Podcasts about bjp

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP party came to power in 2014, India has seen an increase in Hindu nationalism and a rise in hostility towards the Muslim minority population. Politician and writer Shashi Tharoor believes the country is at a crossroads. His recently published book, The Struggle for India's Soul, looks at the political direction of the world's second most populous nation, which he contends is splitting into two opposing factions: ethno-religious nationalists and liberal civic nationalists. If the ethno-religious nationalists prevail, he says, millions of non-Hindus would be stripped of their identity. Tharoor joins historian, author and broadcaster Rana Mitter to discuss the book and what lies ahead for India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BJP leaders no longer have to feel apologetic about hailing from a political family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revised his long-held opinion on the issue of dynasties to accommodate their family interests and parental aspirations. Watch our Political editor D.K. Singh in #PoliticallyCorrect.

Sanjay Dixit tells you the story of Rakesh Tikait's Mahapanchayat in Lucknow. Flop show of the kind rarely seen in Lucknow, which is used to Mega Rallies of Bahan ji and BJP. Yogi ji has given an open challenge to mischief mongers including to Owaisi.

IAF airshow at Purvanchal Expressway and military equipment ‘Samarpan' at Jhansi shows military hierarchy has become unwittingly party to BJP electioneering.

The holidays are right around the corner but the class struggle never stops.  We start this weeks episode checking in with the Amazon Labor Union in New York, where issues with turnover and vicious union busting have forced the union to temporarily withdraw their NLRB election petition.  14,000 Kroger workers in Houston have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, which could start as soon as this week.  We finally got the results of the Teamsters election this week and it's a landslide victory for Teamsters United and the TDU, with big implications for the struggle against UPS and Amazon in the coming years.  OSHA continues to serve its function running cover for corporations this week after they issued an insultingly small fine to Smithfield for inadequate safety measures during the pandemic.  Our big story this week, in one of the most inspiring victories of the year the Indian Farmers' Movement has succeeded in forcing Modi and the BJP to announce the repeal of the three neoliberal farm laws that they've been fighting against for well over a year.  Finally, UPMC workers in Pittsburgh staged a one day strike last week demanding living wages, safe staffing, and health care that doesn't leave them with mountains of medical debt. Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

Sanjay Dixit tells you the story of Rakesh Tikait's Mahapanchayat in Lucknow. Flop show of the kind rarely seen in Lucknow, which is used to Mega Rallies of Bahan ji and BJP. Yogi ji has given an open challenge to mischief mongers including to Owaisi.

Debunking six myths about the MSP for BJP and allies, free-market wallahs and ecological warriors. ----more---- https://theprint.in/opinion/msp-wont-bankrupt-india-its-a-complex-but-necessary-reform-like-disinvestment/771030/

Whenever India's farm sector was in jeopardy, Sikh-Punjabi farmers fought for their rights. The BJP underestimated them. ----more---- https://theprint.in/opinion/guru-nanak-vs-rss-guru-hedgewar-farmer-protests-showed-how-sikhs-have-a-lesson-for-india/770085/

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 November, announced that his government will repeal the three controversial farm laws, against which lakhs of farmers for the past year have been protesting.  The announcement, made on Guru Nanak Jayanti, came as a surprise to many since there was no indication from the saffron party or the Centre on any climb down on the farm laws. At first glance, the rollback of the laws is a major victory for the farmer's movement, and signals that old fashioned non-violent protest do have their way to find chinks in the BJP-led Centre's strongman  image armour.  However, it would be naive to not see the political equations running behind this decision, with two crucial states-Punjab and Uttar Pradesh- heading to Assembly polls earlier next year.  And with the most recent C-Voter opinion poll predicting a 100 seat fall for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, one would say it was imperative for the BJP to make good with the farmers if it wanted to stay in power. But what political impact will this move have for the BJP in the upcoming elections? Will it change the scenario in Uttar Pradesh or give it relevance again in Punjab? Guest: Aditya Menon, The Quint's Political Editor. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

On this episode, Cyrus is joined by his trusty sidekicks - Amit and Silverie (Antariksh) to talk about actors not wanting to sponsor products like alcohol, paan masala, etc, the New York Times video (correction: Silverie said Business Insider by mistake during the recording; link to the video below) that talks about what Democrats do when they're in power, the term NIMBY - Not In My Backyard, Amit figuring out/knowing the means to all the three words of the week - 'Isthmus', 'Creeping Jenny', 'Creeping Jesus', and a lot more. They also discuss the Bombay High Court's statement in the Aryan Khan drugs case, the BJP rolling back three of its farm laws, the farmers seemingly winning this battle over these farm laws, the rise of Anti-Gandhi sentiments in India over the last few years, and tons more.Link to The New York Times video: https://youtu.be/hNDgcjVGHIwSubscribe to our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmY4iMGgEa49b7-NH94p1BQAlso, subscribe to Cyrus' YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCHAb9jLYk0TwkWsCxom4q8AYou can follow Amit on Instagram & Twitter @DoshiAmit: https://twitter.com/doshiamit and https://instagram.com/doshiamitYou can follow Antariksh on Instagram @antariksht: https://instagram.com/antarikshtDo send in AMA questions for Cyrus by tweeting them to @cyrussaysin or e-mailing them at whatcyrussays@gmail.comDon't forget to follow Cyrus Broacha on Instagram @BoredBroacha (https://www.instagram.com/boredbroacha)In case you're late to the party and want to catch up on previous episodes of Cyrus Says you can do so at: www.ivmpodcasts.com/cyrussaysYou can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcasts App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

No matter how dominant BJP is, India is a federation of states and it has CMs in only 12. Agriculture is largely a state issue, and most of India doesn't follow it unquestioningly.

