Please do fill out our Brand Recall Survey: ( https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6HP2RVB )Indian audiences saw various versions of Mahabharat till date via books, TV shows and movies penned and produced by geniuses in the country. But which one gives out the actual deets about this tale that is packed with love, respect but also with warfare, jealousy, chicanery and morality, still remains a question.On this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia is in conversation with Indian literary critic, former professor and author G.N.Devy. The author in his latest book, MAHABHARATA: The Epic and the Nation has tried to answer the questions such as who wrote this epic, what is its history, why Vyas tried to write this poem and more. According to him, in our country, everyone loves Mahabharat, but nobody respects it. He adds Vyas' Mahabharat was about woman's heroism and not man's heroism. He also praises Mahabharat in his conversation as it gets great virtues of thoughts. Tune in for an eye opening episode.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah bombaywallah andhttps://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

The Wire Talks

My Mahabharat Is Political feat. G. N. DEVY

Please do fill out our Brand Recall Survey: (Brand Recall Survey | IVM Podcasts)February 18, 1946 Royal Indian Navy mutiny also called 1946 Naval Uprising saw the Indian Naval Ratings, soldiers, police and civilians locking horns with the British Government. Indian Naval Ratings' anger reached the boiling point due to poor services, racism and broken promises. Though this story has disappeared from our history syllabus, all thanks to our guest author Pramod Kapoor to get us thinking on it all over again.On this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia in conversation with the author Pramod Kapoor, speaks about this forgotten chapter from Indian history. Guest Pramod Kapoor's soon to be releasing book, 1946 Royal Indian Navy Mutiny: Last War of Independence takes us back in time, and unfolds this almost erased chapter from our syllabus. 1946 Naval Uprising though was condemned by the Indian National Congress Party and the Muslim League, Communist Party Of India came in support of them.Follow Pramod Kapoor on Twitter and Instagram pramodkapoor and https://www.instagram.com/pramodkapoor/Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah andhttps://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: ‎IVM Podcasts, or any other podcast app.

The 1946 Naval Mutiny Speeded Up Independence feat. Pramod Kapoor

Please do fill out our Brand Recall Survey: (Brand Recall Survey | IVM Podcasts)Violence seems to be all around India and growing. Several sickening incidents have come to light in the most ghastly manner. This episode raises the question if the violence in the country has increased or it is just more prevalent these days as one witnesses it more on their phones and computer in the current times?On this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia talks to Social scientist Thomas Blom Hansen, a Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani professor of anthropology of Stanford University, director of the centre of South Asia on it. Our guest throws light on escalating violence in the country, how it has changed over the period of time, how statistics available with the cops are not reliable and more.Thomas Blom Hansen has extensively written about violence and more in his thought provoking books such as The Saffron Wave, Wages Of Violence: Naming And Identity In PostColonial Bombay, with the recent one being, The Law Of Force: The Violent Heart Of Indian Politics. Tune to this latest episode on IVM Podcast as our guest throws light on escalation of violence in the country.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: ‎IVM Podcasts, or any other podcast app.

Violence in India Has Grown feat. Thomas Blom Hansen

Fake news has become an endemic problem all over the world. With the advent of social media and sharing platforms, fake news travels in seconds and often ends up hitting the target much before the real news even begins to go out. Refuting or exposing every bit of fake news is a futile task because the damage is done. People seem to be more inclined to believe the fake news that conforms with their well-set beliefs.So far, authors have not engaged with the issue in any kind of major way, but a writer-journalist reacts much faster. Author, writer and journalist Amitava Kumar is just such a person.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Amitava Kumar, teacher, journalist and author, Amitava Kumar has come out with a new novel - 'A Time Outside This Time' which grapples with fake news and the harm it can do. Of course, the novel is far more complex than just that - it talks about Hindutva, about identity, and about the narrator's own personal story.Amitava Kumar teaches at Vassar College, a small but exclusive liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, and has written for very prestigious newspapers and magazines, along with writing 11 books!Sidharth and Amitava talk about his book, the spread of fake news in today's India through Whatsapp and other means, the real world consequences we have seen due to this blind belief in fake stories, how people succumb to lies, the art of satire and how satire can be a liberating way to contest and critique the truth, getting put on the 'hit-list' of the New York offshoot of the Bajrang Dal, and lots more. Tune in for an extremely important and fascinating episode.Follow Amitava: https://twitter.com/amitavakumar and https://www.instagram.com/amitavawriterFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

A Novel on Fake News feat. Amitava Kumar

It's a tough time to be a comedian or satirist in India today. They are being harassed online and even jailed, like Munawar Faruqui was. Munawar has been prevented from holding a show anywhere in the country.In such a climate, Akash Banerjee is thriving. His YouTube channel and show 'The Deshbhakt' has more than 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 500k Twitter followers, and 450k on Instagram. Akash is a former radio jockey and TV anchor, and has worked in print, publishing, television, radio, and is now on a digital platform. He makes pointed comments about the hypocrisy of politicians, journalists, and even judges.Akash Banerjee joins Sidharth Bhatia on this year ender episode of The Wire Talks, to sum up 2021 in his inevitable style, talk about the state of satire in India, the need to be aware and cautious, and what he would do if he ever got targeted for his videos and other content criticising and asking questions of the status-quo.Follow Akash and The Deshbhakt: www.youtube.com/c/thedeshbhakt/ and https://twitter.com/TheDeshBhaktFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

