Podcasts by Ganatantra

S02 E30: Season Finale and Wrap Up from 2020-04-08T00:35

This week on Ganatantra Sarayu Natarajan and Alok Prasanna Kumar discuss the second season of Ganatantra and how Covid19 has impacted the subjects they spoke about.

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S02 E29: Policy in the shadow of Covid 19 from 2020-04-01T00:35

This week on Ganatantra Sarayu Natarajan and Alok Prasanna Kumar discuss the impact of the Covid19 pandemic on public policy.

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S02 E28: Politics in West Bengal (feat. Shaoib Daniyal) from 2020-03-25T00:35

This week on Ganatantra Sarayu Natarajan and Alok Prasanna Kumar welcome back Shoaib Daniyal to talk about the politics of West Bengal.

If you would like to hear Shoaibs previous appearanc...

S02 E27: Federalism in India (feat. K K KAILASH) from 2020-03-18T00:35

This week on Ganatantra Sarayu Natarajan and Alok Prasanna Kumar talk to Dr. Kailash in their continuing series on Federalism in India.

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S02 E26: Delhi Politics and the rise of the AAP (feat Dr Manisha Priyam) from 2020-03-11T15:12:33

In this week's episode, Dr. Manisha Priyam joins us to discuss Delhi politics. She walks us through her fieldwork and her prediction of the rise of the AAP, the new politics of Delhi post the vi...

S02 E25: India's new party system (feat Rahul Verma) from 2020-03-04T00:35

As a recent set of results shows, India's voters choose very differently in state and national elections. What explains this pattern across the country and what implications does it have for fed...

S02 E24: Caste, language and politics in Karnataka (feat. Chandan Gowda) from 2020-02-26T00:35:01

As a state with came into existence on the basis of a demand for linguistic reorganization, it's somewhat of a mystery that Karnataka has not yet seen a mass movement or major political party ba...

S02 E23: Fiscal Federalism- 2.5 lakh governments and how to fund them (feat. Pranay Kotasthane) from 2020-02-19T00:35:01

All governments need to raise and spend money but in India's complex three tier government, the process by which this money is raised and spent is a subject with serious political and constituti...

S02 E22: Social Welfare and Political Violence in Kerala (feat. Prem Panicker) from 2020-02-12T00:35:01

The image of Kerala politics contains two dissonant and contrary images - that of a state with some of the best human development indicators in the world but also high numbers of targeted killin...

S02 E21: Federalism and State Politics from 2020-02-05T00:35:01

In the third series of episodes of Season 2, we'll be discussing federalism and State politics in India going in-depth into the politics of certain states and some larger themes to understand po...

S02 E20: The Politics of Police Reforms from 2020-01-29T00:35:01

In this episode celebrating one year of the Ganatantra, Sarayu and Alok talk about the problems with police in India - why there's low trust in then, why they're failing at law and order and inv...

S02 E19: The Public University as a Political Space (feat Jean Thomas Martelli) from 2020-01-22T00:35:01

As Indian public universities become both spaces for and subjects of political disputes (often breaking out into violence) it's worth examining what it means for such universities to be "politic...

S02 E18: Politics and Cinema (feat MK Raghavendra) from 2020-01-15T00:35:01

Indian cinema has had a complex relationship with politics, reflecting prevailing political trends and having provided the base for the launch of many a political career.

This week we're j...

S02 E17: The Future of News Media in a Democracy (feat. Dr Aasim Khan) from 2020-01-08T00:30

The news media is sometimes called the "fourth pillar of democracy" but at a time when its business model is under attack thanks to large internet companies, and its credibility at ri...

S02 E16: Ganatantra Year End Special Part 2 - Elections from 2019-12-25T00:30

As we head towards the end of 2019, Sarayu and Alok discuss the General elections and State Assembly elections of the year and what they told us about the state of politics in India. We use the ...

S02 E15: The CAA, NRC and Censoring Protest from 2019-12-20T15:11:32

We're releasing this special episode of Ganatantra today to talk about the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act, fears over a proposed all India National Register of Citizens and...

S02 E14: Ganatantra Year End Special Part 1 - Events from 2019-12-18T00:30

Alok and Sarayu discuss the big political events of 2019 - Article 370 in Kashmir, the Supreme court judgment on Ayodhya and the CAA/NRC - and examine their political implications. References ar...

S02 E13: State Governors - Colonial relics or Constitutional symbols? from 2019-12-11T00:30

The political and constitutional crisis in Maharashtra, which unfolded after the 2019 Assembly elections once brought to the public glare the potential for misuse of the office of the...

S02 E12: Elections, Citizenship and Democracy (feat Dr Ornit Shani) from 2019-12-04T00:30

The Indian Constitution guaranteed universal adult franchise from the moment it came into force. In a country with inequalities and divisions based on caste, gender, language, and eth...

S02 E11: The Indian Armed Forces and Civilian oversight (feat Srinath Raghavan) from 2019-11-27T00:30

Unlike India's neighbouring countries, the Indian Armed Forces have never intervened in any manner in the affairs of civilian government. The reasons for this have been explored by sc...