Scott Snyder joins us once again to chat about all the amazing title coming from his Best Jackett Press imprint. Before Jace and Scott discuss the great Comixology Originals, We Have Demons, Clear and Night of the Ghoul, Scott talks about about being motivated a bit by fear and the drive to compete with himself to give his all in his work. There is also plenty of talk about the super talented artist/co-creators he is working with on these books, Greg Capullo, Francis Manapul and Francesco Francavilla. We then get some previews of more upcoming projects from BJP in Scott's own words and Scott talks a bit about his current online class for aspiring comic creators.

First, Indian Express' Sourav Roy Burman talks about the highlights of the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey, and the concerns it raises about the digital divide in India.Next, Indian Express' Debraj Deb talks about the communal clashes in Tripura, and the crackdown by the state police on journalists, lawyers, and social media accounts (10:06).And in the end, Indian Express' Pavneet Singh Chadha talks about local residents and Hindu right wings groups disrupting public namaz in Gurgaon, and how a Sikh community has now offered to help the muslim community (19:05).

National politics heats up as India heads for a polling season. Shekhar Gupta looks at the BJP, congress and other opposition parties. And whether Kejriwal or Mamta Banerjee are now the prime opposition challengers of Modi at centre, but only after a fight amongst themselves. Episode 880 of CutTheClutter

The Karnataka Bitcoin Scam is causing deep rumblings in the state. The Congress and the BJP are trading allegations - but unlike your usual political scam - this is a very sophisticated and layered story. Till now the news that has been coming out is about a daring hacker who's allegedly cracked open a lot of digital systems and caused a massive loss to the Karnataka Govt - but the deeper story has a lot of political connections - will we ever get to know the truth???? Follow PuNsTeR™ on #Twitter - @Pun_Starr

For India's Hindi and English news channels, following Modi wherever he goes is a win-win strategy: they earn PM and BJP's goodwill at a very low cost to themselves. ----more---- https://theprint.in/opinion/telescope/kejriwal-tv-ads-disappear-in-delhi-smog-but-modi-gets-quality-air-time-with-up-expressway/767680/

In this episode, Krishn Kaushik joins host Snigdha Sharma to discuss India's purchase of S-400 missile systems from Russia amid an impending threat of US imposing sanctions under CAATSA.Next, Ritu Sharma joins the show to discuss the removal of non-veg food stalls in some Gujarat cities including Ahmedabad and the confusion within the state BJP regarding the same.And finally, we go over details of the latest updates in the Kulbhushan Jadhav espionage case.

Costs are spiralling for consumers, thanks to a high rate of inflation in the Indian economy. Anirban Chowdhury gets the final word on why wallets are getting lighter from Sonal Varma, managing director and chief economist at Nomura; Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at CARE Ratings and ET's Chaitali Chakravarty. Credits: Peepli Live (Raghubir Yadav, Bhadwai Village Mandali, T-Series), BJP

Congress has trained guns on BJP over the alleged bitcoin scam in Karnataka. But CM Bommai has described it as a non-issue and prime suspect wants journalists to 'chill'. ----more---- https://theprint.in/india/multi-crore-scam-or-hearsay-driven-panic-what-we-know-about-karnataka-bitcoin-scandal/767059/

The results of all the bypolls held in 29 assembly seats and three Lok Sabha seats are in. The Trinamool Congress swept all four assembly seats in West Bengal with Udayan Guha winning the Dinhata seat, previously held by the BJP, by a margin of 1,63,005 votes.Meanwhile, the Congress party swept the Himachal and Rajasthan bypolls. The party wrested the Mandi Lok Sabha seat from the BJP and won all three assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the party won both the Dhariawad and Vallabhnagar assembly constituencies with margins of 18,725 and 20,606 votes, respectively. It also reclaimed Madhya Pradesh's Raigaon, a traditional BJP seat, after 31 years, besides bagging one seat each in Karnataka and Maharashtra. However, it lost Jobat, a reserved ST seat, and the Prithvipur assembly seat in MP to the BJP, which also retained its Khandwa Lok Sabha seat. The BJP-led alliance claimed victory in all five assembly seats in Assam. The saffron party also wrested Telangana's Huzurabad from the ruling TRS, while securing a win in Karnataka's Sindagi. Rohit Jayaraman, our resident political expert, breaks down the significance of the by poll elections and what they portend for the coming elections.

From claiming he was offered Rs 300 crore bribe to clear files belonging to 'Ambani' & 'RSS-linked man' as J&K Governor to supporting farmers' agitation, Malik's statements have BJP in a bind. ----more---- https://theprint.in/politics/satya-pal-malik-party-hopper-lohia-ite-arun-jaitley-friend-governor-who-cant-keep-quiet/764945/

On this episode, Cyrus is joined Amit and Silverie talk about The Great Resignation, Joe Rogan vs CNN, toilet paper techniques and bathroom etiquettes, petty bucket lists, 102 UAPA cases in one go, and tons more.Thanks SLAY Coffee for sponsoring this episode.Use Code - MYSLAY to get 50% OFF on SLAY CoffeeOrdering lInks:-Zomato: https://bit.ly/SLAYxCyrusInstagram: https://bit.ly/SLAYOnInstaSubscribe to our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmY4iMGgEa49b7-NH94p1BQAlso, subscribe to Cyrus' YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCHAb9jLYk0TwkWsCxom4q8AYou can follow Amit on Instagram & Twitter @DoshiAmit: https://twitter.com/doshiamit and https://instagram.com/doshiamitYou can follow Antariksh on Instagram @antariksht: https://instagram.com/antarikshtDo send in AMA questions for Cyrus by tweeting them to @cyrussaysin or e-mailing them at whatcyrussays@gmail.comDon't forget to follow Cyrus Broacha on Instagram @BoredBroacha (https://www.instagram.com/boredbroacha)In case you're late to the party and want to catch up on previous episodes of Cyrus Says you can do so at: www.ivmpodcasts.com/cyrussaysYou can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcasts App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The deliberations in the six-and-a-half-hour long BJP's national executive meeting Sunday could be summed up in three words: “All is well." But this message ignores an increasing sense of vulnerability in the party's mid-rung leadership and rank and file. Watch our Political editor D.K. Singh in #PoliticallyCorrect.