"I Have to Avoid Some Names in My Show" feat. Akash Banerjee

The Beatles are back in the news. Not that they ever were out of it, but now with the release of the three-part series 'The Beatles: Get Back' by director Peter Jackson, with so far unseen footage, has put them back in the limelight. What is the secret of their longevity that their music sounds fresh to every new generation of music lovers?On this episode, Sidharth is joined by Oliver Craske, author and freelance editor, has been associated with several prominent projects about The Beatles. He was one of a team of four editors of the huge official The Beatles Anthology in 2000, and he was Project Editor of the new Get Back book which has come out along with the movie. Oliver's book 'Indian Sun: The Life of Music of Ravi Shankar' was published in 2020 to rave reviews. It's been extremely well-received everywhere. Among the many books he has edited was Olivia Harrison's book on her husband George Harrison, which is yet another Beatles connection in Oliver's career. Tune in for an amazing conversation.Follow Oliver on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ocraskeFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

Why Are the Beatles So Popular Even Today? feat. Oliver Craske

More than a year after the farmers' protests started, PM Narednra Modi recently announced that the three laws that had angered the farmers would be repealed. The farmers, on their part, have refused to budge, and will now intensify their agitation. They have faced accusations from BJP spokespersons of being Khalistanis and terroroists, but the farmers haven't budged. Many people have worked behind the scenes to ensure that the farmers' point-of-view is heard, especially in the media. One such person is Harinder Happy, himself the son of Dalit landless farmers in Rajasthan. He is currently Media Coordinator of the protests. He has an MA in Rural Development and Governance from TATA Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, and was about to pursue his PhD in Agrarian Sociology when the protests began.On this episode, Sidharth talks to Harinder about how he got involved with the farmers protest, why he felt the need to do so, the three laws that angered the farmers in the first place, why eventhough the repeal of the laws has been announced, the farmers will continue to protest, the progress that's been made, what is still left, why the farmers distrust the government so much, and tons more.Follow Harinder on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarenderHappyFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

Police Cases Against Farmers Must Be Withdrawn feat. Harinder Happy

Facial recognition technology is a contentious and controversial subject all over the world. It enables law and order forces to identify faces and check them against databases, except that the technology has in-built biases because of which minorities and other marginalised communities suffer. There are other issues with it as well. A new worldwide campaign 'Ban The Scan' has been launched by Amnesty International and the Delhi-based Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), a digital liberties organisation, is leading it in India. The campaign demands that police stop using this tech. The IFF has files an RTI request asking the police in Hyderabad, where it is apparently being used, to reveal its database. Thus far, the police have not complied.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Anushka Jain, lawyer and policy researcher, Associate Counsel: Surveillance & Transparency at Internet Freedom Foundation, who is interested in disruptive technologies such as facial recognition and artificial intelligence. She is the one spearheading the Ban The Scan campaign on behalf of the IFF. She joins Sidharth to talk about the issues and dangers of this kind of tech are, and why facial recognition by machines is so sinister and perhaps shouldn't be allowed to proceed, and how it affects all of us.Follow Anushka on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anushka-jain-a0396b175Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

360 Degrees Surveillance of Citizens is Emerging in India feat. Anushka Jain

Violence against Muslims has escalated in different parts of the country. The recent incident of many houses belonging two Muslims in Tripura being burnt down, is the latest in a long series of attacks that begin in 2014. Add to that, the many new legislative measures to marginalize the community, such as the Citizens Amendment Act and the so-called 'Love Jihad Law' in Uttar Pradesh. The coming elections in UP may have something to do with it, but this anti-minority campaign goes much deeper than that.On this episode, Sidharth is joined by Ghazala Wahab, Executive Editor of FORCE magazine, who just published her new book 'Born a Muslim: Some Truths About Islam in India'. The book explores some of the issues mentioned above, and brings together history, politics, and Ghazal's own personal stories. Some of the stories are quite distressing and discomforting, but they make essential reading because it gives a perspective and insight into what could happen to any Muslim - from middle-class, upper-middle class to the marginalised and the poor. The book is extremely relevant in these fraught times.Follow Ghazala on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ghazalawahabFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah.You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

UP Anti-Muslim Violence Led by State feat. Ghazala Wahab

Cricket in India is a national obsession. Some say, even our national religion. Crowds turn up where ever India is playing in whichever format, from IPL to test matches. The team's fortunes are closely followed and most of all, players can make big money, especially those who perform well. Indians have always been fans of cricket and stadiums are packed on all five days during test matches going back to the 60's. But players got modest salaries well upto the 80's.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Ayaz Memon, sports writer, journalist, columnist, author and lawyer, has followed the trajectory of Indian sports, especially of cricket, for over four decades. He began as a cub reporter and grew to be one of the most authoritative commentators on the game, covering it for a number of papers, and now, like many others, has moved into channels and digital platforms. His new book 'Indian Innings: The Journey of Indian Cricket Since 1947', is a curation of articles written by some of the best known writers, journalists, academics on Indian cricket, going a long time back. He joins Sidharth on this episode to talk about his book and speak about not just cricket of the past, but also the present, and perhaps the future.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah.You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