S02 E10: Politics and the Indian Judiciary (feat Aparna Chandra) from 2019-11-20T00:30

In the last decade or so, the Indian higher judiciary and its functioning have come under the scanner like never before. The Supreme Court's proceedings are covered daily, often minut...

S02 E09: Migration and Marginalization (feat. Chinmay Tumbe) from 2019-11-13T00:30

Large scale migration has been a feature of life in the Indian subcontinent in the last two centuries, both within and out of the region. In his book, "India Moving" Chinmay Tumbe cal...

S02 E08: Maoists and Adivasis (feat Alpa Shah) from 2019-11-06T00:30

Popular discourse about Maoists in India veers from the extremes of heroism to demonization with little attempt to address the nuances of the situation. Given that the movement draws ...

S02 E07: The struggle for Adivasi Rights (feat. Rajni Soren) from 2019-10-30T00:30

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India ordered state governments to begin eviction of Adivasis and Forest dwellers whose claims for forest rights under the Forest Rights Act ha...

S02 E06: Dalit Political Representation from 2019-10-23T00:30

Across India, radical Dalit movements have dipped their toes into electoral politics as they have tried to represent their communities in institutions of governance. What challenges d...

S02 E05: At the margins of work: Understanding the platform gig economy from 2019-10-16T00:30

The platform gig economy has brought several changes in the way work is performed and organised. Some kinds of work challenge the very underpinnings of labor and industrial laws - such as the ne...

S02 E04: The Transgender movement: Understanding marginalisation (feat: Nadika Nadja) from 2019-10-09T00:30

The historic NALSA judgment (National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, 2014) was historic in that it read in major rights to be applicable to the transgender community, including spec...

S02 E03: Combating marginalization: Reservation of seats and jobs from 2019-10-02T00:30

Few issues in post independence India have caused as much heated debate as the issue of reservation in government jobs and college seats. The purpose of this move as the SC famously p...

S02 E02: Migration, Marginalization and Citizenship: The NRC in Assam from 2019-09-25T00:30

The preparation of the final list of the National Register of Citizens has stirred up more than its share of controversy with two million or so people in Assam suddenly facing the pro...

S02 E01: Introduction to Season 2 from 2019-09-18T02:44:54

Ganatantra Season 2: We're back from hiatus and we have an exciting new lineup of episodes for you! In this intro episode, Sarayu and Alok outline what you can look forward to, the three themes ...

Ep. 28: Article 370: The history and future of Kashmir from 2019-08-14T00:30

In this episode, we're joined by Dr Andrew Whitehead to frame the debate over Article 370's abrogation in the context of Kashmir's complicated history. We look at the circumstances of Kashmir's ...

Ep. 27: Article 370: The constitutionality and politics of repeal from 2019-08-08T00:30

The abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution has been a long standing promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and it would not surprise too many that they chose to act on it. Yet, what surpri...

Ep. 26: Patronage networks in urban housing in Bengaluru from 2019-07-31T00:30

Over the last six months we have discussed the macro of Indian politics, addressing large themes and looking at the politics at State level. In this episode, the last before we take a short hiat...

Ep. 25: The Political War over Judicial Appointments from 2019-07-24T00:30

In this episode, we talk about the institutional tug-of-war that has taken place between the judiciary and the political executive over who controls the procedure to appoint judges to the High C...

Ep. 24: Bihar: the Modi wave and welfare delivery in bihar feat. Parth MN from 2019-07-17T00:30

The NDA in Bihar faced anti-incumbency at both the State and Union levels when it went to the polls in 2019. Its stunning performance in the elections, improving on its performance from 2014 sug...

Ep. 23: Political Islams: Muslims, Indian politics and the 2019 verdict feat. Dr. Hilal Ahmed from 2019-07-10T00:30

Arguably, a central issue in the 2019 elections was the idea of India. The right, notably the BJP, imagine an idea of India at whose centre is a Hindu, and where Muslims (and others are excluded...

Ep. 22: Failed alliances and national narratives in Uttar Pradesh (feat Sanjay Kapoor) from 2019-07-03T00:30

With the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National Democratic Alliance managing to almost repeat their 2014 performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, from the looks of it the Bahujan Samaj Part...

Ep. 21: Gendered Parliament - Women, elections and our democracy feat. Dr. Carole Spary from 2019-06-26T00:30

Political institutions, be the elected assemblies or political parties have not had the presence of women in their ranks, and not in senior levels. Is that too sweeping a statement? How does one...

Ep. 20: Caste, political recruitment and party systems in Tamil Nadu feat. Dr. Andrew Wyatt from 2019-06-19T07:20:05

Tamil Nadu was one of the only states (the others being Kerala and Punjab) to resist the otherwise comprehensive sweep by the National Democratic Alliance in 2019. Yet, in the simultaneously hel...

Ep. 19: What drives pre-poll coalitions to work (and what doesn't) feat. Dr. Christiane Andersen from 2019-06-12T00:30

Even though the Bharatiya Janata Party managed to cross the half-way mark for the second successive time in the 2019 elections, the coalition era of India's politics is well and truly entrenched...

