Podcasts about Gujarat

We look back at the weekend's fixtures as LSG take down Gujarat, Abhishek blasts the Sunrisers past PBKS, RCB swat aside the Royals and Mumbai win a thriller v Delhi thanks to THREE late run outs! Who do we think are best placed to make the play-offs after the first few weeks? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this podcast, Kushal and Aadit review the IPL 2025. As CSK and MI struggle and languish at the bottom of the table, Delhi and Gujarat take the top position. Follow them: Twitter: @ask0704 #ipl2025 #kohli #rcb #dhoni #mumbaiindians ------------------------------------------------------------ Listen to the podcasts on: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kushal-mehra-99891819 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rVcDV3upgVurMVW1wwoBp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c%C4%81rv%C4%81ka-podcast/id1445348369 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-carvaka-podcast ------------------------------------------------------------ Support The Cārvāka Podcast: Buy Kushal's Book: https://amzn.in/d/58cY4dU Become a Member on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPx... Become a Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carvaka UPI: kushalmehra@icici Interac Canada: kushalmehra81@gmail.com To buy The Carvaka Podcast Exclusive Merch please visit: http://kushalmehra.com/shop ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Kushal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushal_mehra?ref_... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KushalMehraO... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarvakap... Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/kushal... Inquiries: https://kushalmehra.com/ Feedback: kushalmehra81@gmail.com Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5690506426187776

Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd. v. United States

Trump's tariff pause gives market relief, but China trade war intensifies, Asia shares jump after U.S. stocks soared to historic gains when Trump paused most of his tariffs, Tahawwur Rana not in custody of US Bureau of Prisons, says agency, Gujarat goes top of the Indian Premier League with a big win over Rajasthan, Woman can testify Weinstein used force to rape her despite his acquittal, judge rules

Plus de 80% des diamants bruts sont aujourd'hui polis en Inde, pays qui n'est pas épargné par la nouvelle politique douanière américaine. Avec les nouvelles taxes qui s'imposent, toute une filière est plongée dans l'inconnu, de la compagnie minière au bijoutier. Les produits indiens sont désormais taxés à 27% pour entrer sur le sol américain. Cette mesure concerne aussi les diamants qui sont taillés en Inde, car même s'ils ne sont que polis dans le pays, au regard des douanes américaines, la transformation est suffisante pour que leur origine devienne en quelque sorte indienne.D'autres pierres taillées en Inde entrent aux États-Unis simplement pour y être analysées et certifiées avant d'être réexpédiées à leur diamantaire et vendues sur un autre marché. Le laboratoire le plus réputé en la matière est le Gemological Institute of America. Et même ces pierres-là, qui ne sont pas destinées à être vendues sur le sol américain, sont soumises aux taxes. Mais comme la règlementation n'est pas encore très claire, le centre d'expertise a écrit début avril aux diamantaires étrangers pour leur conseiller de ne plus envoyer de pierres à analyser, le temps que la situation se décante.Des milliers d'emplois menacés en IndeLe diamant est le troisième produit d'exportation de l'Inde vers les États-Unis. À court terme, les pertes d'emploi sont inévitables, estime le président de l'Indian Diamond Institute, basé à Surate, la capitale indienne de cette industrie dans laquelle a été inaugurée une bourse au diamant en 2023. L'Inde espère neutraliser ces nouvelles taxes. Les autorités n'ont, pour l'instant, pas pris de mesure de rétorsion. Elles privilégient la négociation d'un accord commercial bilatéral, accord qui pourrait être conclu d'ici à quelques mois.Une filière inquièteÀ chaque étape, de l'extraction à la vente des diamants, c'est l'inconnu qui prévaut. À l'instar de cette mesure prise par un opérateur minier, qui vient d'annoncer, lundi 7 avril, l'annulation d'une vente aux enchères qui arrivait à échéance cette semaine. Annulation jusqu'à nouvel ordre, face aux « incertitudes » du moment, écrit-il dans une lettre à ses clients. Les États-Unis achètent la moitié des diamants vendus dans le monde, et c'est grâce à eux que la consommation avait redécollé avant les fêtes de Noël. Si les Américains s'offrent moins de pierres précieuses, on pourrait voir des compagnies minières du Botswana, ou de Namibie peut-être, lever le pied et moins produire, pour ne pas inonder le marché et risquer de faire chuter les prix. Aucun pays ne pourra, par sa demande en diamants, compenser une éventuelle paralysie du marché américain. Et ce d'autant que les acheteurs qui ont les moyens d'offrir des diamants sont aussi souvent ceux qui ont investi dans les marchés financiers et qui sont aujourd'hui très inquiets de la situation économique mondiale, relève un expert de la filière.À lire aussiInde: Narendra Modi inaugure une «Bourse du diamant» à Surate dans l'État du Gujarat

This is Episode 1 of our sub-series "Environmental Issues along the Belt and Road"The series considers the complexities of Chinese actors' impacts on the environment, extractive activities, and role in driving sustainability solutions from the sands of the Mekong River to lithium mines in Argentina. China produces 80% of the world's solar panels, over 60% of all wind turbines, and more electric vehicles than the US and the EU combined. In this episode, we ask how China became so dominant in clean energy technology manufacturing, how its products are exported to other countries trying to transition their energy systems, and what impacts the clean energy tech sector is having in places where manufacturing occurs. We interview 3 experts in related topics: Anders Hove is Senior Research Fellow at the China Energy Research Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Previously, he was Project Director for the Sino-German Energy Transition project at GIZ, and a non-resident fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Anders co-hosts the Environment China podcast. Related reading here, here and here. Dr. Cecilia Springer is a Principal at Global Efficiency Intelligence and Co-director of the Industrial Electrification Center. She has over 10 years of experience conducting technical research on energy policy and industrial decarbonization, with a regional focus on U.S., China, and Southeast Asia. She is a non-resident at the Global China Initiative (formerly the assistant director) at the BU Global Development Policy Center where she led the Energy and Climate research group and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center. Related reading here, here and here. Dr. Nikita Sud is Professor of the Politics of Development at the University of Oxford and Governing Body Fellow of Wolfson College. She is author of the books "Liberalization, Hindu Nationalism and The State: A Biography of Gujarat" and "The Making of Land and the Making of India." Her work explores the transition to renewable energy, and the institutional, political and financial mechanisms that underlie this in regions that are geostrategically crucial, while being environmentally highly vulnerable. We discuss her research on Rempang Eco City, a planned Chinese investment of Solar PV manufacturing in Indonesia. Thanks for listening! Follow us on BlueSky @beltandroadpod.blsk.social

In the heart of India's rapidly expanding cities, millions continue to struggle with access to housing, education, healthcare, and employment. But what if we shifted the lens—what if urban slums were seen not as pockets of poverty, but as communities brimming with potential?In this powerful episode, we sit down with RajendraJoshi, the Managing Trustee of Saath, a pioneering non-profit based in Ahmedabad. For over 30 years, Saath has been transforming marginalized urban neighborhoods into vibrant, self-sustaining communities by working withpeople, not just for them.Discover how Saath's innovative, participatory modelhas touched the lives of over 1.5 million people across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra—empowering youth, women, and families to rewrite their stories.Discussion Highlights

In this episode of the show, Raj and Stu look back at two midweek games: Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans. We start by discussing the most recent game, which saw Gujarat spoil Raj's return to our IPL coverage with a dominant win in Bengaluru. Mohammed Siraj knocked the top off the RCB batting lineup and despite a recovery through the middle and a messy fielding performance from GT, it turned out that 169 wasn't close to enough. Sai Sudharsan set the platform for GT in the powerplay, before Jos Buttler's 73 guided them home. Next we move to Punjab's impressive win against LSG. There's talk about Shreyas Iyer's excellent run of form, PBKS's Indian core doing the business, LSG's absences, Nicholas Pooran's ball-striking and whether it's time to start worrying about Rishabh Pant's lack of runs. To finish, there's a quick look ahead to the upcoming SRH v KKR clash - a 2024 final rematch that now shapes as an important fixture for different reasons in 2025. We'll be back in your feed on Monday with our weekly IPL Buy/Sell/Hold show. If you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 0:20 GT v RCB - Siraj, Buttler & Sudharsan shine in big GT win 14:30 PBKS v LSG - Shreyas Iyer is on fire 33:50 SRH v KKR - Important game ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Brendan Dabhi about the demolitions happening in Gujarat. He shares why the authorities have been tearing down illegally-constructed homes, offices, shops and other establishments that are on the state police's list of “anti-social elements”.Next, The Indian Express' Himanshu Harsh talks about Jharkhand's State Migrant Control Room. He shares how the SMCR rescued 47 migrant workers from the Central African country of Cameroon. (10:24)Lastly, we speak about the Bengaluru-Kamakhya Superfast Express getting derailed and leading to one death and multiple people getting injured. (17:40)Produced and hosted by Niharika Nanda and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 31st of March and here are the headlines.Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday said there is “no need to search” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successor as he will continue to hold the top post again in 2029. The statement came in response to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claim that the RSS is set to pick Modi's successor. Earlier in the day, Raut said Modi's visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on Sunday was to convey the message to Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat that he is retiring. “There is no need to search for his successor. He (Modi) is our leader and will continue,” Fadnavis said, speaking to reporters in Nagpur.Kashmir's chief priest Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Monday condemned the decision of the Valley authorities to “not allow” Eid prayers at the sacred spaces of Eidgah and Jama Masjid and said it showcases the “oppressive and authoritarian approach that prevails in Kashmir today”. In a video statement on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, he also claimed that he has been placed under house arrest ahead of the prayers. “Eidgah and Jama Masjid belong to the people. Barring them from these sacred spaces even on Eid reflects an oppressive and authoritarian approach that prevails in Kashmir today,” Mirwaiz said in a post on X.Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemning the Centre's decision to permit offshore mining along the coasts of Kerala, Gujarat, and Andaman & Nicobar. Urging the government to cancel the tenders issued for the offshore mining blocks, Gandhi asserted that rigorous scientific studies must be undertaken to assess the environmental as well as socio-economic impact of offshore mining. “But most importantly, all stakeholders, especially our fisherfolk must be consulted before any major decision is taken. Their lives are intertwined with the fate of our oceans. Let us work collectively towards building a sustainable future for all,” the Congress leader has written in the letter.US President Donald Trump has said that he is “very angry” and “pissed off” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after attempting to broker a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and said he would impose sanctions on buyers of Russian oil if he feels that the Kremlin is blocking the deal negotiation.Citing a telephone interview with NBC News, it's reported that Trump was angry with Putin after he raised doubts over the credibility of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership last week. The US president even threatened to impose a 50% tariff on countries buying Russian oil if Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire deal. Trump's frustration grew due to a lack of movement in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire agreement, as he said that he could impose new trade restrictions on Russia within a month. The war began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday rejected direct negotiations with the United States over the nuclear program, offering Tehran's first response to President Donald Trump's explosive letter wherein he threatened to bomb Iran if it doesn't negotiate over the nuclear deal. President Pezeshkian said that the response of Iran via the sultanate of Oman still has the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. During Trump's first term in 2018, he had unilaterally withdrawn America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. “We don't avoid talks; it's the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far. They must prove that they can build trust,” Pezeshkian said. The US State Department, in its response to President Pezeshkian, stated that America cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.That's all for the today. This was the CatchuUp on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