On this episode, Cyrus is joined by Amit and Silverie (Antariksh), to talk about the word 'elenchus', Diwali sweets, gym resolutions that people start forming around this time of the year, the news that NCP leader Nawab Malik is being sued by NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede's father for alleged defamation, how defamation works in the US and the UK, Michael Vaughan being dropped by BBC after allegations of racism, NBA team Phoenix Sun' owner making racist comments, Elon Musk asking the UN Health Food Programme to detail how they can solve world hunger with 2% of Elon Musk's income, Cyrus knowing Mehul Choksi personally, and tons more.Thanks SLAY Coffee for sponsoring this episode.Use Code - MYSLAY to get 50% OFF on SLAY CoffeeOrdering lInks:-Zomato: https://bit.ly/SLAYxCyrusInstagram: https://bit.ly/SLAYOnInstaSubscribe to our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmY4iMGgEa49b7-NH94p1BQAlso, subscribe to Cyrus' YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCHAb9jLYk0TwkWsCxom4q8AYou can follow Amit on Instagram & Twitter @DoshiAmit: https://twitter.com/doshiamit and https://instagram.com/doshiamitYou can follow Antariksh on Instagram @antariksht: https://instagram.com/antarikshtDo send in AMA questions for Cyrus by tweeting them to @cyrussaysin or e-mailing them at whatcyrussays@gmail.comDon't forget to follow Cyrus Broacha on Instagram @BoredBroacha (https://www.instagram.com/boredbroacha)In case you're late to the party and want to catch up on previous episodes of Cyrus Says you can do so at: www.ivmpodcasts.com/cyrussaysYou can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcasts App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

On the heel of a mixed bag of wins and losses in the recently concluded bypolls, the Bharatiya Janta Party held their first national executive meeting since the start of the pandemic on 7 November. Though the meeting was largely devoted to applauding Prime Minister Narendra  Modi's government on a range of actions, primarily COVID-19 and his intervention at the COP-26 summit, what was also front and centre was the focus on the upcoming assembly elections in early 2022.  And this was pertinent from Modi's reported exhortations at the party meeting, asking the BJP top brass and workers to become the “bridge of faith” for the common man. Party chief JP Nadda in his inaugural speech added to this, stating that the “BJP's best is yet to come”. They also announced a “resolution for victory” in the upcoming polls.  But a significant takeaway from the meeting was the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the only BJP CM to attend the meeting physically. Adding more to his profile was him presenting the parties political resolution mentioned earlier, indicating a rise in importance in the party. The saffron party also slammed the opposition on various counts like reduction in VAT on fuel and even went a step further, accusing them of “opportunism” and acting with a mindset of “extreme hate”. While the party applauded the Centre for its measures regarding farmer welfare and COVID, there was no direct mention of the contentious farm laws, CAA, nor the unclear border disputes with China.  So what does this meeting tell us about the BJP's elections strategies? What is this “resolution for victory'?  To discuss this, joining me today is author and senior journalist Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author and senior journalist and Aditya Menon, The Quint's Political Editor.  Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

Congress and BJP want their applicants to make numerous pledges, while Communist parties have a long, complicated process. SP, NCP, Trinamool much easier to join.

You win some, you lose some and that's what happened in the off-year election, the Democrats losing the Virginia governorship but holding onto New Jersey. And then the spin began and that's where we begin our conversation this week on The Halli Casser-Jayne Podcast when Halli and her partner in politics, former White House correspondent and Newsweek and Time alum, Matthew Cooper sit down to discuss the latest political news. You win some, you lose some. Question: Who is the better spinner, Democrats or Republicans? Is the glass half-empty or half-full? Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated former Democratic Governor McAuliff, but history shows that the party in power in Washington almost always loses the Virginia off-year elections. It's been 40 years since a Democrat one two consecutive terms in New Jersey. Governor Phil Murphy did. But on the theme of good news and bad news, the Covid-19 vaccination for children has been approved, but despite a growing vaccination rate in the U.S. and abroad, Covid-19 is on the rise in Europe. The House is expected to finally pass the Infrastructure Bill and the Build Back Better Plan. That's good news. The bad news: They didn't pass either prior to the election. There's more news on Donald Trump, on voting rights legislation, climate change, the Steele Dossier, the January 6 Committee… You win some, you lose some. Will the Democrats be able to win over West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin? Will NYSD lose in its efforts to indict former President Trump? Jobs, jobs, jobs! There is a lot more in political news. Have a listen to what Halli and Matt have to say on this week's episode of The Halli Casser-Jayne Podcast with Matthew Cooper. It's politics at its best. We cover it all. Tune into The Halli Casser-Jayne Show Podcast with Matthew Cooper the podcast available at Halli Casser-Jayne dot com, on all your favorite apps, and on your Alexa device, too. For more on the podcast visit >> https://bit.ly/3CQKduK

BJP's betrayal of Hindu causes is now coming back to bite it. The unapologetic Hindu in Assam swept the bye-polls and also took other NEDA allies in NDA to victory in other 5 constituencies in the North-East. JDU won its 2 seats in Bihar, but in rest of the 18 seats in rest of India, BJP won just 4 seats, lost Himachal in a clean sweep by a party like Congress, and finished at no. 3 and 4 in Rajasthan, where it should normally win in 2023. Secular BJP is clearly not being liked by its core voters.