Ep. 18: Caste and networks in Maharashtra feat. Sarthak Bagchi from 2019-06-05T00:30

The National Democratic Alliance managed to repeat its 2014 election performance in Maharashtra winning 41 seats; the United Progressive Alliance, despite the alliance with the NCP did worse tha...

Ep. 17: Social Media, Political Messaging and Branding (feat. Dr Joyojeet Pal) from 2019-05-29T00:30

The results of the 2019 elections have shown that brand and personal messaging on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a large role in the massive victory of the Bharatiya Janata Part...

Ep. 16: Voter Turnout from 2019-05-22T00:30

Election commentators and nerds of all hues pore over turnout numbers to see if they can read the tea leaves that point to the eventual verdict. It has been no different in the 2019 general elec...

Ep. 15: Exit Polls and Surveys : Accuracy and Transparency (with Sanjay Kumar) from 2019-05-17T00:30

In a couple of days, discussions about the 2019 General elections will hinge on the release of exit poll numbers put up by various survey and media agencies. We explore what it takes to go from ...

Ep. 14: Haryana - Caste competition and conflict (feat. Ankur Bhardwaj) from 2019-05-10T00:30

In this episode, we are joined by Ankur Bhardwaj, Senior Editor at Business Standard to talk about the State of Haryana which goes to the polls in the 6th phase of polling. Assembly elections ar...

Ep. 13: West Bengal: Polarization and Mobilization (feat Shoaib Daniyal) from 2019-05-05T00:30

In this episode, we are joined by Shoaib Daniyal of Scroll.in’s team to talk about politics in West Bengal and...

Ep. 12: Anti-incumbency at the State and Centre (feat. Roshan Kishore) from 2019-04-28T08:37:36

Contrary to popular perception, Rajasthan is a diverse state which features everything from well irrigated agricultural regions to deserts, large urban centres, to a significant tribal belt alon...

Ep. 11: Gujarat: Jobless growth, marginalization and caste mobilization (with Aarefa Johari) from 2019-04-22T05:58:29

Gujarat goes to the polls in the third phase of elections. In the last five years it has seen economic upheaval as a result of demonetisation and implementation of the GST. It has also seen mass...

Ep. 10: Assam and North East: NRC and sub-nationalism (feat. Kham Khan Suan Hausing) from 2019-04-17T00:30

As parts of Assam and the North Eastern states of India go to the polls we take this opportunity to discuss some of the issues which have caused much discussion, debate and anxiety in the region...

Ep. 09: Telangana&Andhra Pradesh - Welfare, Caste and Regional aspirations (feat. KK Kailash) from 2019-04-10T00:30

India's newest state goes to the polls tomorrow in the first phase of polls alongside its "parent" state. Though Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were once the same state, their political trajectori...

Ep. 08: General Elections 2019: What's on the minds of voters and candidates (feat. Astha Kapoor) from 2019-04-08T00:30

Starting this week we hope to discuss important themes and issues that might inform how voters choose and how parties reach out to voters in the upcoming elections. Before each phase of election...

Ep. 07: The Politics of Land ownership in India (featuring Raksha Kumar) from 2019-04-03T00:30

Concerns about land and land rights have been key political issues from the beginning of the republic. Even as India urbanizes, these issues have not receded but taken new forms and new dimensio...

Ep. 06: Indira Gandhi, Welfare and Politics (feat. Dr. Diego Maiorano) from 2019-03-27T00:30

In this episode we speak to Dr. Diego Maiorano, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore about two fascinating topics. First - we ask him about his book Autumn of the...

Ep. 05: Women's representation in politics (feat. Shruthi Viswanathan) from 2019-03-20T00:30

There has been a long standing demand for reservations in legislatures in India for women. Currently, fifty percent of positions in panchayati raj institutions are reserved for women. If women's...

Ep. 04: Social Media and Political Parties (with Venkat Ananth) from 2019-03-13T00:30

What is the landscape of social media in India? How are political parties using social media to cement narratives and organise voters? What are different types of media? And what is different fr...

Ep. 03: Political Violence&Riots from 2019-02-27T00:30

Does promoting violence give political parties in India electoral gains? Steven Wilkinson's book "Votes and Violence: Electoral Competition and Ethnic Riots in India" seems to suggest so, lookin...

Ep. 02: Farmers Mobilization&Agricultural Distress in India from 2019-02-13T00:30

Why are farmers in India mobilizing and agitating? What are the politics behind the waiver of 'Farm Loans' by State Governments across the country?
In this episode, Sarayu and Alok go in d...

Ep. 01: Understanding Indian politics from 2019-01-30T00:30

How can we understand how to understand Indian politics? In this debut episode, we (Alok and Sarayu) talk about what this podcast will be about - we explore how and why politics is not just abou...

Ep. 00: Introduction to Ganatantra from 2019-01-23T10:29:11

The Ganatantra podcast is about politics in India, but steering clear of intrigue and personalities, and the everyday news cycle. Join political science thinker Dr Sarayu Natarajan, the founder ...