In this episode of the show, Baldy, Jamie and Stu look back at the opening game of IPL 2025, before diving into team by team previews of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. Recorded on Sunday 23 March, we start by discussing game 1 of the tournament, which saw RCB record an impressive victory against the defending champions KKR. New recruit Josh Hazlewood was excellent, as well as Krunal Pandya, as RCB restricted Kolkata from 100-1 to 174-8. Then it was Virat Kohli, Phil Salt and Rajit Patidar who took charge as the away side cruised to a comfortable victory in the end. Was that the perfect formula for RCB? Will they be able to repeat it enough times to make the playoffs in 2025? For the Delhi Capitals, there were questions around how much Harry Brook's decision to withdraw has left them short on options, plus a chat about the potential impact of spin duo Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. Gujarat on the other hand have a big-name Englishman in the squad in the form of Jos Buttler, but do he and Shubman Gill have enough batting support to help out their well-balanced bowling attack? Punjab have completely overhauled their roster, with Ricky Ponting bringing in a host of his fellow countrymen to join Arshdeep, Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh, plus a new captain in Shreyas Iyer. Will the overseas matchwinners bring enough consistency to lead this team to the knockout stages? And will the young Indian talent like Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge and Nehal Wadhera perform well enough to give Punjab a wide range of options for their bowling attack? For Lucknow's not-just-regular giants, their strategy seems to have been to stack the batting with overseas talent and rely on a quality local group of seamers to assist Ravi Bishnoi with the ball. But have injuries to Mayank Yadav and co. already crushed their title dreams? To round out the show, the boys do their best to predict some playoff teams and give their pick for who will be lifting the trophy at the end of May. We'll be back in your feed at least a couple of times a week for the duration of IPL 2025. So if you're enjoying our content then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website. You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world. And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening. 0:00 Intro 1:15 RCB's win against KKR - a template for future success? 13:45 DC: Has Harry Brook's withdraw set them back? 23:15 GT: Do they have enough batting quality? 33:05 PBKS: A talented side, but what will it look like in reality? 44:30 LSG: Have injuries already curtailed their chances? 50:20 Prediction time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Artificial Intelligence Podcast: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. On YouTube this episode is available in English, Hindi, Russian (and soon other languages). Captions and voice-over audio tracks are provided (for the main episode video on YouTube) in English, Hindi, Russian, and the original mixed-language version, with subtitles available in your preferred language. To listen to the original mixed-language version, please select the Hindi (Latin) audio track. The default is English overdub. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep460-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/narendra-modi-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Narendra Modi's X: https://x.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's Instagram: https://instagram.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's YouTube: https://youtube.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's Website: https://narendramodi.in/ SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Brain.fm: Music for focus. Go to https://brain.fm/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) - Introduction (17:24) - Fasting (29:42) - Early life (41:38) - Advice to Young People (47:20) - Journey in the Himalayas (58:50) - Becoming a monk (1:00:37) - RSS and Hindu nationalism (1:08:22) - Explaining India (1:12:32) - Mahatma Gandhi (1:24:27) - Path to peace in Ukraine (1:27:41) - India and Pakistan (1:33:21) - Cricket and Football (1:37:45) - Donald Trump (1:48:56) - China and Xi Jinping (1:56:01) - Gujarat riots in 2002 (2:11:37) - Biggest democracy in the world (2:21:53) - Power (2:26:39) - Hard work (2:29:46) - Srinivasa Ramanujan (2:31:53) - Decision-making process (2:39:40) - AI (2:49:55) - Education (3:00:10) - Learning and focus (3:06:01) - Mantra (3:07:45) - Meditation (3:13:43) - Lex visiting India (3:18:08) - Siddhartha

Send us a textEpisode 187Narendra Modi's rise from humble beginnings in Gujarat to becoming one of the most influential leaders of modern India is a story of determination, vision, and unwavering commitment. Known for his bold decisions, strategic reforms, and strong leadership, Modi has played a pivotal role in shaping India's growth on the global stage. His tenure as Prime Minister has seen significant changes in India's economy, foreign policy, and social structure, often met with both admiration and criticism. In this audiobook, we delve into the key events and decisions that have defined his journey, examining how his leadership has shaped the trajectory of a nation and its people.Support the showInsta@justpassingthroughpodcastContact:justpassingthroughpodcast@gmail.com

Gold was seized from a residential flat belonging to a stock broker's son. Jewellery weighing 19.66 kg, fitted with diamonds and other precious metals, also recovered.----more----https://theprint.in/india/90-kg-gold-smuggled-into-india-recovered-by-gujarat-ats-dri-during-raid-on-ahmedabad-residence/2552165/

In this episode, we have Richa and MV joined by Tarutr Malhotra from Best of Cricket.---Best of Cricket scours the internet for the best cricket stories and brings them to you straight to your Whatsapp. If that's not enough, they also publish original stories themselves and deepdives into the cricket media landscape and how the game is covered since they're looking at everything from a Bird's eye view and up close, daily. You should subscribe if you haven't already.During the WPL, they covered all the games with reporters from all over the world talking about stories beyond the scorecard. You can find their WPL coverage here.--On to the episode -- MI are WPL 2025 Champions!- We start with the final. What went right for MI & what went wrong for DC?- Gujarat's last minute run to the playoff spot- We'll talk about scheduling and what should change next year- moving away from this to the home and away concept? - ⁠Revisit the teams at the bottom of the table what went badly for them - We discuss Retentions for each team We finally end with Awards for the Season - Moment of the SeasonBest Young Gun ⁠Best Redemption Arc Who won the Ashes? Did Australian players do better or English players? 1 Retention and 1 Discard for each team 

Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. On YouTube this episode is available in English, Hindi, Russian (and soon other languages). Captions and voice-over audio tracks are provided (for the main episode video on YouTube) in English, Hindi, Russian, and the original mixed-language version, with subtitles available in your preferred language. To listen to the original mixed-language version, please select the Hindi (Latin) audio track. The default is English overdub. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep460-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/narendra-modi-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Narendra Modi's X: https://x.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's Instagram: https://instagram.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's YouTube: https://youtube.com/narendramodi Narendra Modi's Website: https://narendramodi.in/ SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Brain.fm: Music for focus. Go to https://brain.fm/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) - Introduction (17:24) - Fasting (29:42) - Early life (41:38) - Advice to Young People (47:20) - Journey in the Himalayas (58:50) - Becoming a monk (1:00:37) - RSS and Hindu nationalism (1:08:22) - Explaining India (1:12:32) - Mahatma Gandhi (1:24:27) - Path to peace in Ukraine (1:27:41) - India and Pakistan (1:33:21) - Cricket and Football (1:37:45) - Donald Trump (1:48:56) - China and Xi Jinping (1:56:01) - Gujarat riots in 2002 (2:11:37) - Biggest democracy in the world (2:21:53) - Power (2:26:39) - Hard work (2:29:46) - Srinivasa Ramanujan (2:31:53) - Decision-making process (2:39:40) - AI (2:49:55) - Education (3:00:10) - Learning and focus (3:06:01) - Mantra (3:07:45) - Meditation (3:13:43) - Lex visiting India (3:18:08) - Siddhartha