With Punjab just a few months away from assembly polls, former Congressman Captain Amarinder Singh has announced that is launching launching a new party. When the Captain was unceremoniously replaced as Punjab CM by Charanjit Singh Channi in September, people expected that he would make the Congress pay. This week, he made his intentions clear with two statements: that a large number of Punjab Congressmen are set to join his party, and that he will work out a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP. What kind of challenge would Amarinder's party pose to the Congress, and to the other contenders – the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Akali Dal? And has the Captain's exit resolved the internal strife within Punjab Congress? We explore these questions in this episode. Guest: Amandeep Sandhu, author of Panjab: Journeys Through Fault Lines (2019) Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu

It was a bittersweet day for the Bharatiya Janata Party as the results of the bypolls held in 29 Assembly seats and three Lok Sabha seats were out on Tuesday, 2 November.  The saffron party and its allies made a clean sweep in the northeast, winning all nine seats, which went to poll in Assam, Mizoram, and Meghalaya and won the Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa. But it was the surprise blow by the Congress in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, which became a major setback for the BJP. In the BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh, the GOP wrested the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and the Assembly seats of Jubbal. It also retained the Arki and Fatehpur Assembly seats. With the state going to polls next year, the loss is significant since it has now triggered the speculation whether the BJP will replace the incumbent CM Jairam Thakur. And in Rajasthan, the Congress won both seats-Dhariawad and Vallabh Nagar with comfortable margins, while the BJP was unable to make a dent and slid further down in the vote share ladder. To further rub salt in BJP's wounds, the victory parade of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal continued as it snatched away all four seats that went to poll with average margins of 75 percent. This results in the TMC's strength in the 294-member Bengal Assembly rising to 219. Along with these setbacks, the BJP also lost the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha seat to the Shiv Sena, making this the Sena's first Lok Sabha victory outside of Maharashtra. So what caused this major rollback of votes for the BJP? Is this a warning signal for the ruling party before the upcoming polls ? And looking ahead, how will this affect the 2024 polls? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Aditya Menon, The Quint's Political Editor. Tune in! Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

On February 14, 2019, a suicide bomber crashed into an Indian paramilitary convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir, killing forty Indian soldiers. The attack was the deadliest assault on Indian security personnel in Kashmir in three decades and captured the attention of domestic and international headlines. It also led to a nationalist fervor that fueled, in part, the BJP's dramatic reelection just months later in the 2019 general election.How did the attack take place? Who were the masterminds of the operation? And how does this attack fit into a decades-long story of terrorism, militancy, and spycraft that has come to define the contemporary politics of Kashmir? These questions are clinically addressed in a new book by the journalist Rahul Pandita, The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur: How the Pulwama Case was Cracked. This week, Rahul joins Milan on the show to discuss the inside story of the Pulwama attacks, the Indian investigation into the attack's masterminds, and India's retaliatory airstrikes on Pakistani territory. Plus, the two discuss the legacy of the Modi government's abrogation of Article 370 and the nature of the terrorism threat in Kashmir today.Episode notes:“Rahul Pandita on Kashmir: ‘You can leave Kashmir but Kashmir never leaves you,'” Grand Tamasha, August 29, 2021.Adrian Levy, “Inside the Secret World of South Asia's Spies,” Grand Tamasha, October 26, 2021.Rahul Pandita, “Kashmir's New Insurgency,” Open Magazine, October 22, 2021.Rahul Pandita, “The Usual Suspects,” Open Magazine, September 10, 2021.

BJP's media-minders frantically started calling journalists Friday, asking them to ignore or at least underplay Amit Shah's statement. They too knew he was wrong. Watch our Political editor D.K. Singh in #PoliticallyCorrect.  

A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week why the COP26 climate summit will be both disappointing—and crucial; the autumn of a patriarch in Turkey (11:23); and our Banyan columnist on the BJP's battle with Bollywood (18:47) Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week why the COP26 climate summit will be both disappointing—and crucial; the autumn of a patriarch in Turkey (11:23); and our Banyan columnist on the BJP's battle with Bollywood (18:47) Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