We See Ugly Jingoism During India-Pak Matches feat. Ayaz Memon

The grand old party of Indian politics is in shambles. With a weak presence in Parliament of only 44 seats, the Congress has lost much of its voice and influence. Its state governments are racked by internal dissent and the leadership cannot seem to makeup its mind.Much of the blame is laid at the door of the Gandhi family - Sonia Gandhi and her two children Rahul and Priyanka - and their grip on the party. But is that the only reason?On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Prof. Neera Chandhoke. She has been studying Indian politics for a long time. She was Professor of Political Science at Delhi University, and is now a Distinguished Fellow at Centre for Equity Studies. She has authors several books on politics and civil society, and contributes regularly to newspapers and online news portals.Sidharth and Prof. Chandhoke talk about the Indian National Congress' loss in seats, popularity and even relevance, the BJP's systematic attacks and trolls on Rahul Gandhi having stuck, the problems with the Congress Party currently, whether the Congress is in crisis, how the top leadership can't stand each other, why they need to hold internal elections as to the leadership of the party itself, the Gandhi family's hold on the party, and lots more. Tune in for an eye opening conversation.Follow Prof. Chandhoke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChandhokeNeeraFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

The Congress Must Hold Internal Elections feat. Neera Chandhoke

The forthcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh are crucial for the current incumbent Yogi Adityanath and his party, the BJP. The communal temperature has risen quite a bit in the last few years, and especially so in the last few months. Recently, new tensions were added after 8 people, including 4 farmers, died after a car, allegedly driven by the Union Minister's son, ploughed into them. Opposition parties, especially the Congress, have condemned the incident and are sure to focus on it during the campaign. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav have been drawing big crowds wherever they have travelled. How will all this play out? Will it have an impact on the results and will polarisation between Hindus and others be the main plank of the Adityanath campaign?On this episode, Sidharth is joined by Professor Gilles Verniers, who is the Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ashoka University and Co-Director of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data. Apart from teaching, Prof. Verniers researches Indian political processes, identity politics and the intersections between gender and politics in India.Sidharth and Prof. Verniers talk about the Professor's observations from his years of researches into politics in UP, especially in the months running upto elections, and tons more. Tune in for an eye opening episode.Follow Prof. Verniers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillesverniersFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

Communalisation is a Feature of Society in UP feat. Gilles Verniers

On this episode, Sidharth is joined by Srinivas Kodali to talk about Aadhar, the problems with it, what the original intention for it was, what its transforming into now, and tons more. They talk about how the idea of Aadhar was to remove fraud in a major way, the current move to link Aadhar with voter ID, the ability to transfer money digitally, why it seems to have grown to such an extent such that we can't seem to manage our lives anymore without it, people who were warning against such an ID even when Aadhar was being launched, and more.Follow Srinivas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/digitalduttaFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

Aadhar is Just the Beginning to Link All Databases feat. Srinivas Kodali

Author and Journalist Pallavi Aiyar has led a life of wanderings all around the globe. As a student, she lived in England, worked in Delhi after that, and with her diplomat husband Julio, she has lived in China, Indonesia, Japan, and now lives in Spain. From her travels have emerged books that are fascinating studies of societies quite alien from her own personal experience in India. She writes about the countries' society, culture, behaviour, and most of all, how she acts and reacts. Her latest book is 'Orienting: An Indian in Japan', where she talks about Japan and its beauty, but doesn't turn away from looking at its wars. On this episode, Pallavi Aiyar joins host Sidharth Bhatia, to talk about how she goes about planning her books, whether there is even a plan in the beginning to write a book, the ways she notices and observes things around her in all these different places, and lots more. Pallavi also talks about how she manages not to lose the enamour of being in a foreign country, how her own experiences and observations lead play a central role in her books. All this and tons more on this episode of The Wire Talks.Follow Pallavi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pallaviaiyarFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

It is Difficult for India and Japan to Work Together feat. Pallavi Aiyar

In recent years, Indian history is being rewritten. Cities are being renamed, historical events are being reinterpreted, and old books are being discarded for portraying what is called 'discarded history.' Naturally, historians are aghast and are challenging this tendency to overwrite past history. But, what does all of this mean? Does it mean that there is a campaign or are these local assertions?On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dilip Menon, a historian of modern India, a Professor of South Asian History at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. He has been observing these things mentioned above happening for some time. Dilip calls himself a historian who engages in writing and conceptualising history beyond the map of India inherited from colonialism. Dilip helps us interpret the war-borne history in India, as she is being taught and learnt for generations.Follow Dilip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilip-menon-2606ab6Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

Lynchings in India Are Worrying feat. Dilip Menon

The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media.

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The Wire Talks

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