This episode we will finish up the travels of Xuanzang, who circumnavigated the Indian subcontinent while he was there, spending over a decade and a half travelings, visiting important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, and studying at the feet of learned monks of India, and in particular at Nalanda monastery--a true center of learning from this period. For more, check out our blogpost page:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-122 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 122:  Journey to the West, Part 3 The courtyard at Nalanda was quiet.  Although hundreds of people were crowded in, trying to hear what was being said, they were all doing their best to be silent and still.  Only the wind or an errant bird dared speak up.  The master's voice may not have been what it once was—he was definitely getting on in years—but Silabhadra's mind was as sharp as ever. At the front of the crowd was a relatively young face from a far off land.  Xuanzang had made it to the greatest center of learning in the world, and he had been accepted as a student of perhaps the greatest sage of his era.  Here he was, receiving lessons on some of the deepest teachings of the Mahayana Buddhist sect, the very thing he had come to learn and bring home. As he watched and listened with rapt attention, the ancient teacher began to speak….   For the last two episodes, and continuing with this one, we have been covering the travels of the monk Xuanzang in the early 7th century, starting around 629 and concluding in 645.  Born during the Sui dynasty, Xuanzang felt that the translations of the Buddhist sutras available in China were insufficient—many of them had been made long ago, and often were translations of translations.  Xuanzang decided to travel to India in the hopes of getting copies in the original language to provide more accurate translations of the sutras, particularly the Mahayana sutras.  His own accounts of his journeys, even if drawn from his memory years afterwards, provide some of our most detailed contemporary evidence of the Silk Road and the people and places along the way.  After he returned, he got to work on his translations, and became quite famous.  Several of the Japanese students of Buddhism who traveled to the Tang dynasty in the 650s studied under him directly and brought his teachings back to Japan with them.  His school of “Faxiang” Buddhism became known in Japan as the Hosso sect, and was quite popular during the 7th and 8th centuries.  Xuanzang himself, known as Genjou in Japan, would continue to be venerated as an important monk in the history of Buddhism, and his travels would eventually be popularized in fantastic ways across East Asia. Over the last couple of episodes we talked about Xuanzang's illegal and harrowing departure from the Tang empire, where he had to sneak across the border into the deserts of the Western Regions.  We then covered his time traveling from Gaochang, to Suyab, and down to Balkh, in modern Afghanistan.  This was all territory under the at least nominal control of the Gokturk empire.  From Balkh he traveled to Bamyan, and then on to Kapisa, north of modern Kabul, Afghanistan.  However, after Kapisa, Xuanzang was finally entering into the northern territories of what he knew as “India”, or “Tianzhu”. Here I would note that I'm using “India” to refer not to a single country, but to the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, and all of the various kingdoms there -- including areas now part of the modern countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.  The Sinitic characters used to denote this region are pronounced, today, as “Tianzhu”, with a rough meaning of “Center of Heaven”, but it is likely that these characters were originally pronounced in such a way that the name likely came from terms like “Sindhu” or “Induka”.  This is related to the name of the Sindh or Indus river, from which India gets its name.  Xuanzang's “Record of the Western Regions” notes that the proper pronunciation of the land should be “Indu”.  In Japan, this term was transmitted through the Sinitic characters, or kanji, and pronounced as “Tenjiku”.  Since it featured so prominently in the stories of the life of the Buddha and many of the Buddhist sutras, Tenjiku was known to the people of the Japanese archipelago as a far off place that was both real and fantastical. In the 12th century, over a thousand stories were captured for the “Konjaku Monogatarishu”, or the “Collection of Tales Old and New”, which is divided up into tales from Japan, China, and India.  In the famous 9th or 10th century story, “Taketori Monogatari”, or the “Bamboo-Cutter's Tale”, about princess Kaguya hime, one of the tasks the princess sets to her suitors is to go to India to find the begging bowl of the Buddha.  Records like those produced by Xuanzang and his fellow monks, along with the stories in the sutras, likely provided the majority of what people in the Japanese archipelago knew about India, at least to begin with. Xuanzang talks about the land of India as being divided into five distinct parts—roughly the north, south, east, west, and center.  He notes that three sides face the sea and that the Snow Mountains—aka the Himalayas—are in the north.  It is, he says, “Wide in the north and narrow in the south, in the shape of a crescent moon”.  Certainly the “Wide in the north and narrow in the south” fit the subcontinent accurately enough, and it is largely surrounded by the waters of what we know as the Indian Ocean to the west, the east, and the south.  The note about the Crescent Moon might be driven by Xuanzang's understanding of a false etymology for the term “Indus”, which he claims comes from the word for “moon”.  Rather, this term appears to refer to the Indus River, also known as the Sindh or Sindhus, which comes from an ancient word meaning something like “River” or “Stream”. Xuanzang also notes that the people of the land were divided into castes, with the Brahman caste at the top of the social hierarchy.    The land was further divided into approximately 70 different countries, according to his accounts.  This is known broadly as the Early Medieval period, in India, in which the region was divided into different kingdoms and empires that rose and fell across the subcontinent, with a total size roughly equivalent to that covered by the countries of the modern European Union.  Just like Europe, there were many different polities and different languages spoken across the land – but just as Latin was the common language in Europe, due to its use in Christianity, Sanskrit was the scholarly and religious language in much of India, and could also be used as a bridge language.  Presumably, Xuanzang understood Sanskrit to some extent as a Buddhist monk.  And, just a quick note, all of this was before the introduction of Islam, though there were other religions also practiced throughout the subcontinent, but Xuanzang was primarily focused on his Buddhist studies. Xuanzang describes India as having three distinct seasons—The hot season, the rainy season, and the cold season, in that order.  Each of these were four month long periods.  Even today, the cycle of the monsoon rains is a major impact on the life of people in South Asia.  During the rainy season, the monks themselves would retreat back to their monasteries and cease their wanderings about the countryside. This tradition, called “Vassa”, is still a central practice in many Theravada Buddhist societies such as Thailand and Laos today, where they likewise experience this kind of intensely wet monsoon season. Xuanzang goes on to give an in depth analysis of the people and customs of the Indian subcontinent, as he traveled from country to country. So, as we've done before, we'll follow his lead in describing the different locations he visited. The first country of India that Xuanzang came to was the country of Lampa, or Lamapaka, thought to be modern Laghman province in Afghanistan.  At the time it was a dependency of Kapisa.  The Snow Mountains, likely meaning the Hindu Kush, the western edge of the Himalayas, lay at its north, while the “Black Mountains” surrounded it on the other three sides.  Xuanzang mentions how the people of Lampa grow non-glutinous rice—likely something similar to basmati rice, which is more prevalent in South Asian cuisine, as compared to glutinous rice like more often used in East Asia. From Lampa he headed to Nagarahara, likely referring to a site near the Kabul River associated with the ruins of a stupa called Nagara Gundi, about 4 kilometers west of modern Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  This was another vassal city-state of Kapisa.  They were still Mahayana Buddhists, but there were other religions as well, which Xuanzang refers to as “heretical”, though I'm not entirely sure how that is meant in this context.  He does say that many of the stupas were dilapidated and in poor condition. Xuanzang was now entering areas where he likely believed the historical Buddha had once walked.  In fact, Lampa was perhaps the extent of historical Buddha's travels, according to the stories and the sutras, though this seems unlikely to have been true.  The most plausible locations for the Historical Buddha's pilgrimages were along the Ganges river, which was on the other side of the subcontinent, flowing east towards modern Kolkatta and the Bengal Bay.  However, as Buddhism spread, so, too, did stories of the Buddha's travels.  And so, as far as Xuanzang was concerned, he was following in the footsteps of the Buddha. Speaking of which, at Nagarahara, Xuanzang mentions “footprints” of the Buddha.  This is a Buddhist tradition found in many places.  Xuanzang claims that the Tathagatha, the Englightened One, or the Buddha, would fly, because when he walked the land itself shook.  Footprint shapes in rock could be said to be evidence of the Buddha's travels.  Today, in many Buddhist areas you can find footprints carved into rock conforming to stories about the Buddha, such as all the toes being of the same length, or other various signs.  These may have started out as natural depressions in the rock, or pieces of artwork, but they were believed by many to be the actual point at which the Buddha himself touched down.  There are famous examples of these footprints in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and China.  Of course there are also traditions of creating images of the footprint as an object of worship.  Images of footprints, similar to images of the Great Wheel of the Law, may have been some of the earliest images for veneration, as images of the Buddha himself did not appear until much later in the tradition.  One of the oldest such footprints in Japan is at Yakushiji temple, and dated to 753.  It was created based on a rubbing brought back by an envoy to the Tang court, while they were in Chang'an. Like Buddha footprints, there are many other images and stories that show up multiple times in different places, even in Xuanzang's own narrative.  For example, in Nagarahara Xuanzang also shares a story of a cave, where an image of the Buddha could be just barely made out on the wall – maybe maybe an old carving that had just worn away, or maybe an image that was deliberately placed in the darkness as a metaphor for finding the Buddha—finding enlightenment.  This is not an uncommon theme in Buddhism as a whole.  In any case, the story around this image was that it had been placed there to subdue a naga. Now a naga is a mythical snake-like being, and  we are told that this particular naga was the reincarnation of a man who had invoked a curse on the nearby kingdom, then threw himself from a cliff in order to become a naga and sow destruction.  As the story went, the man was indeed reborn, but before he could bring destruction, the Buddha showed up and subdued him, convincing him that this was not right.  And so the naga agreed to stay in the cave, where the Buddha left an image—a shadow—to remind the naga any time that its thoughts might turn to destruction. Later in his travels, at a place name Kausambi, Xuanzang mentions another cave where the Buddha had subdued a venomous dragon and left his shadow on the cave wall.  Allowing for the possibility that the Buddha just had a particular M.O. when dealing with destructive beings, we should also consider the possibility that the story developed in one region—probably closer to the early center of Buddhism, and then traveled outward, such that it was later adopted and adapted to local traditions.  From Nagarahara, Xuanzang continued to the country of Gandhara and its capital city of Purushapura, aka modern Peshwar.  This kingdom was also under vassalage to the Kapisan king.  Here and elsewhere in the journey, Xuanzang notes not only evidence of the historical Buddha, but also monasteries and stupas purported to have been built by King Kanishka and King Asoka.  These were important figures who were held in high regard for spreading Buddhism during their reign.  Continuing through the region of Gandhara, he also passed through Udakhand and the city of Salatura, known as the birthplace of the ancient Sanskrit grammarian, Daksiputra Panini, author of the Astadhyayi [Aestudjayi].  This work is the oldest surviving description of classical Sanskrit, and used grammatical and other concepts that wouldn't be introduced into Western linguistics for eons.  Daksiputra Panini thrived around the 5th or 4th century BCE, but was likely one of the reasons that Sanskrit continued to be used as a language of scholarship and learning even as it died out of usage as the day to day language of the common people.  His works and legacy would have been invaluable to translators like Xuanzang in understanding and translating from Sanskrit. Xuanzang continued on his journey to Kashmira, situated in the Kashmir Valley.  This valley sits between the modern states of Pakistan and India, and its ownership is actively disputed by each.  It is the namesake of the famous cashmere wool—wool from the winter coats of a type of goat that was bred in the mountainous regions.  The winter coat would be made of soft, downy fibers and would naturally fall out in the spring, which the goatherds harvested and made into an extremely fine wool.  In the 7th century and earlier, however, the region was known not as much for its wool, but as a center for Hindu and Buddhist studies.  Xuanzang ended up spending two years in Kashmira studying with teachers there.  Eventually, though, he continued on, passing through the country of Rajpura, and continuing on to Takka and the city of Sakala—modern day Sialkot in the Punjab region of modern Pakistan.  Leaving Sakala, he was traveling with a group when suddenly disaster struck and they were accosted by a group of bandits.  They took the clothes and money of Xuanzang and those with him and then they drove the group into a dry pond in an attempt to corral them while they figured out what they would do—presumably meaning kill them all.  Fortunately for the group, there was a water drain at the southern edge of the pond large enough for one man to pass through.  Xuanzang and one other went through the gap and they were able to escape to a nearby village.  Once they got there, they told the people what had happened, and the villagers quickly gathered weapons and ran out to confront the brigands, who saw a large group coming and ran away.  Thus they were able to rescue the rest of Xuanzang's traveling companions.  Xuanzang's companions were devastated, having lost all of their possessions.  However, Xuanzang comforted them.  After all, they still had their lives.  By this time, Xuanzang had certainly seen his fair share of life and death problems along the road.  They continued on, still in the country of Takka, to the next great city.  There they met a Brahman, and once they told him what had happened, he started marshalling the forces of the city on their behalf.  During Xuanzang's stay in Kashmira, he had built a reputation, and people knew of the quote-unquote “Chinese monk”.  And even though the people in this region were not necessarily Buddhist—many were “heretics” likely referring to those of Hindu faith—the people responded to this pre-Internet “GoFundMe” request with incredible generosity.  They brought Xuanzang food and cloth to make into suits of clothes.  Xuanzang distributed this to his travel companions, and ended up still having enough cloth for 50 suits of clothes himself.  He then stayed at that city a month. It is odd that they don't seem to mention the name of this location.  Perhaps there is something unspeakable about it?  Still, it seems that they were quite generous, even if they were “heretics” according to Xuanzang. From the country of Takka, he next proceeded to the kingdom of Cinabhukti, where he spent 14 months—just over a year—studying with the monks there.  Once he had learned what he could, he proceeded onwards, passing through several countries in northern India until he came to the headwaters of the sacred Ganges rivers.  The Indus and the Ganges rivers are in many ways similar to the Yellow River and Yangzi, at least in regards to their importance to the people of India.  However, whereas the Yellow River and Yangzi both flow east towards the Pacific Ocean, the Indus and Ganges flow in opposite directions.  The Indus flows southwest, from the Himalayas down through modern India into modern Pakistan, emptying into the western Indian Ocean.  The Ganges flows east along the base of the Himalayas and enters the eastern Indian Ocean at Kolkatta.   At the headwaters of the Ganges, Xuanzang found a Buddhist monk named Jayagupta and chose to spend the winter and half of the following spring listening to his sermons and learning at his feet. From there he continued his travels, and ended up being summoned by King Harshavardhana of Kanyakubja, known today as the modern city of Kannauj.  Harshavardhana ruled an immense state that covered much of the territory around the sacred Ganges river.  As word of this strange monk from a far off land reached him, the King wanted to see him for himself.  Xuanzang stayed in Kannauj for three months, completing his studies of the Vibhasha Shastra, aka the Abhidarmma Mahavibhasha Shastra, known in Japanese as the Abidatsuma Daibibasharon, or just as the Daibibasharon or the Basharon, with the latter two terms referring to the translations that Xuanzang performed.   This work is not a sutra, per se, but rather an encyclopedic work that attempted to speak on all of the various doctrinal issues of its day.  It is thought to have been authored around 150 CE, and was influential in the Buddhist teachings of Kashmira, when that was a center of Orthodoxy at the time.  This is what Xuanzang had started studying, and it seems that in Kannauj he was finally able to grasp everything he felt he needed to know about it in order to effectively translate it and teach it when he returned.  That said, his quest was not over.  And after his time in Kannauj, he decided to continue on. His next stop was at the city of Ayodhya.  This was—and is—a city of particular importance in Hindu traditions.  It is said to be the city mentioned in the epic tale known as the Ramayana, though many argue that it was simply named that later in honor of that ancient city.  It does appear to be a city that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, visited and where he preached.  It was also the home of a famous monk from Gandhara who authored a number of Buddhist tomes and was considered, at least by Xuanzang, a proper Boddhisatva.  And so Xuanzang spent some time paying homage to the places where the Buddha and other holy figures had once walked. “Ayodhya” appears in many forms across Asia.  It is a major pilgrimage center, and the city of “Ayutthaya” in Thailand was named for it, evoking the Ramayana—known in Thai as the Ramakien—which they would adopt as their own national story.  In Silla, there is a story that queen Boju, aka Heo Hwang-ok, wife to the 2nd century King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, traveled to the peninsula all the way from the foreign country of “Ayuta”, thought to mean Ayodhya.  