Episodes
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SPEAKERS
Lt. General Ajay Kumar Singh
PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd.), former Commander in Chief of Southern Command of Indian Army, 11th Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and currently Advisor to O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU).
Shrabani Basu
Journalist and Author of many critically acclaimed books including For King and Another Country: Indian Soldiers on the Western Front 1914-18 and Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant, and Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan. Shrabani is a frequent commentator on Indian history on British television and radio and has appeared in several BBC documentaries on the subject of Empire.
Dr. Indivar Kamtekar
Associate Professor of Modern History at the Centre for Historical Studies of the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is the Modern History editor of the journal Studies in History. He has been a member of the Indian Historical Records Commission, and of the editorial board of the journal Modern Asian Studies. He is also the co-author of the book History in the Making: The Visual Archives of Kulwant Roy.
SYNOPSIS
How does one reconcile with the fact that these soldiers through their devoted services and unbending loyalty were further strengthening a foreign power that was subjugating and exploiting their countrymen? #Britain never had a large contingent in India. It was the Indian soldiers of the #BritishIndianArmy who ensured that no native ruler in India could challenge the British authority. After securing indisputable hegemony for Britain over all of India, they helped it extend its power over our neighbours from Afghanistan to Burma. Sure the Indian soldiers fought valiantly in the world wars, but the people they fought in places extending from Egypt to Malaysia bore no ill-will towards Indians. They were not India’s enemies.
We laud the mutineers of #1857 as India’s first independence heroes, then how can we also commemorate those who chose the #EastIndiaCompany over India and enabled it to defeat these mutineers and brutally crush India’s first rebellion for independence. Similarly, we cannot simultaneously valorise the Indian National Army led by Subhash Chandra #Bose and also those who defeated it so that India continued to remain firmly under the yoke of British tyranny.
However, soldiers fight for the government of the day. All over the world, good soldiers are expected to follow the orders, and not question the motives behind them. The political situation and societal values have considerably changed since the days of the British Indian Army. Is it fair for us to apply our contemporary lens and discredit the sacrifices of these brave Indian men?Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
Bharat Ki Bhashaein - The Indian Language Project
भारत की भाषाईन - भारतीय भाषा परियोजना, भारत की भाषाएँ - भारतीय भाषा परियोजना, ਭਾਰਤ ਕੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾਈਂ - ਭਾਰਤੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪ੍ਰੋਜੈਕਟ, ভাৰত কি ভাষায়েন - ভাৰতীয় ভাষা প্ৰকল্প, ভারত কি ভাষাইন - ভারতীয় ভাষা প্রকল্প, ڀارت جي ڀاشاين - هندستاني ٻولي پروجيڪٽ,, பாரத் கி பாஷெய்ன் - இந்திய மொழி திட்டம், భారత్ కీ భాషేయిన్ - ది ఇండియన్ లాంగ్వేజ్ ప్రాజెక్ట్ഭാ, രത് കി ഭാഷാഇൻ - ഇന്ത്യൻ ഭാഷാ പദ്ധതി, بھارت کی بھاشاین - ہندوستانی زبان کا پروجیکٹ,, ભારત કી ભાષા - ભારતીય ભાષા પ્રોજેક્ટ, ଭରତ କି ଭ ha ଶାଇନ୍ - ଭାରତୀୟ ଭାଷା ପ୍ରକଳ୍ପ |
SPEAKER:
Mahmood Farooqui is an Indian writer, performer and director. He specializes in a type of story-telling known as Dastangoi. Farooqui along with his uncle Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, noted Urdu poet and literary critic, revived Dastangoi, the ancient art of Urdu storytelling. He was awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Pursakar in 2010 for it.
His publications include the award-winning Besieged: Voices from Delhi,1857, Habib Tanvir: Memoirs, Dastangoi,an introduction to the art of dastangoi, and A Requiem for Pakistan: The world of Intizar Husain, a personal exploration of the literary and biographical world of Intizar Husain and brief history of modern Urdu Literary CultureExplore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
Missing episodes?
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At the #WhiteHouse reception to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on 2nd May, US #president #joebiden said that Muslims are globally being targeted with violence. This certainly seems to be the case, with news reports about state oppression, social ostracism, hate crimes and mob violence from around the world increasingly having one thing in common - the religious identity of the victims. Muslims seem to be the target of discriminatory policies ranging from racial profiling in the #US to #CAA in India to hijab bans in Europe. Furthermore Sri Lanka’s shutting down of Madrasas, China’s #Uighur concentration camps and Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing reinforce the view that this is a global phenomenon. And it is not limited to the state-backed policies alone. Vandalism and terror attacks on mosques seem to have become disturbingly frequent in places as far away as Australia, France and Canada. And as per most international watchdogs, both sides of the Atlantic are witnessing a surge in violent crimes against Muslims, especially women who wear clothing associated with their religion.
Is the global Muslim community under siege, as has been asserted by some observers? While the anecdotal evidence would clearly suggest so, does empirical data support it?
Explaining social and political trends playing in numerous nations across different continents simply by pointing towards Global #Islamophobia leaves many questions unanswered. What is causing the selective targeting of Muslims? Why is this happening now at the same time in so many places? What makes Muslims more vulnerable to such targeting than other minorities in many countries? What are the possible solutions?