India Policy Watch #1: What Outrage Means Insights on burning policy issues in India— RSJLast week while writing about the Fabindia Diwali ad and the accompanying outrage, I wrote that this ‘arms race of purity’ might become a familiar feature in our cultural landscape. This week we got this:“Homegrown FMCG player Dabur has withdrawn its advertisement on Karva Chauth showing a lesbian couple celebrating the festival in the ad campaign of its Fem Creme bleach and has issued unconditionally apology.After facing backlash on social media platforms and also from a politician from the ruling BJP, the company has withdrawn the ad campaign.In the same week, Bajrang Dal activists vandalised the set and assaulted the director and crew members of the web series Aashram because it ‘defamed the Hindu religion’. There are a few larger questions I have about this phenomenon. Before I come to them, let’s look at this Dabur ad issue a bit more. The ad uses the classic “traditional plot with a twist” approach to make it stand out amidst the clutter. A karwa chauth ad with a lesbian couple must have checked all the boxes in the minds of the marketers at Dabur. It was topical and it celebrated diversity. The recent Cadbury’s Dairy Milk campaign that went viral where it switched the gender roles of its classic ads of the 90s is a good example of this approach. The new ad had the girl hitting a last-ball six while her boyfriend danced onto the pitch. So, here’s a thought experiment: what if Cadbury’s had made the same ad with a same-sex couple? Would that have created the same outrage as the Dabur karwa chauth ad? I suspect there would have been some but nothing of the kind we saw with the Dabur ad. There are more than a few ads and TV shows right now featuring same-sex couples. In fact, the statement of the BJP leader who threatened legal action against the ad is useful to quote here:"In future they will show two men taking 'feras' (marrying each other according to Hindu rituals)." I suspect the issue becomes fraught when Hindu rituals are involved. I have argued in previous editions that the way ideologies are understood in India are different from their original conception. A liberal is used for a left-leaning activist kind instead of someone believing in individual rights and consent. People call themselves conservative that is, those who value order, custom and self-directed change in society, while they champion bigoted views and radical changes that will usher in an ‘ideal society’. They do so without any sense of irony. An absence of ideological clarity is a feature of our democracy. Ideological ConfusionNow, if I were an Indian conservative, how would I look at the Dabur ad? Sure, I would wince a bit at the lesbian angle. After all, to me, marriage is a social institution and it is solemnised between a woman and a man. But then I would also reluctantly acknowledge that same-sex relationship is now accepted in many societies. It has a legal sanction in India. Maybe then as a true conservative, I will look at the ad again. Sure it shows lesbians but they are also following a tradition that I hold dear. The ad upholds my belief that individualism has to be grounded by custom and tradition. That social cohesion will be preserved only if we adhere to our cultural mores. So, I would welcome an ad that co-opts a new generation into this tradition. But that’s not how the so-called conservatives behaved. What explains this? The simple answer is that it’s about outrage, not so much about the tradition. It is about using another incident to strengthen the narrative that there are insidious forces who will destroy sanatan dharma if we aren’t forever vigilant. And you can only trust us to protect you from these forces. Today it is a lesbian couple following the karwa chauth ritual that’s seen as a threat to the faith. Tomorrow it could be a straight woman in the ad but without a bindi. The reason for outrage doesn’t really matter. The narrative that religion is under threat is what is important. So, the far-fetched notion that marketing teams and ad agencies working for Fabindia or Dabur are either anti-Hindu or part of some global conspiracy. Not the obvious reality that almost every lever of power is now controlled by those of your ideological slant. That’s not enough. There are still some mythical powerful people who are brainwashing our young. Not the obvious reality that the young in these companies and their customers are slowly changing and accepting of diversity on their own like a conservative would have preferred. There is no real respect for tradition or for how society is changing itself. It is just another opportunity to play an imaginary victim card and keep the narrative of Hinduism in danger for future electoral gains. Thinking About CultureBeyond these specific instances, there are a few questions that come to my mind as I look at the cultural landscape in India. First, we often use the Breitbart doctrine - politics is the downstream of culture - around here. Like we have written before, there is a long history to this idea before Breitbart. Anyway, there’s an obvious counter to the Breitbart doctrine that comes up after seeing instances like these - isn’t politics influencing culture here? Hasn’t culture now become downstream of politics? The way to think about this is that the Breitbart doctrine is focused on the outcome. The outcome always is about a politics different from what it is today. So, yes, the politician in MP who threatened legal action against the ad was trying to influence culture today. But his goal is to create a kind of politics tomorrow that’s narrower and more bigoted than today. How your culture is changing today is still the best indicator of the kind of politics you will get tomorrow. Going by the spate of fake outrage about ads and TV shows, the future of politics doesn’t look promising.Second, there’s another point that’s made when issues like these come up. No one votes on such issues and these are some fringe elements trying to get into a news cycle. Don’t overread this. I agree, with a caveat. Usually, these are indeed isolated instances of people coercing others to their point of view with limited success except when those doing this hold the levers of power. Then the consequences are both real and long-term. They cannot be likened to an equally stupid outrage by the other side who hold almost no power even if they are vocal. To take the US case, the QAnon and other right-wing crazy ideas can find support on social media but there are hardly people holding power in government, universities or corporates who believe in them. But ‘wokeism’ in universities and workplaces can be a real problem as seen in the dismissals of many alternative voices because those holding power in these places tends to support woke ideas. In India, the shoe is on the other foot. The right-wing ideas have the support of those in power. In edition #120 (A Short History of Breitbart Doctrine), I had written about the Gramscian idea of cultural hegemony which is being followed to the letter in India:Gramsci argued a capitalist state had two overlapping spheres that helped it to thrive. There was the ‘political society’ that ruled through coercion and control of means of production which was visible to all. But there was also the ‘civil society’ that ruled through consent and control of minds. The civil society was the public sphere of ideas and beliefs that were shaped through the church, media or universities. To him, the capitalist state was successful in ‘manufacturing consent’ among people through the ‘cultural hegemony’ it set up through its control of the public sphere. People living in such societies didn’t question their position or their exploitation because they thought this was the ‘natural state’ of existence. The cultural hegemony was so complete and overpowering that there could hardly be any mobilisation of people against the ‘political society’ which ruled through coercion. The minds of the people were brainwashed through propaganda.In short: establishing cultural hegemony is the first step to winning the minds and eventually, the votes of people (we are talking of democracy here). Over time, this hegemony in the public sphere will earn you the long-term consent of the people who will consider it their ‘natural state’. Self-censorship will follow as an outcome of this hegemony. That addresses the second question on why people self-censor themselves.Third, there’s the other question that usually comes up along with the imagined victimhood. Why only choose Hindu rituals? Why not show such ads using rituals of other Abrahamic faiths? Well, if some 82 per cent of the people in India are Hindus, it is natural for an ad or a TV show to focus on this majority for their message; radical or otherwise. Dabur or Fabindia won’t show such ads in another non-Hindu majority country if we were to take the hypothetical case of them being present there. Everyone focuses on the majority. It is for exactly the same reason why more than 80 per cent of films and TV shows have protagonists with Hindu names and faith. Or, a majority of holidays in offices are for Hindu festivals. This is how it works for any overwhelming majority. You get everything in majority. A decade or two back, I remember, there used to be articles and shows debating the relevance of rituals like karwa chauth and their place in modern society. Today, the debate is who can be shown observing the ritual and, maybe, what should they be wearing. That’s enough for you to know who is winning the culture war. p.s: Growing up I had almost no knowledge of karwa chauth. I don’t recollect any film or TV shows that featured it in their plots. Till Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and Kajol ‘universalised’ it in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Culture changes, gradually and then suddenly, to misquote Hemingway. SRK would’ve learnt it . A Framework a Week: Rules For Political Survival Tools for thinking public policy— RSJI’m reading The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics (2011) by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith. The Netflix series How To Become A Tyrant is based on this. It is an interesting book with the central premise that politicians, dictators and democrats alike, are all the same. They must follow the same playbook of self-interested behaviour to stay in power. I will write about the book in a more relevant context some other time, perhaps. For now, I will leave you with this excellent set of rules that authors suggest leaders can use to succeed in any system:Rule 1: Keep your winning coalition as small as possible. A small coalition allows a leader to rely on very few people to stay in power. Fewer essentials equals more control and contributes to more discretion over expenditures. Bravo for Kim Jong Il of North Korea. He is a contemporary master at ensuring dependence on a small coalition.Rule 2: Keep your nominal selectorate as large as possible. Maintain a large selectorate of interchangeables and you can easily replace any troublemakers in your coalition, influentials and essentials alike. After all, a large selectorate permits a big supply of substitute supporters to put the essentials on notice that they should be loyal and well behaved or else face being replaced.Bravo to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin for introducing universal adult suffrage in Russia’s old rigged election system. Lenin mastered the art of creating a vast supply of interchangeables.Rule 3: Control the flow of revenue. It’s always better for a ruler to determine who eats than it is to have a larger pie from which the people can feed themselves. The most effective cash flow for leaders is one that makes lots of people poor and redistributes money to keep select people—their supporters—wealthy.Bravo to Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari, estimated to be worth up to $4 billion even as he governed a country near the world’s bottom in per capita income.Rule 4: Pay your key supporters just enough to keep them loyal. Remember, your backers would rather be you than be dependent on you. Your big advantage over them is that you know where the money is and they don’t. Give your coalition just enough so that they don’t shop around for someone to replace you and not a penny more.Bravo to Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe who, whenever facing a threat of a military coup, manages finally to pay his army, keeping their loyalty against all odds.Rule 5: Don’t take money out of your supporter’s pockets to make the people’s lives better. The flip side of rule 4 is not to be too cheap toward your coalition of supporters. If you’re good to the people at the expense of your coalition, it won’t be long until your “friends” will be gunning for you. Effective policy for the masses doesn’t necessarily produce loyalty among essentials, and it’s darn expensive to boot. Hungry people are not likely to have the energy to overthrow you, so don’t worry about them. Disappointed coalition members, in contrast, can defect, leaving you in deep trouble.Bravo to Senior General Than Shwe of Myanmar, who made sure following the 2008 Nargis cyclone that food relief was controlled and sold on the black market by his military supporters rather than letting aid go to the people—at least 138,000 and maybe as many as 500,000 of whom died in the disaster.Cynical? Maybe. Illuminating, nevertheless. India Policy Watch #2: Musical Chairs Insights on burning policy issues in India— Pranay KotasthaneIn September, you would have come across many headlines to this effect: "right to sit" becomes a workplace law in Tamil Nadu. Or Tamil Nadu Becomes Second State After Kerala to Establish Right to Sit for Workers. Or Tamil Nadu’s ‘right to sit’ Bill, a long-overdue fundamental right.Of course, the change in law doesn’t mean the ‘right to sit’ is now an enforceable fundamental right. Nevertheless, the news coverage on this issue seems to suggest tha a legal right to sit for all workers in shops and establishments in the state would improve the conditions of workers. As someone skeptical of framing entitlements as rights guaranteed by the state, I was intrigued. How is the government going to enforce such a legal right? What does the right cover? What qualifies as seating? What does adequate seating mean? What’s the market failure here? How will smaller shops provide space for adequate seating?A useful philosophical distinction to consider here is between negative and positive rights. The holder of a negative right is entitled to non-interference. That is, having a negative right to sit implies an employer cannot stop a worker from sitting. A positive right is entitled to the provision of some good or service. That is, having the positive right to sit implies an employer must provide workers with a chair to sit on. The framing of the news reportage seemed to indicate that the government was leaning towards a positive right.So I searched for the exact text of the Kerala and TN amendments to their shops and establishment acts. This is what they say:Tamil Nadu LA Bill 29 of 2021:“22-A. Seating facilities -The premises of every establishment shall have suitable seating arrangements for all employees so that they may take advantage of any opportunity to sit which may occur in the course of their work and thereby avoid ‘on their toes’ situation throughout the working hours."Kerala LA Ordinance 50 of 2018 is almost identical:12B. Seating facilities — In every shop and establishment, suitable arrangements for sitting shall be provided to all workers so as to avoid ‘on the toes’ situation throughout the duty time, so that they may take advantage of any opportunity to sit which may occur in the course of their work.That’s about it. Although there’s no mention of a ‘right to sit’, my friend Ameya Naik educated me that such an obligation on a shop or establishment by definition creates a legal right for workers. So, how effective is this right likely to be? We can anticipate the following unintended consequences:Shops might procure a few chairs and yet prevent workers from sitting. Since the act does not define what ‘any opportunity to sit which may occur in the course of their work’ is, enforcing the right will be quite difficult.Smaller shops and establishments with limited space might find it difficult to comply to this law. Expect chairs to appear miraculously just before the inspector pays a visit.This gives another tool in the hands of the inspectors who are also supposed to check if shops comply with laws on holidays, opening and closing hours of the establishment, cleanliness, ventilation, lighting, prevention against fire etc. — a total of 32 sections under the Shops and Establishments Act. Given the limited capacity, we can expect that the bribe rates to increase.In sum, this ‘right to sit’ is, in reality, a mandate at par with other compliances for shops such as a holiday a week, a maximum work day of eight hours, wage for overtime work etc. In the most optimistic scenario, we can expect its compliance levels to be at par with these other pre-existing mandates. Finally, I am honestly unable to identify the exact market failure that necessitates government intervention on seating facilities in a shop. If I had no choice but to recommend a government intervention, an ethical labour sourcing certification that shops can voluntarily opt for, would be my first solution.India Policy Watch #3: Effecting Policy Change Insights on burning policy issues in India— Pranay KotasthaneThis week I read Himanshu Jha’s Capturing Institutional Change: The Case of the Right to Information Act in India. The ‘Right to X’ in a book title is usually a red flag for me but I am glad I ignored that thought. This book is an excellent read for anyone trying to understand how public policy changes happen in India. On the RTI Act’s promulgation, the first dominant narrative is that a bottom-up social movement with the Mazdoor Kisaan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) ultimately culminated in the RTI Act 2005. Another dominant narrative highlights the key role played by the UPA-1 government. Jha challenges both these narrative and argues, rather convincingly, that:‘institutional change in the case of RTI in India is an incremental and gradual process of ideas emerging from within the state.’ [page 12]That’s a bold claim. Jha argues that key elements in the Indian political ecosystem were on board with the idea of freedom of information many years before the RTI act came into being. It was an idea whose time had come long before 2005. First the opposition parties and later, the mainstream parties played a major role in overturning the established norm of secrecy. The social movement did have a role to play but it too had a co-dependent relationship with elements in the state; the narrative that it was an outright contest between the society and the state in which the former won is incorrect. As a public policy student, this argument interests me because it again challenges a deep-seated belief in India that only crises drive positive changes in our polity. Many reforms, like the RTI Act, the National Pension System reform have actually come about as a result of a gradual process involving aligning cognitive maps, smart negotiating, and display of political will. That is a sign of hope and a call for rejecting cynicism. Crisis is no guarantee for a policy reform. The well-thought-through reforms take time and perhaps for good reason. HomeWorkReading and listening recommendations on public policy matters[Article] Pratap Bhanu Mehta in The Indian Express on Aryan Khan affair: It's not about establishing that everyone is equal before the law. There are larger ideological connections here.[Podcast] Jordan Peterson podcast: Peterson, Steven Pinker, and Jonathan Haidt sit down to discuss truth, how societies function, utopias, the role of religion, & more. [Book] Successful Public Policy: Lessons from Australia and New Zealand is a rare book that identifies elements of good policy design. The chapter on water markets is particularly relevant to India. Get on the email list at publicpolicy.substack.com

Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai tells ThePrint too many anti-BJP forces are coming to Goa to fight BJP, says we have to think about a strategic alliance, so votes do not get divided.----more----Read article here: https://theprint.in/politics/goas-gfp-rules-out-merger-with-trinamool-says-congress-has-till-diwali-to-finalise-alliance/757737/

Gibriel Ibrahim, who until a few days ago was the Sudanese Minister of Finance and has not been detained, says the military takeover of the government is "a reality", but insists they are committed to the transition to civilian rule. Also in the programme: we hear from an Indian journalist who's phone was hacked by spy malware, and from the governing BJP party, who strongly deny there has been any spying, apart from on legitimate targets such as terrorists. And Claudette Colvin, who months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus to a white passenger, tells Newshour why she wants her criminal record expunged. (Photo: Sudanese protesters hold placards reading, "Down with the Military government", as they chant slogans next to burning tires during a demonstration in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, 26 October 2021. Credit: EPA/Mohammed Abu Obaid)

 Solidarity for Mohammed Shami or Fabindia won't hide the fact that, along with BJP, the opposition also has helped create the toxic atmosphere we see in India today. Watch News Editor Ruhi Tewari in #PoliTricks. Read here: https://theprint.in/opinion/politricks/fabindia-and-shami-show-how-india-is-trapped-between-hindutva-and-soft-hindutva/757103/

Aadit Kapadia and Pramod Kumar Buravalli talk about Indian politics and how Congress has imploded and why it has not been able to take on the BJP. Next they discuss about the Hindus in Bangladesh and what they are facing, Lastly a discussion of the latest movie on Sardar Udham Singh and what the story means to indians and how the british are ignoring this part of their history.

First, Indian Express' Anisha Dutta talks about the Prime Minister's 60-point action plan, and how it aims to improve business, and governance in India.Next, Indian Express' Apurva Vishwanath discusses how despite the Supreme Court collegium recommending the appointment of a High Court judge thrice, the government has still not cleared it (10:45).And in the end, Indian Express' Karunjit Singh explains why fuel prices have been skyrocketing (18:12).

The Law and Order template of the country is now becoming clear. The more nuisance one can create, the more indulgent the present BJP govt. is likely to be towards that group. So whether Rakesh Tikait justifies lynchings, and Khalistanis lynch people on live videos, only the other party will be arrested, such as Ashwini Upadhyay in Delhi or Ashish Mishra in Lakhimpur. However, the efforts to appease the separatists and to win the hearts and minds of Jihadis will continue even though 370 has been made ineffective. Thus Shah Faesal almost became the boss of IAS officers 20-25 years his senior. Sanjay Dixit examines the Masterstroke Syndrome.