Her story was written down in the Gaya histories and survives as a fragment found in the Samguk Yusa.  Members of the Gimhae Kim, Gimhae Heo, and Incheon Yi clans all trace their lineage back to her and King Suro. From Ayodhya, Xuanzang took a trip down the Ganges river.  The boat was packed to bursting with some 80 other travelers, and as they traveled towards a particularly heavily forested area, they were set upon by bandits, who rowed their ships out from hiding in the trees and forced the travelers to the shore.  There the bandits made all the travelers strip down and take off their clothing so that the bandits could search for gold or valuables.  According to Xuanzang's biography, these bandits were followers of Durga, a Hindu warrior-goddess, and it is said that each year they would look for someone of particularly handsome features to sacrifice to her.  With Xuanzang's foreign features, they chose him.  And so they took him to be killed.  Xuanzang mentioned that he was on a pilgrimage, and that by interrupting him before they finished he was worried it might be inauspicious for them, but he didn't put up a fight and merely asked to be given time to meditate and calm his mind and that they perform the execution quickly so that he wouldn't even notice. From there, according to the story, a series of miracles occurred that ended up with Xuanzang being released and the bandits worshipping at his feet.  It is times like this we must remember that this biography was being written by Xuanzang's students based on stories he told them about his travels.  While being accosted by bandits on the river strikes me as perfectly plausible, we don't necessarily have the most reliable narrators, so I'm going to have to wonder about the rest.  Speaking of unreliable narration, the exact route that Xuanzang traveled from here on is unclear to me, based on his stated goals and where he was going.  It is possible that he was wandering as opportunities presented themselves —I don't know that he had any kind of map or GPS, like we've said in the past.  And it may be that the routes from one place to another were not always straightforward.  Regardless, he seems to wander southeast for a period before turning again to the north and eventually reaching the city of Shravasti. Shravasti appeared in our discussion of the men of Tukhara in Episode 119.  With the men of Tukhara there was also mentioned a woman from Shravasti.  While it is unlikely that was actually the case—the names were probably about individuals from the Ryukyuan island chain rather than from India—it is probably worth nothing that Shravasti was a thriving place in ancient times.  It was at one time the capital city of the kingdom of Kosala, sharing that distinction with the city of Ayodhya, back in the 7th to 5th centuries BCE.  It is also where the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have spend many years of his life.  This latter fact would have no doubt made it a place of particular importance to Xuanzang on his journeys. From there he traveled east, ending up following the foothills of the Himalayas, and finally came to some of the most central pilgrimages sites for followers of the historical Buddha.  First, he reached Lumbini wood, in modern Nepal, said to have been the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.  And then he visited Kushinagara, the site where the Buddha ascended to nirvana—in other words, the place where he passed away.  From there, he traveled to Varanasi, and the deer park monastery, at the place where the Buddha is said to have given one of his most famous sermons.  He even visited the Bodhi tree, the tree under which Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained enlightenment.  He spent eight or nine days there at Bodhgaya, and word must have spread about his arrival, because several monks from the eminent Nalanda Monastery called upon him and asked him to come to the monastery with them. Nalanda Monastery was about 80 km from Bodhgaya.  This was a grand monastery and center of learning—some say that it was, for a time, the greatest in the world.  It had been founded in the 5th century by the Gupta dynasty, and many of the Gupta rulers and others donated to support the monastery, which also acted as a university.  After the fall of the Gupta dynasty, the monastery was supported by King Harsha of Kannauj, whom Xuanzang had visited earlier.  It ultimately thrived for some 750 years, and is considered by some to be the oldest residential university—meaning that students would come to the temple complex and stay in residence for years at a time to study.  According to Xuanzang, Nalanda hosted some 10,000 monks. Including hosts and guests.  They didn't only study Buddhist teachings, but also logic, grammar, medicine, and divination.  Lectures were given at more than 100 separate places—or classrooms—every day.  It was at Nalanda, that Xuanzang would meet the teacher Silabhadra, who was known as the Right Dharma Store.  Xuanzang requested that he be allowed to study the Yogacharabhumi Shastra—the Yugashijiron, in Japanese.  This is the work that Xuanzang is said to have been most interested in, and one of the works that he is credited with bringing back in one of the first full translations to the Tang dynasty and then to others in East Asia.  It is an encyclopedic work dedicated to the various forms of Yogacara practice, which focuses on the mental disciplines, and includes yoga and meditation practices.  It has a huge influence on nearly all Mahayana schools, including things like the famous Zen and Pure Land schools of Buddhism.  The Yogacharabhumi Shastra is the earliest such encyclopedic work, compiled between the 3rd and 5th centuries—so even if the monk Faxian had brought portions of it back, it was probably not in the final form that Xuanzang was able to access. Silabhadra, for his part, was an ancient teacher—some put his age at 106 years, and his son was in his 70s.  He was one of the few at Nalandra who supposedly knew all of the various texts that they had at the monastery, including the Yogacarabhumi Shastra.  Xuanzang seems to have been quite pleased to study under him.  Xuanzang stayed at the house of Silabhadra's son, Buddhabhadra, and they welcomed him with entertainment that lasted seven days.  We are told that he was then given his own lodgings, a stipend of spices, incense, rice, oil, butter, and milk, along with a servant and a Brahman.  As a visiting monk, he was not responsible for the normal monastic duties, instead being expected to spend the time in study.  Going out, he was carried around by an elephant.   This was certainly the royal treatment. Xuanzang's life at Nalandra wasn't all books: south of the monastery was the city of Rajagrha, the old capital of the kingdom of Magadha, where the ancient Gupta kings had once lived, and on occasional breaks from his studies, Xuanzang would venture out to see the various holy sites.  This included the famous Mt. Grdhrakuta, or Vulture Peak, a location said to be favored by the historical Buddha and central to the Lotus Sutra, arguably the founding document of Mahayana Buddhist tradition. After all, “Mahayana” means “Greater Vehicle” and it is in the Lotus Sutra that we see the metaphor of using different vehicles to escape a burning house.   We've already talked a bit about how the image of Vulture Peak had already become important in Japanese Buddhism: In Episode 112 we talked about how in 648, Abe no Oho-omi had drums piled up at Shitennoji in the shape of Vulture Peak. But although the sightseeing definitely enhanced his experience, Xuanzang was first and foremost there to study.  He spent 15 months just listening to his teacher expound on the Yogacarabhumi Shastra, but he also heard expositions on various other teachings as well.  He ended up studying at Nalandra Monastery for 5 years, gaining a much better understanding of Sanskrit and the various texts, which would be critically important when it came to translating them, later. But, Xuanzang was not one to stay in any one place forever, and so after 5 years—some 8 years or more into his journey, he continued on, following the Ganges east, to modern Bangladesh.  Here he heard about various other lands, such as Dvarapati—possibly referring to Dvaravati, in modern Thailand, as well as Kamalanka and Isanapura.  The latter was in modern Cambodia, the capital of the ancient Chenla kingdom.  Then Mahacampa—possibly referring to the Champa region of Vietnam—and the country of Yamanadvipa.  But there was still more of India for Xuanzang to discover, and more teachings to uncover, and so Xuanzang decided instead to head southwest, following the coast.  He heard of the country of Sinhala, referring to the island of Sri Lanka, but he was urged not to go by ship, as the long journey was perilous.  Instead he could stay on relatively dry land and head down to the southern tip of the subcontinent and then make a quick hop from there across to the island.  He traveled a long distance, all the way down to Kancipuram, the seat of the Pallava dynasty, near modern day Chennai.  From the seaport near Kancipuram, it was only three days to Sinhala—that is to say Sri Lanka—but before he could set out, he met a group of monks who had just arrived.  They told him that the king of Sinhala had died , and there was a great famine and civil disturbances.  So they had fled with some 300 other monks. Xuanzang eventually decided not to make the journey, but he did talk with the monks and gathered information on the lands to the south, on Sri Lanka, and on the islands south of that, by which I suspect he may have meant the Maldives.  While Sri Lanka is an area important to Buddhist scholarship, particularly to the Theravada schools, this likely did not impress Xuanzang, and indeed he seemed to feel that his studies in Nalanda had more than provided him what he needed.  Sri Lanka, however, is the source of the Pali canon, one of the most complete early canons of Buddhism, which had a huge influence on Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. So Xuanzang took plenty of notes but decided to forego the ocean voyage and headed northwest, instead.  He traveled across the breadth of India to Gujarat, and then turned back east, returning to pay respects once more to his teacher in Nalanda.  While there he heard of another virtuous monk named Prajnabhadra at a nearby monastery.  And so he went to spend several months with him, as well.  He also studied with a layman, Sastrin Jayasena, at Stickwood Hill.  Jayasena was a ksatriya, or nobleman, by birth, and studied both Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts.  He was courted by kings, but had left to continue his studies.  Xuanzang studied with him for another couple of years. Xuanzang remained at Nalanda, learning and teaching, expounding on what he had learned and gathering many copies of the various documents that he wished to take back with him, though he wondered how he might do it.  In the meantime, he also acquired quite the reputation.  We are told that King Siladitya had asked Nalanda for monks who could refute Theravada teachings, and Xuanzang agreed to go.  It isn't clear, but it seems that “Siladitya” was a title, and likely referred to King Harsha of Kannauj, whom we mentioned earlier.  Since he was a foreigner, then there could be no trouble that was brought on Nalanda and the other monks if he did poorly.  While he was waiting to hear back from Siladitya's court, which was apparently taking time to arrange things, the king of Kamarupta reached out to Nalanda with a request that Xuanzang come visit them.  While Xuanzang was reluctant to be gone too long, he was eventually encouraged to go and assuage the king. Kamarupta was a kingdom around the modern Assam region, ruled by King Bhaskaravarman, also known as King Kumara, a royal title.  This kingdom included parts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.  Bhaskaravarman, like so many other regents, seems to have been intrigued by the presence of this foreign monk, who had traveled all this way and who had studied at the famous Nalanda Monastery in Magadha. He invited Xuanzang to come to him.  Xuanzang's teacher, Silabhadra, had exhorted him to spread the right Dharma, and to even go to those non-Buddhists in hopes that they might be converted, or at least partially swayed. King Bhaskaravarman was quite taken with Xuanzang, wining and dining him while listening to him preach.  While there, Xuanzang learned about the country of Kamarupta.  He also learned about a path north, by which it was said it was a two month journey to arrive at the land of Shu, in the Sichuan Basin, on the upper reaches of the Yangzi – a kind of shortcut back to the Tang court.  However, the journey was treacherous—possibly even more treacherous than the journey to India had been. Eventually word reached the ears of King Siladitya that Xuanzang was at the court of King Bhaskaravarman, and Siladitya got quite upset.  Xuanzang had not yet come to *his* court, so Siladitya demanded that Bhaskaravarman send the monk to him immediately.  Bhaskaravarman refused, saying he'd rather give Siladitya his own head, which Siladitya said he would gladly accept.  Bhaskaravarman realized he may have miscalculated, and so he sailed up the Ganges with a host of men and Xuanzang to meet with Siladitya.  After a bit of posturing, Siladitya met with Xuanzang, who went with him, and eventually confronted the members of the Theravada sect in debate.  Apparently it almost got ugly, but for the King's intervention.  After a particularly devastating critique of the Theravada position, the Theravada monks are blamed for trying to use violence against Xuanzang and his fellow Mahayana monks from Nalanda, who were prepared to defend themselves.  The King had to step in and break it up before it went too far. Ultimately, Xuanzang was a celebrity at this point and both kings seem to have supported him, especially as he was realizing it was about time to head back to his own country.  Both kings was offered ships, should Xuanzang wish to sail south and then up the coast.  However, Xuanzang elected to take the northern route, hoping to go back through Gaochang, and see that city and its ruler again.  And so the Kings gave him money and valuables , along with wagons for all of the texts.  They also sent an army to protect all of the treasures, and even an elephant and more – sending him back in style with a huge send-off. So Xuanzang retraced his earlier steps, this time on an elephant.  He traveled back to Taxila, to Kashmir, and beyond.  He was invited to stay in Kashmira, but because of his retinue, he wasn't quite at leisure to just go where he wanted.  At one point, near Kapisa—modern Bagram, north of Kabul—they had to cross a river, and about 50 of the almost 700 documents were lost.  The King of Kapisa heard of this and had his own monks make copies to replace them based on their own schools.  The King of Kasmira, hearing that he was in Kapisa, also came to pay his respects. Xuanzang traveled with the King of Kapisa northwest for over a month and reached Lampaka, where he did take some time to visit the various holy sites before continuing northwest.  They had to cross the Snow Mountains—the outskirts of the Himalayas, and even though it wasn't the highest part of the range it was still challenging.  He had to dismount his elephant and travel on foot.  Finally, after going over the high mountains and coming down, he arrived back in the region of Tukhara, in the country of Khowst.  He then came to Kunduz, and paid his respects to the grandson of Yehu Khan.  He was given more guards to escort him eastward, traveling with some merchants.  This was back in Gokturk controlled lands, over a decade later than when he had last visited.  He continued east to Badakshan, stopping there for a month because of the cold weather and snow.  He eventually traveled through the regions of Tukhara and over the Pamir range.  He came down on the side of the Tarim Basin, and noted how the rivers on one side flowed west, while on the other side they flowed east.  The goings were treacherous, and at one point they were beset by bandits.  Though he and the documents were safe, his elephant panicked and fled into the river and drowned.  He eventually ended up in the country of Kashgar, in modern Xinjiang province, at the western edge of the Taklamakan desert. From there he had two options.  He could go north and hug the southern edge of the Tianshan mountains, or he could stay to the south, along the northern edge of the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau.  He chose to go south.  He traveled through Khotan, a land of wool and carpets.  This was a major trade kingdom, and they also grew mulberry trees for silkworms, and were known for their jade.  The king himself heard of Xuanzang and welcomed him, as many others had done.  While he was staying at the Khotanese capital, Xuanzang penned a letter to the Tang court, letting them know of his journey, and that he was returning.  He sent it with some merchants and a man of Gaochang to deliver it to the court. Remember, Xuanzang had left the Tang empire illegally.  Unless he wanted to sneak back in his best hope was that the court was willing to forgive and forget all of that, given everything that he was bringing back with him.  The wait was no doubt agonizing, but he did get a letter back.  It assured him that he was welcome back, and that all of the kingdoms from Khotan back to the governor of Dunhuang had been made aware and were ready to receive him. With such assurances, Xuanzang packed up and headed out.  The king of Khotan granted him more gifts to help see him on his way.  Nonetheless, there was still a perilous journey ahead.  Even knowing the way, the road went through miles and miles of desert, such that in some places you could only tell the trail by the bleached bones of horses and travelers who had not been so fortunate.  Eventually, however, Xuanzang made it to the Jumo River and then on to Dunhuang, from whence he was eventually escorted back to the capital city. It was now the year 645, the year of the Isshi Incident in Yamato and the death of Soga.  Xuanzang had been gone for approximately 16 years.  In that time, the Tang had defeated the Gokturks and taken Gaochang, expanding their control over the trade routes in the desert.  Xuanzang, for his part, was bringing back 657 scriptures, bound in 520 bundles carried by a train of some 20 horses.  He was given a hero's welcome, and eventually he would be set up in a monastery where he could begin the next part of his journey:  Translating all of these books. This was the work of a lifetime, but it is one that would have a profound impact on Buddhism across East Asia.  Xuanzang's translations would revolutionize the understanding of Mahayana Buddhist teachings, and students would come from as far away as the Yamato court to study under him and learn from the teacher who studied and taught at none other than Nalanda monastery itself.  His school would become popular in the Yamato capital, and the main school of several temples, at least for a time.  In addition, his accounts and his biography would introduce many people to the wider world of central and south Asia.  While I could go on, this has already been a story in three parts, and this is, after all, the Chronicles of Japan, so we should probably tune back into what is going on with Yamato.  Next episode, we'll look at one of the most detailed accounts we have of a mission to Chang'an. Until then, I hope that this has been enjoyable.  Xuanzang's story is one of those that isn't just about him, but about the interconnected nature of the entire world at the time.  While his journey is quite epic, there were many people traveling the roads, though most of them didn't write about it afterwards.  People, artifacts, and ideas traveled much greater distances than we often consider at this time, well before any kind of modern travel.  It was dangerous, but often lucrative, and it meant that various regions could have influence well beyond what one might expect. And so, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

