Michael Galant, member of the Progressive International’s Secretariat and senior researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (here on the show in his personal capacity!). Michael and I talk about the decades-long campaign to build a New International Economic Order—a radical proposal, first articulated in 1974, for radically reshaping the entire global economy as we know it in order to level the playing field for the nations of the Global South. We discuss the history and trajectory of the NIEO, the connections between this worldmaking project and the broader Third...2024-10-1659 minReturn to BandungPilotAbout this episode:
Return to Bandung is a podcast that explores questions of imperialism, resistance, and internationalist solidarity throughout history and into the present day, and seeks to make the case for why anti-imperialist politics are as important in our current moment as ever before. In this pilot episode, I introduce Return to Bandung, provide a brief overview of the anti-imperialist history and analysis behind the show, and share more about my vision for the show going forward.
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review or rating, and...2024-10-0923 minReturn to BandungReturn to Bandung TrailerWelcome to the Third World.
My name is Pranay Somayajula. I’m a writer, organizer, and host of Return to Bandung—a podcast that explores questions of imperialism, resistance, and internationalist solidarity throughout history and into the present day.
Through historical analysis, interviews with expert guests, and deep dives into classic works of anticolonial theory, Return to Bandung seeks to make the case for why anti-imperialist politics are as important in our current moment as ever before.
With new episodes dropping every two weeks, be sure to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wher...2024-10-0701 min
Unpacking ZionismHindutva with Pranay SomayajulaIn this episode, Pranay Somayajula helps us unpack the term hindutva as a keyword in Critical Zionism Studies. Hindutva is a strain of ethnic supremacy and Indian nationalism that Pranay will help us unpack in the episode. It is specifically anti-Muslim, and – like Zionism – it has been fueled by British colonialism. In the present, Hindutva is more and more entwined with Zionist politics. In our conversation, Pranay untangles hindutva’s parallels and connections to Nazism and to Zionism.In fact, this episode covers a lot of ground - we discuss the close military, political, and diplomatic relationship betwee...2024-07-1538 min
Anarchist EssaysEssay #74: Pranay Somayajula, ‘Nationhood Beyond Nationalism: Towards an Anarchist Politics of Anti-Colonial Liberation’In this essay, Pranay Somayajula critically examines the anarchist movement’s relationship to anticolonial politics. Drawing on a rich history of anticolonial movements, from the Kurds in Rojava to the Zapatistas in Chiapas, who have sought national liberation and self-determination without being confined by the nation-state, he argues for an anarchist politics of anticolonial solidarity rooted in a radical conception of nationhood without nationalism.
Pranay Somayajula is an Indian-American writer, researcher, and cultural critic currently based in Washington, D.C. His writing has appeared in outlets including Jacobin, The Nation, and The Drift, as well as on his Sub...2024-02-1217 min
This Is Hell!Great Replacement World Tour / Pranay SomayajulaChuck welcomes writer and journalist Pranay Somayajula to the show to talk about his Jacobin article "From Buffalo to India, the Right’s Demographic Paranoia Fuels Deadly Violence." We will also have this week's Rotten History *and* this week's Moment of Truth with Jeff Dorchen *and* this week's winning answer to the Question from Hell!2022-06-081h 45This Is Hell!Great Replacement World Tour / Pranay SomayajulaChuck welcomes writer and journalist Pranay Somayajula to the show to talk about his Jacobin article "From Buffalo to India, the Right’s Demographic Paranoia Fuels Deadly Violence." We will also have this week's Rotten History *and* this week's Moment of Truth with Jeff Dorchen *and* this week's winning answer to the Question from Hell!2022-06-081h 45