CWC choice of Rahul Gandhi as party president isn't about the fight against BJP. It was about the Gandhi dynasty's crown jewel, Congress, and they have secured it. Watch ThePrint's Political Editor DK Singh explain in #PoliticallyCorrect

On this episode of “Death in The Garden", we interview Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, a public health doctor with an MD in Community Medicine in India. Sylvia is a champion at advocating for the rights of all people to have access to quality nutrition, a sharp critic of the caste system, and an advocate for food sovereignty. She is a member of the Global Food Justice Alliance, an organization pushing back against the unjust and unethical campaigns against animal food availability being perpetuated by the global elite. In this episode, we talk about the downsides of a vegan/vegetarianism, the politics around food in India, the globalist/elitist agendas that are being exported to India, the impact of ISKCON on children who rely on “midday meals”, anemia and malnutrition, the BJP and the violence being perpetrated on meat-eaters, the impact of the caste system on people's health, and so much more. Please give Dr. Sylvia Karpagam a follow on Twitter, and read her published work for more information about her, and the impact she is having in her country and around the world. If you are enjoying the show, please rate, review, and subscribe. Check out our Instagram and website for more information about the project. Editing: Jake Marquez Intro music: Daniel Osterstock Outro music: “Can't Say No” by The Helio Sequence

Our political parties suck at governance but excel at narratives, as that's what wins them elections. Shivam Shankar Singh joins Amit Varma in episode 247 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe his experiences at the heart of different political machines. Also check out: 1. How to Win an Indian Election -- Shivam Shankar Singh. 2. The Art Of Conjuring Alternate Realities -- Shivam Shankar Singh and Anand Venkatanarayanan. 3. LAMP Fellowships. 4. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha websites. 5. Why I Am Resigning From the BJP -- Shivam Shankar Singh. 6. Is Parliament's questions system broken? — Here's how to fix it! -- Shivam Shankar Singh. 7. Episode of The Seen and the Unseen on China, in reverse chronological order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 8. In Absentia: Where are India's conservative intellectuals? -- Ramachandra Guha. 9. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism -- Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul). 10. Political Ideology in India -- Episode 131 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rahul Verma). 11. Dreamers: How Indians are Changing the World -- Snigdha Poonam. 12. Young India -- Episode 83 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Snigdha Poonam). 13. Maharashtra Politics Unscrambled -- Episode 151 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Sujatha Anandan). 14. The Lost Decade — Puja Mehra. 15. India's Lost Decade -- Episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra). 16. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms -- Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah). 17. Hamsini Hariharan's tweet on 'Indic'. 18. Private Truths, Public Lies -- Timur Kuran. 19. The Facts Do Not Matter -- Amit Varma. 20. Sample SSR conspiracy theory: He's alive! 21. Fighting Fake News -- Episode 133 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Pratik Sinha). 22. Range Rover -- The archives of Amit Varma's poker columns for the Economic Times. 23. A Tale Of Two Bandits: Naxals And The Indian State -- Amit Varma 24. Power and Prosperity -- Mancur Olson. 25. When Crime Pays — Milan Vaishnav. 26. Crime in Indian Politics -- Episode 114 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Milan Vaishnav). 27. Politics -- A limerick by Amit Varma. 28. Government's End -- Jonathan Rauch. 29. The Anti-Defection Law -- Episode 13 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Barun Mitra). 30. The Barkha Dutt Files -- Episode 243 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Barkha Dutt). 31. Urban Governance in India -- Episode 31 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan). 32. The BJP Before Modi -- Episode 202 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati). 33. How the BJP wins: Inside India's Greatest Election Machine -- Prashant Jha. 34. The BJP's Magic Formula -- Episode 45 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Prashant Jha). 35. Politics and the Sociopath -- Amit Varma. 36. A Life in Indian Politics -- Episode 149 of The Seen and the Unseen (w JP Narayan). 37. The Dictator's Handbook -- Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith. 38. The Psychology of Money -- Morgan Housel. 39. The Silent Coup: A History of India's Deep State — Josy Joseph. 40. India's Security State -- Episode 242 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Josy Joseph). 41. Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus on Amazon. This episode is sponsored by CTQ Compounds. Check out The Daily Reader, FutureStack and The Social Capital Compound. Use the code UNSEEN for Rs 2500 off. Please subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It's free! And check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing.

As predicted by Sanjay Dixit yesterday, inaction by the BJP governments at the Centre and in the adjoining States has claimed its next victim in a most gruesome manner. The Masterstroke obsessed ecosystem of the rulers is creating another Bhindranwale, but too close to Delhi for comfort. Sanjay Dixit exhorts Modi-Shah to give up their insouciance and take the nation-breaking challenge head-on.

Last year, before Bengal elections, BJP participated in Durga Puja festivities with fanfare. This time, leaders claim they're lying low because of Trinamool ‘intimidation'.  

- What would Squid Games in India be like?- A great-grandmother keeps an Indian martial art alive- Shah Rukh Khan's son caught in a drug raid on a cruise ship in Mumbai- Protesting farmers ran over by BJP guy... this and much more!Follow us @mildmanneredtimid | @kalysay | @kushparm | @rianjalimusicEmail us @ mmtyabish@gmail.com

French political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot's new book, Modi's India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy, is a comprehensive exploration of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi—its origins, policies, philosophy, and relationship to democracy. Patrick Heller of Brown University calls the book “the most detailed, theoretically sophisticated, and comprehensive analysis of the rise of Modi's BJP as a dominant electoral force.”Christophe joins Milan on the podcast to talk about Modi's rise to national prominence, his relationship with the Sangh Parivar, and the constraints that exist on his power. Plus, the two discuss the state of individual freedoms in India today and why Christophe believes that the BJP dominance under Modi represents a new political system in India, rather than just a new party system.Episode notes:Christophe Jaffrelot and Pratinav Anil, India's First Dictatorship: The Emergency, 1975-77 (Oxford University Press, 2021).Angana P. Chatterji, Thomas Blom Hansen, and Christophe Jaffrelot, eds., Majoritarian State: How Hindu Nationalism is Changing India (Oxford University Press, 2019).“Christophe Jaffrelot on India's First Dictatorship,” Grand Tamasha, April 13, 2021.