Ch. 3 - A Peacock is More Than a Bird from Journey of Insight Meditation by Eric Lerner IN MID-NOVEMBER, after nearly three weeks of waiting, I finally took a train to a small city in Gujarat state in the far west of India. It was the nicest time of the year in that part of the country. The weather was warm and dry with an empty blue sky all day, and the area had a different feel to it than any place I had been. It was less intense, almost relaxed, and without the air of desperation that much of India had those days, as its economy teetered toward collapse. by Eric Lerner 2025 35 minutes 28 seconds Listen to Streaming Audio Your browser does not support the audio element. Download Audio (16.3MB) Audio copyright, 2025 Pariyatti View the book, eBook and free PDF download. You can also find it at Amazon worldwide using this link: http://a-fwd.com/com=pariyatti-20&asin=B0CJL9SG5D. About Eric Lerner. View more books and audio resources available in the Pariyatti bookstore.

It's Friday, March 14th, 2025. This is Nelson John, let's get started.  LG Electronics India's ₹15,000 Crore IPO Gets SEBI Nod LG Electronics India has received SEBI approval for its ₹15,000 crore IPO, following Hyundai Motors as the second South Korean company to list in India. The 100% offer-for-sale (OFS) will see the parent company offload a 15% stake, with proceeds not going to LG India. With ₹64,087 crore revenue in FY24, the consumer electronics giant is gearing up for listing amid rising demand for premium appliances. Tata Motors Faces Headwinds as Auto Rally Cools India's booming auto industry is slowing down. The Nifty Auto Index, up 36% post-pandemic, has dipped 25% since September, with Tata Motors losing 33% of its value. The slowdown in Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) sales, tightening EU emission norms, and China's EV shift have hit Tata hard. Its EV market share in India has dropped from 73% to 53% due to rising competition. Despite these challenges, Tata remains bullish on JLR's cash flow, but investors await signs of a rebound. Reliance FMCG Expansion Will Take Time Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) is scaling up its FMCG business, aiming for nationwide reach in 3-4 years. With brands like Campa Cola and Independence, RCPL has already taken 10% of the sparkling beverage market in key states. However, success hinges on building a strong general trade network—critical for India's mom-and-pop-driven market. With a target of 5-6 million retail outlets and ₹1,000 crore turnover expected for FY25, Reliance is playing the long game. CG Power's Big Bets on Railways and Semiconductors CG Power is capitalizing on India's infrastructure push, securing a ₹450 crore contract for Vande Bharat trainsets. It's also making a ₹7,600 crore bet on semiconductors, launching a chip assembly plant in Gujarat with government backing. A ₹9,706 crore order book (up 70% YoY) signals growth ahead. Brokerages are bullish—Nomura projects a 33% upside. With India prioritizing infrastructure and high-tech industries, CG Power is positioning itself as an industrial powerhouse. Sun Pharma Expands Oncology Play with $355M Checkpoint Buy Sun Pharma is strengthening its oncology pipeline with the $355 million acquisition of US-based Checkpoint Therapeutics. This gives it access to Unloxcyt, an FDA-approved skin cancer drug with a $500M peak sales potential. Though Checkpoint has been loss-making, Sun sees long-term value in high-margin specialty drugs, which now contribute 18% of revenue. However, with the stock down 11% in 2025, the success of Unloxcyt's launch will be critical for investor confidence.

From no-show at Mahakumbh and Bengaluru Investor Meet to promotion of NPAs and neglect of bright leaders like Tharoor, Hooda, Pilot and Tewari-- Rahul Gandhi's colleagues in Congress have many questions. Why he won't answer them, ThePrint Political Editor DK Singh explains in this episode of #PoliticallyCorrect ----more----https://theprint.in/opinion/politically-correct/vibhishan-gujarat-congress-rahul-gandhi-blaming-colleagues/2541903/

Ahead of International Women's Day (March 8th), Katya Witney speaks to Lydia Greenway about her experiences in the game, England's 2005 Ashes heroes and those who came before professionalism. Yas Rana and Lauren Winfield-Hill then chat through all the latest action from the Women's Premier League and look ahead to England A's tour of Australia. 0:00 Intro / 1:35 Lydia Greenway interview / 22:27 Lauren's final / 24:59 Women's Premier League / 32:53 Australia A vs England A / 38:02 Outro The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund in collaboration with the ECB aims to triple the number of girls' cricket teams by breaking down barriers and creating supportive and inclusive spaces. Help transform the game, head to metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to champion the future of girls' cricket. Watch the Women's Generational Roundtable: https://www.ecb.co.uk/video/4226759/womens-generational-roundtable

The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has released documents showing that some voters in West Bengal have the same EPIC numbers as some voters in states like Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab. The elector photo identity card (EPIC) is a unique number, and the fact that it is unique is critical to avoid voter impersonation or other kinds of fraud. The Election Commission has attributed the duplication of EPIC numbers to a manual, decentralised system of allotting EPIC system that predated the current electoral database platform called ERONET. But the TMC and other critics are not convinced by this explanation, and the EC's own rules state that EPIC cards and numbers can only be issued to those on the electoral roll of a constituency, and can only be issued online, not manually. So, how then was EPIC number issued manually? How did a voter from Gujarat constituency, who was not from a Bengal constituency, have the same alphabets in his EPIC number as someone who was from Bengal constituency? How robust is our existing system for registering new voters and deleting voters from electoral rolls? Guest: MG Devasahayam, Coordinator, Citizens Commission on Elections. Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Edited by Jude Francis Weston

In this episode, host Aaditya Mehta sits down with the multi-talented Darshit Jani—an actor, dancer, and choreographer—who is making waves in the entertainment industry. From his early days in theatre to landing a role in the popular Gujarati TV show United States of Gujarat, Darshit takes us through his journey, sharing valuable insights, challenges, and lessons learned along the way. If you've ever dreamed of stepping into the entertainment world, this episode is packed with **insider tips** on how to break in and thrive! Don't miss out—hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT your favorite takeaway from this episode!If you want to get connected with Darshit, below is his Instagram account:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darshitjani_28/E-mail: darshitjani28 @gmail.com  If you have any suggestions or feedback do let us know on below social media handles:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/personalitydevelopmentpodcast/E-Mail: adi4193 @gmail.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaditya-mehta-342b7515a/

In times of extreme violence, what explains peace in some places? This book investigates geographic variation in Hindu-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, an event witnessed closely by the author. Dhattiwala compares peaceful and violent towns, villages, and neighborhoods to study how political violence spreads. A combination of statistical and ethnographic methods unpack the mechanisms of crowd behavior, intergroup relations, and political incentives. She analyzes macro-level risk factors to provide a close understanding of the behavior of people who participated in the violence, were targeted by it and, often, compelled to carry on living alongside their perpetrators. Keeping the Peace systematically demonstrates the implicit political logic of the violence. Most of all, by moving up close to the people caught in the middle of violence, the author highlights the interplay between politics, the spatial environment, and the cognitive decision-making processes of individuals.  Raheel Dhattiwala is an independent social scientist based in India (D.Phil. in Sociology; Oxford University) and honorary member of the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (formerly, Baden-Württemberg Fellow 2023-24).  Vatsal Naresh is a Lecturer in Social Studies at Harvard University. His recent publications include co-edited volumes on Negotiating Democracy and Religious Pluralism (OUP 2021) and Constituent Assemblies (CUP 2018). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In times of extreme violence, what explains peace in some places? This book investigates geographic variation in Hindu-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, an event witnessed closely by the author. Dhattiwala compares peaceful and violent towns, villages, and neighborhoods to study how political violence spreads. A combination of statistical and ethnographic methods unpack the mechanisms of crowd behavior, intergroup relations, and political incentives. She analyzes macro-level risk factors to provide a close understanding of the behavior of people who participated in the violence, were targeted by it and, often, compelled to carry on living alongside their perpetrators. Keeping the Peace systematically demonstrates the implicit political logic of the violence. Most of all, by moving up close to the people caught in the middle of violence, the author highlights the interplay between politics, the spatial environment, and the cognitive decision-making processes of individuals.  Raheel Dhattiwala is an independent social scientist based in India (D.Phil. in Sociology; Oxford University) and honorary member of the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (formerly, Baden-Württemberg Fellow 2023-24).  Vatsal Naresh is a Lecturer in Social Studies at Harvard University. His recent publications include co-edited volumes on Negotiating Democracy and Religious Pluralism (OUP 2021) and Constituent Assemblies (CUP 2018). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

In times of extreme violence, what explains peace in some places? This book investigates geographic variation in Hindu-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, an event witnessed closely by the author. Dhattiwala compares peaceful and violent towns, villages, and neighborhoods to study how political violence spreads. A combination of statistical and ethnographic methods unpack the mechanisms of crowd behavior, intergroup relations, and political incentives. She analyzes macro-level risk factors to provide a close understanding of the behavior of people who participated in the violence, were targeted by it and, often, compelled to carry on living alongside their perpetrators. Keeping the Peace systematically demonstrates the implicit political logic of the violence. Most of all, by moving up close to the people caught in the middle of violence, the author highlights the interplay between politics, the spatial environment, and the cognitive decision-making processes of individuals.  Raheel Dhattiwala is an independent social scientist based in India (D.Phil. in Sociology; Oxford University) and honorary member of the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (formerly, Baden-Württemberg Fellow 2023-24).  Vatsal Naresh is a Lecturer in Social Studies at Harvard University. His recent publications include co-edited volumes on Negotiating Democracy and Religious Pluralism (OUP 2021) and Constituent Assemblies (CUP 2018). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

In times of extreme violence, what explains peace in some places? This book investigates geographic variation in Hindu-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, an event witnessed closely by the author. Dhattiwala compares peaceful and violent towns, villages, and neighborhoods to study how political violence spreads. A combination of statistical and ethnographic methods unpack the mechanisms of crowd behavior, intergroup relations, and political incentives. She analyzes macro-level risk factors to provide a close understanding of the behavior of people who participated in the violence, were targeted by it and, often, compelled to carry on living alongside their perpetrators. Keeping the Peace systematically demonstrates the implicit political logic of the violence. Most of all, by moving up close to the people caught in the middle of violence, the author highlights the interplay between politics, the spatial environment, and the cognitive decision-making processes of individuals.  Raheel Dhattiwala is an independent social scientist based in India (D.Phil. in Sociology; Oxford University) and honorary member of the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (formerly, Baden-Württemberg Fellow 2023-24).  Vatsal Naresh is a Lecturer in Social Studies at Harvard University. His recent publications include co-edited volumes on Negotiating Democracy and Religious Pluralism (OUP 2021) and Constituent Assemblies (CUP 2018). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

In times of extreme violence, what explains peace in some places? This book investigates geographic variation in Hindu-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, an event witnessed closely by the author. Dhattiwala compares peaceful and violent towns, villages, and neighborhoods to study how political violence spreads. A combination of statistical and ethnographic methods unpack the mechanisms of crowd behavior, intergroup relations, and political incentives. She analyzes macro-level risk factors to provide a close understanding of the behavior of people who participated in the violence, were targeted by it and, often, compelled to carry on living alongside their perpetrators. Keeping the Peace systematically demonstrates the implicit political logic of the violence. Most of all, by moving up close to the people caught in the middle of violence, the author highlights the interplay between politics, the spatial environment, and the cognitive decision-making processes of individuals.  Raheel Dhattiwala is an independent social scientist based in India (D.Phil. in Sociology; Oxford University) and honorary member of the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (formerly, Baden-Württemberg Fellow 2023-24).  Vatsal Naresh is a Lecturer in Social Studies at Harvard University. His recent publications include co-edited volumes on Negotiating Democracy and Religious Pluralism (OUP 2021) and Constituent Assemblies (CUP 2018). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/geography

In times of extreme violence, what explains peace in some places? This book investigates geographic variation in Hindu-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, an event witnessed closely by the author. Dhattiwala compares peaceful and violent towns, villages, and neighborhoods to study how political violence spreads. A combination of statistical and ethnographic methods unpack the mechanisms of crowd behavior, intergroup relations, and political incentives. She analyzes macro-level risk factors to provide a close understanding of the behavior of people who participated in the violence, were targeted by it and, often, compelled to carry on living alongside their perpetrators. Keeping the Peace systematically demonstrates the implicit political logic of the violence. Most of all, by moving up close to the people caught in the middle of violence, the author highlights the interplay between politics, the spatial environment, and the cognitive decision-making processes of individuals.  Raheel Dhattiwala is an independent social scientist based in India (D.Phil. in Sociology; Oxford University) and honorary member of the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (formerly, Baden-Württemberg Fellow 2023-24).  Vatsal Naresh is a Lecturer in Social Studies at Harvard University. His recent publications include co-edited volumes on Negotiating Democracy and Religious Pluralism (OUP 2021) and Constituent Assemblies (CUP 2018).

In this episode of This Old Tree, Doug introduces us to Kabirvad, a 500-year-old, 4-acre banyan tree in the heart of Gujarat, India. The spectacular tree is a national treasure associated with Saint Kabir, a 15th-century mystic poet known for his timeless poetry. He challenged institutions, religions, and social conventions. Who was he, and how is his legend tied to a banyan tree? Journey to India to learn about Kabirvad. In understanding the tree, you may find the essence of Kabir himself.

In this podcast, Kushal speaks with Tushar Gupta about the recent bout of deportations from America, where the maximum number of citizens were from Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat. This podcast will focus on Punjab and its problems, where the maximum number of deportees are from. Follow Tushar: Twitter: @Tushar15_ #punjab #khalistan #economy #farmersprotest ------------------------------------------------------------ Listen to the podcasts on: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kushal-mehra-99891819 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rVcDV3upgVurMVW1wwoBp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c%C4%81rv%C4%81ka-podcast/id1445348369 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-carvaka-podcast ------------------------------------------------------------ Support The Cārvāka Podcast: Buy Kushal's Book: https://amzn.in/d/58cY4dU Become a Member on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPx... Become a Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carvaka UPI: kushalmehra@icici Interac Canada: kushalmehra81@gmail.com To buy The Carvaka Podcast Exclusive Merch please visit: http://kushalmehra.com/shop ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Kushal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushal_mehra?ref_... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KushalMehraO... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarvakap... Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/kushal... Inquiries: https://kushalmehra.com/ Feedback: kushalmehra81@gmail.com

First, in light of multiple FIRs being filed against YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, including charges of “obscene acts,” The Indian Express' Ajoy Sinha Karpuram explains what actually constitutes obscenity and how laws surrounding it have evolved over the years.Next, The Indian Express' Brendan Dabhi discusses scientists' groundbreaking efforts to produce a "lab-grown baby" using only stem cells. (14:08)Finally, The Indian Express' Aditi Raja tells us about a municipality in Gujarat that transformed a massive amount of single-use plastic into a valuable civic amenity. (21:02)Hosted and written by Shashank BhargavaProduced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 289 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The Women's Premier League 2025 is here, and we've got you covered with an all-encompassing preview!From squad breakdowns and key player battles to tactical insights and emerging talents, this episode dives deep into what to expect this season. In this episode, we are looking at UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants.Which teams have the strongest line-ups? What are the strengths and weaknesses? Who are the X-factors to watch out for? Tune in as Tanvi and I analyze the competition, matches and players to look forward to, and let's set the stage for an electrifying season ahead!Thank you so much listeners for tuning in to this episode and for your unstinted support. Please follow and press the bell icon on Spotify and stay tuned. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and Threads and @neverontheback1 on Twitter (now called X) for the latest facts, updates, fresh content and a lot more coming up this cricket season. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Spotify for Podcasters and many other platforms and spread the word. Never on the Backfoot is also on YouTube so don't forget to subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for a lot of insightful content coming up there as well. Until next time, stay safe and take care, listeners.

First, we speak with The Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha about India's shifting stance on its climate change goals and what it believes developing countries should prioritise.Next, The Indian Express' Aditi Raja helps us understand the Disturbed Areas Act in Gujarat, which has been at the center of challenges faced by minorities in the region.Lastly, we discuss popular YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia's controversial remark that led to multiple complaints from across IndiaHosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Ichha Sharma and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Udaiur, Rajasthan, February 16, 2025: Gujarat and Rajasthan Nirankari Sant Samagam -Discourse by Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj

Meet Kabirvad, a 500 yr-old, 4 acre banyan tree in the heart of Gujarat, India. The spectacular tree is a national treasure associated with Saint Kabir, a 15th century mystic poet known for his timeless poetry. He challenged institutions, religions and social convention. Who was he, and how is his legend tied to a banyan tree? Journey to India to learn about Kabirvad. In understanding the tree, you may find the essence of Kabir himself.GuestsProf. Srinivas ReddyGuest Professor, Humanities Indian Institute of TechnologyGandhinagar, IndiaAuthor, Illuminating Worlds: An Anthology of Classical Indian LiteratureSankalpanaDr. Linda HessProfessor Emerita, Stanford UniversityLinda-Hess.comBodies of Song: Kabir Oral Traditions and Performative Worlds in North IndiaRonak KevadiyaRange Forest OfficerForest and Environment Office, Govt. of GujaratBharuch, IndiaDr. Vikrant JainProfessor, Earth SciencesIndian Institute of TechnologyGandhinagar, IndiaShort Kabir InterviewsAbhia LakhiaJayraj BhattAnuja BhattDr. Sudhanshu SharmaKabeer JesusaKabir Poems ReaderGairik SachdevaCambridge, MALineages of Innovations (Substack)Kabir poems translated and provided by Linda HessMusicRaga Ahiri, performed by Srinivas Reddy (sitar), Rajiv Bhatt (tabla) and Sameer Sahasrabuddhe (tabla)Other ReferencesBurn Down Your House: Provocations from Kabir, Shabnam VirmaniGods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees, Michael ShanahanSpecial thanksOsco Pharmacy, for providing all of the vaccinations I needed for my trip!Theme MusicDiccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or Instagram We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone's voice memo app and email to:doug@thisoldtree.netThis episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.Today is the 5th of February and here are the headlines.A military aircraft from the United States carrying over 100 deported Indian immigrants landed at Amritsar's Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport this afternoon. The deported individuals include 25 women, 12 minors, and 79 men. In addition to the deported Indian nationals, the aircraft also had 11 crew members and 45 US officials on board. Besides Punjab, the deported individuals are from Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Among the deportees, 33 are from Gujarat, while 30 belong to Punjab.Two deportees each are from Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh, while three are from Maharashtra.Meanwhile, the high-stakes Delhi election is underway in 70 Assembly constituencies. In the triangular contest between the AAP, the BJP, and the Congress, the ruling party aims for a third consecutive term, while the saffron party hopes to make a return to power after 25 years, and the grand old party strives to make a comeback. As of 1 pm today, the voter turnout stood at 33.31 per cent. Meanwhile, police force was deployed in large numbers outside a polling booth in Seelampur after the BJP alleged fake votes were being cast.In other news, India and the US are expected to start negotiations for a free trade agreement in the coming weeks as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel to the US to meet President Donald Trump between the 12th and 14th of February. The Prime Minister, who will travel to France and co-chair the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris between 10th - 11th of February, is also expected to travel to Marseille on 12 of February. From there, he is likely to travel to the US to meet President Trump.In another news headline, After submitting a Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Olympics last October, India is learnt to have opened an “informal” dialogue with the Commonwealth Games Federation to host the centenary edition in 2030 — 20 years after the country first held it. Officials involved in the process told The Indian Express, that unlike 2010, when the Games were hosted in New Delhi, Ahmedabad has emerged as the frontrunner, with Bhubaneswar also in the mix. On the sidelines of the National Games opening ceremony in Dehradun, Commonwealth Games Federation president Chris Jenkins also met Indian Olympic Association president P T Usha where the possible Indian bid was discussed.Meanwhile, OpenAI founder Sam Altman during a fireside chat today said that India is the second biggest market for ChatGPT, where it has tripled its user base in the last year. Altman is on a whirlwind world tour and landed in India late on Tuesday night. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with a number of the country's start-ups and venture capital funds. During the chat Altman said, quote, “India is an incredibly important market for AI in general and OpenAI in particular. It is our second biggest market, we tripled our users here in the last year.” This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express

Somia Sadiq is an award-winning entrepreneur and peacebuilder who has developed a pioneering practice in impact assessment and conflict transformation rooted in storytelling. Somia is the founder and CEO of Narratives, a planning firm that emphasizes human-centric, trauma-informed dialogue, lived experience, and celebrating ancestral identity. She's also the founder of Kahanee, a non-profit organization that works nationally and internationally interweaving stories to support peacebuilding efforts. Somia is a published author and a keynote speaker, offering insights on trauma-informed leadership, and fostering resilience in a rapidly changing environment. Recognized for her contributions to the Planning practice in Canada and globally, Somia was recently inducted into the Canadian Institute of Planners' esteemed College of Fellows, the highest honor for a planner in Canada. Her new book Garajah will be published in August 2025.

Yesha Panchal was born in Gujarat, India, and is currently living in Suwanee, GA. Yesha earned her BFA with a concentration in ceramics at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Yesha is currently a ceramics studio manager at the Hudgens Center for Art in Duluth, GA, an organizer of the Clay to Table, serves on the board of NCECA, and is a maker. Yesha's article “Working Potter” and work were published in “Thoughts on Collaboration” in the June/July/August 2022 issue of Ceramics Monthly https://ThePottersCast.com/1102

#cuttheclutter An enquiry panel set up by Indian govt submitted its report Wednesday, recommending legal action against former R&AW official indicted in the US in the alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Watch Episode 1358 of Cut The Clutter, where ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looked at claims made & evidence presented by US intelligence agencies probing Pannun ‘assassination plot'. Originally published on 30 November, 2023. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3:25 - Trudeau's allegations spurred diplomatic row between India & Canada 6:45 - PM Modi addressed joint session of US Congress during state visit in June 10:35 - Defence is yet to present its case before court in New York 13:47 - Nikhil Gupta is only accused identified by name in indictment 16:40 - Indictment cites conversion from 'encrypted messaging application' 20:30 - As per indictment, 'CC-1 assured Gupta his Gujarat [case] was all clear' 24:45 - Indictment cites message by Gupta saying there will be 'more jobs' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/...

Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Richard Seymour, writer & commentator based in London, to discuss his recent book Disaster Nationalism: The Downfall of Liberal Civilization. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the still-burning LA Fires, the GOP's tie of California aid to Trump's debt ceiling raise, the second Trump Administration, the Laken Riley Act, the TikTok ban, Jack Smith's resignation, and Biden's immigration move, before touching on the Democratic Party's continuing inability to act like an opposition party with just seven days to Trump's inauguration, and watching GOP Senator John Barrasso put the right's inhumanity on full display over the ongoing devastation in California. Richard Seymore then joins, diving right into his idea of “Disaster Nationalism” as a type of proto-fascism that seeks to take the ever-increasing frequency of real-world disasters with often abstract causes (climate change, inequality, etc) and tie them to singular, concrete perpetrators, frequently represented by ethnic and political minorities, tackling examples out of Oregon in the wake of the 2020 wildfires and Gujarat following the 2002 train burning – with the latter providing a particularly gruesome lens into Disaster Nationalism's emphasis on extreme ethnic violence as a key selling point, as it provides an outlet for pent-up anxiety rather than a solution to its real causes. After expanding on Disaster Nationalism's complex relationship to democracy (as a tool) and dedication to capitalism, Seymore walks Sam and Emma through the centrally motivating role of economic anxiety in this equation, tackling its distinction to general economic deprivation in its emphasis on loss and social status, looking at how the hyper-individualism of neoliberalism exacerbates socio-economic inequality while blaming those on the losing end for their situation, cultivating a sadistic culture of pseudo-meritocracy that craves social distinction, something threatened by any attempt to deconstruct the dominant hierarchies. After touching on the particular display of Disaster Nationalism developing in Israel's ongoing genocide of Gaza, Richard, Sam, and Emma then look at the role of the left in combatting these pressures, tackling the history of trade unions in leading the fight against fascism, and the importance of organizing when it comes to finding agency, empowerment, and community in the face of systems that want you to have anything but. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma watch Hasan Piker's pressing interviews with LA's incarcerated firefighters, Newsmax's Rob Finnerty pins the fires on the donkey (Dems… and DEI), and Leninade unpacks the unfounded argument that any city could've contained the climate devastation facing LA right now. Ronald Raygun explores how the criminal justice and immigration systems work together (and against each other) to make this world worse for immigrants (particularly with the incoming Laken Riley Act), Alex from New York discusses climate change and California, and Joe Rogan continues his work as butler to the billionaires as he brings on Zuckerberg to platform his agenda (and his aggrievement), plus, your calls and IMs! Follow Richard on Twitter here: https://x.com/leninology Check out Richard's book here: https://www.versobooks.com/products/3147-disaster-nationalism?srsltid=AfmBOoqT_iaW9QBOiDijkrdU_wWXur6_0TumVPBwYYJKSMs9nu5ifsoD Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Givewell: Go to https://Givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter The Majority Report with Sam Seder at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. Again, that's https://Givewell.org to donate or find out more. Naked Wines: To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to https://nakedwines.com/majority and use code MAJORITY for both the code AND PASSWORD. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

Gujarat takes a bold step in demolishing 52 illegal constructions, including a mosque, in Bet Dwarka. In this eye-opening episode, Sanjay Dixit and experts discuss the recent actions in Gujarat, including the controversial demolitions and Yogi Adityanath's amendment to the Waqf Act.

El fin de semana llegó como siempre, alegre y bullicioso, al poblado de Baroda, estado de Gujarat, India. Las prostitutas salieron a ejercer su oficio, y los salones de bailes se llenaron de bailarines. Gujarat es el único estado de la India donde se prohíbe la venta de bebidas alcohólicas. Ese sábado por la tarde 251 personas habían sido hospitalizadas, y de ellas murieron paralizadas cien. Otras veinticinco quedaron ciegas, y el resto gravemente enfermas. ¿Cuál era la causa? Tres irresponsables habían vendido clandestinamente licor hecho en las casas con alcohol metílico, un veneno mortal.   El fin de semana dejó de ser alegre para volverse trágico. Los habitantes de Baroda, India, pueblo que ya había tenido tres veces tragedias de esta clase, habían bebido licor hecho con veneno. En realidad, toda bebida alcohólica es veneno. No todas están hechas con alcohol metílico, pero todas tienen su pequeña o gran dosis de tóxico, que va adormeciendo y entorpeciendo la mente, y convirtiendo al bebedor en un individuo de capacidad disminuida. La propaganda comercial de licores puede ser muy elegante, muy bien preparada, realizada por expertos del arte; pero los hospitales, las cárceles, los manicomios y los cementerios cuentan una historia muy distinta. Allí no hay placer ni delicias como las mencionadas por la propaganda, sino vómito, sangre, locura, idiotez y muerte. ¿Somos víctimas del alcohol? No tratemos de ocultar nuestra esclavitud. ¿Podemos pasar una semana sin beber? ¿Lo hemos tratado? Muchas veces lo que decimos poder hacer es una cosa y lo que realmente podemos hacer es otra. Seamos sinceros. ¿Podemos de veras pasar una semana sin beber alcohol? Si la respuesta es negativa, necesitamos ayuda. Hay un grupo llamado Alcohólicos Anónimos que ayuda a las personas esclavizadas por el alcohol. Para reforzar esa ayuda con algo que puede cambiar todo nuestro ser, tenemos que invitar a Cristo a que sea el Rey y Señor de nuestra vida. Hermano PabloUn Mensaje a la Concienciawww.conciencia.net

Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Memory in the New India (Cambridge UP, 2024) tells a story about the relationship between secular law and religious violence by studying the memorialisation of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom--postcolonial India's most litigated and mediatized event of anti-Muslim mass violence. By reading judgments and films on the pogrom through a novel interpretive framework, the book argues that the shared narrative of law and cinema engenders ways of remembering the pogrom in which the rationality of secular law offers a resolution to the irrationality of religious violence. In the public's collective memory, the force of this rationality simultaneously condemns and normalises violence against Muslims while exonerating secular law from its role in enabling the pogrom, thus keeping the violent (legal) order against India's Muslim citizens intact. The book contends that in foregrounding law's aesthetic dimensions we see the discursive ways in which secular law organizes violence and presents itself as the panacea for that very violence. About the Author: Oishik Sircar is a Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Law School. He was previously the Professor of Law at Jindal Global Law School. His work maps the relationship between law, violence and aesthetics with a particular focus on contemporary India. Along with Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Violence in the New India (CUP 2024), he is the author of Violent Modernities: Cultural Lives of Law in the New India (OUP 2021) and the co-director of the award-winning documentary film We Are Foot Soldiers (PSBT 2010). Priyam Sinha recently graduated with a PhD from the National University of Singapore and has been awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship, starting 2025. She has interdisciplinary academic interests that lie at the intersection of film studies, critical new media industry studies, disability studies, affect studies, gender studies, and cultural studies. She can be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Memory in the New India (Cambridge UP, 2024) tells a story about the relationship between secular law and religious violence by studying the memorialisation of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom--postcolonial India's most litigated and mediatized event of anti-Muslim mass violence. By reading judgments and films on the pogrom through a novel interpretive framework, the book argues that the shared narrative of law and cinema engenders ways of remembering the pogrom in which the rationality of secular law offers a resolution to the irrationality of religious violence. In the public's collective memory, the force of this rationality simultaneously condemns and normalises violence against Muslims while exonerating secular law from its role in enabling the pogrom, thus keeping the violent (legal) order against India's Muslim citizens intact. The book contends that in foregrounding law's aesthetic dimensions we see the discursive ways in which secular law organizes violence and presents itself as the panacea for that very violence. About the Author: Oishik Sircar is a Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Law School. He was previously the Professor of Law at Jindal Global Law School. His work maps the relationship between law, violence and aesthetics with a particular focus on contemporary India. Along with Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Violence in the New India (CUP 2024), he is the author of Violent Modernities: Cultural Lives of Law in the New India (OUP 2021) and the co-director of the award-winning documentary film We Are Foot Soldiers (PSBT 2010). Priyam Sinha recently graduated with a PhD from the National University of Singapore and has been awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship, starting 2025. She has interdisciplinary academic interests that lie at the intersection of film studies, critical new media industry studies, disability studies, affect studies, gender studies, and cultural studies. She can be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Memory in the New India (Cambridge UP, 2024) tells a story about the relationship between secular law and religious violence by studying the memorialisation of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom--postcolonial India's most litigated and mediatized event of anti-Muslim mass violence. By reading judgments and films on the pogrom through a novel interpretive framework, the book argues that the shared narrative of law and cinema engenders ways of remembering the pogrom in which the rationality of secular law offers a resolution to the irrationality of religious violence. In the public's collective memory, the force of this rationality simultaneously condemns and normalises violence against Muslims while exonerating secular law from its role in enabling the pogrom, thus keeping the violent (legal) order against India's Muslim citizens intact. The book contends that in foregrounding law's aesthetic dimensions we see the discursive ways in which secular law organizes violence and presents itself as the panacea for that very violence. About the Author: Oishik Sircar is a Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Law School. He was previously the Professor of Law at Jindal Global Law School. His work maps the relationship between law, violence and aesthetics with a particular focus on contemporary India. Along with Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Violence in the New India (CUP 2024), he is the author of Violent Modernities: Cultural Lives of Law in the New India (OUP 2021) and the co-director of the award-winning documentary film We Are Foot Soldiers (PSBT 2010). Priyam Sinha recently graduated with a PhD from the National University of Singapore and has been awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship, starting 2025. She has interdisciplinary academic interests that lie at the intersection of film studies, critical new media industry studies, disability studies, affect studies, gender studies, and cultural studies. She can be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Memory in the New India (Cambridge UP, 2024) tells a story about the relationship between secular law and religious violence by studying the memorialisation of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom--postcolonial India's most litigated and mediatized event of anti-Muslim mass violence. By reading judgments and films on the pogrom through a novel interpretive framework, the book argues that the shared narrative of law and cinema engenders ways of remembering the pogrom in which the rationality of secular law offers a resolution to the irrationality of religious violence. In the public's collective memory, the force of this rationality simultaneously condemns and normalises violence against Muslims while exonerating secular law from its role in enabling the pogrom, thus keeping the violent (legal) order against India's Muslim citizens intact. The book contends that in foregrounding law's aesthetic dimensions we see the discursive ways in which secular law organizes violence and presents itself as the panacea for that very violence. About the Author: Oishik Sircar is a Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Law School. He was previously the Professor of Law at Jindal Global Law School. His work maps the relationship between law, violence and aesthetics with a particular focus on contemporary India. Along with Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Violence in the New India (CUP 2024), he is the author of Violent Modernities: Cultural Lives of Law in the New India (OUP 2021) and the co-director of the award-winning documentary film We Are Foot Soldiers (PSBT 2010). Priyam Sinha recently graduated with a PhD from the National University of Singapore and has been awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship, starting 2025. She has interdisciplinary academic interests that lie at the intersection of film studies, critical new media industry studies, disability studies, affect studies, gender studies, and cultural studies. She can be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Memory in the New India (Cambridge UP, 2024) tells a story about the relationship between secular law and religious violence by studying the memorialisation of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom--postcolonial India's most litigated and mediatized event of anti-Muslim mass violence. By reading judgments and films on the pogrom through a novel interpretive framework, the book argues that the shared narrative of law and cinema engenders ways of remembering the pogrom in which the rationality of secular law offers a resolution to the irrationality of religious violence. In the public's collective memory, the force of this rationality simultaneously condemns and normalises violence against Muslims while exonerating secular law from its role in enabling the pogrom, thus keeping the violent (legal) order against India's Muslim citizens intact. The book contends that in foregrounding law's aesthetic dimensions we see the discursive ways in which secular law organizes violence and presents itself as the panacea for that very violence. About the Author: Oishik Sircar is a Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Law School. He was previously the Professor of Law at Jindal Global Law School. His work maps the relationship between law, violence and aesthetics with a particular focus on contemporary India. Along with Ways of Remembering: Law, Cinema and Collective Violence in the New India (CUP 2024), he is the author of Violent Modernities: Cultural Lives of Law in the New India (OUP 2021) and the co-director of the award-winning documentary film We Are Foot Soldiers (PSBT 2010). Priyam Sinha recently graduated with a PhD from the National University of Singapore and has been awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship, starting 2025. She has interdisciplinary academic interests that lie at the intersection of film studies, critical new media industry studies, disability studies, affect studies, gender studies, and cultural studies. She can be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/genocide-studies

India, the world's most populous country, is ruled by Narendra Modi who is the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP. He first became prime minister in 2014 and has been reelected twice since though in 2024 with much lower margins. Before coming to power in Delhi he was chief minister of the state of Gujarat where he presided over a major massacre of Muslims. Modi and the BJP promote Hindutva, Hindu majoritarianism. It is laced with Islamophobia. Modi is allied with India's billionaire class who control the country's major media and function as cheerleaders for a regime that gags democracy, free speech, and dissent. Recorded at Surrey Public Library.