In order to take on any challenge, it is crucial to first develop a proper understanding of it. This is our aim with the proposed knowledge session.
SPEAKER:
Prof. Khaled A. Beydoun
Professor Khaled A. Beydoun is a law professor, author and public intellectual. He serves as a law professor at Wayne State University, a Scholar-in-Residence at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, and Associate Director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights in Detroit. Professor Beydoun is author of the critically acclaimed book American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear, and co-editor of Islamophobia and the Law – published by University of Cambridge Press.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
In the first episode of the Documentary Series, Argumentative Indians explore
"India's Language Story- Looking for the Missing Links"
As a union of not just states, but of several linguistically diverse peoples, it is unsurprising that disputes over languages have a long history in India. Mass protests and brutal riots were witnessed during the decades after the independence as states were slowly reorganised on linguistic lines. While some languages initially overlooked by the constitution won their battle for official recognition, others gave up and perished, and some still continue to fight.
BJP, the Hindu-nationalist party, currently in power at the centre, is accused of pushing for Hindi-imperialism. However, the debate over national language predates them by over a century. Many of India’s leading independence leaders including Mahatma Gandhi were in favour of linguistic unification and ending the dominance of English, the language of the colonisers.
The unified language Mahatma Gandhi had endorsed was not Hindi, but Hindustani, the language of Indian nationalism and freedom struggle. He believed it would be a more secular choice, fusing Urdu and Hindi into one. Secular it may have been, but it surely wasn’t inclusive of vast swathes of Indians in the South and the East. And now the case for Hindustani is all but dead, with many Indians coming to see Urdu as a non-Indian language.
On the other hand, English has gone from success to success. While understood by a tiny portion of the urban elite at the time of the independence and limited to official use only, in the past 75 years English has penetrated into almost all spheres of Indian life, and percolated down to its remote towns and villages.
After seeing its economic value, most Indians are now loath to give up English, but a small faction still hopes for a national “Link Language” of Indian origin. But any discussion on it rapidly descends into repugnant language chauvinism. “Tamil is the oldest language.” “Bengali is the sweetest language.” “Those who don’t know Hindi cannot be Indians”… and more such trite statements are commonly thrown around.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
While China has claimed that 160 countries reaffirmed commitment to its one-China principle following the visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, India said Friday its own "relevant policies are well known and consistent" and don't require a reiteration. Breaking its silence on the Taiwan issue, and as China intensifies its military drills, the government expressed concern over the rising Cross-Strait tensions and called for restraint and for avoiding any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo.
While India follows a one-China policy, and has only unofficial ties with Taiwan, it stopped reiterating the same in bilateral documents with China well over a decade ago and following differences with Beijing over issues related to Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.
"Like many other countries, India too is concerned at recent developments. We urge the exercise of restraint, avoidance of unilateral actions to change status quo, de-escalation of tensions and efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, responding to media queries about India's position.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
Described in the oldest texts of the Rigveda, Saraswati surpassed in majesty and might all other rivers. Pure in her course from the mountains to the ocean, she descended with a roar down the slope, her fierce current gurgling through its canyon course, containing ~powerful floods inside her. She was the “perfect mother, unsurpassed river, supreme goddess” (Sindhumata).
She finds repeated mentions in Brahamanas and the Mahabharata, in the Puranas and the Smritis. Saraswati intrigued philosophers and poets for generations.
Over thousands of years, as no such river flowed in the physical form, she assumed an other-worldly or mythical status in the minds of Indians, who continue to venerate her as the goddess of knowledge, learning, wisdom, music and the arts.
For centuries people have believed her to be an invisible river that merges into the holy rivers of Ganga and Yamuna at the Triveni Sangam. Millions of Hindus believe that taking a dip there will wash away their sins and free them from the cycle of rebirth.
There are legends that tell us that Saraswati flows underground. One such legend has it that the beautiful goddess Saraswati sprung from the forehead of her father Brahma, the god of creation. It is said that as soon as Brahma looked at her beauty, he was filled with desire for her. Unhappy with the amorous attentions he bestowed upon her, she tried to dodge and hide. This is why the river Saraswati flows underground.
However these #myths and #legends are not sufficient to satiate the curiosity of modern Indians. Since the 20th century, numerous searches have been undertaken for the lost physical river.
Why does a river not seen for thousands of years evoke so much interest? Because according to many in resolving the mystery of #saraswati is the key to understanding our beginning, as a people, as a #culture and as a #civilisation .
While the mystery still endures, in recent years major breakthroughs have significantly expanded our knowledge about #saraswati — These include satellite imagery of ancient river channels, population genetic studies and #archeological discoveries.
So what do we know now? And how to make sense of it?
To address this we are joined by renowned scholar Dr. Lajwanti Shahani, an archaeologist specialising in Harappan and Mesopotamian cultures.
SPEAKER:
Dr. Lajwanti Shahani, an archaeologist with a PhD (from Deccan College,
Pune) in Harappan sea trade of 5000 years ago with another ancient civilization Mesopotamia, and two local cultures of the Persian Gulf region called Dilmun (Bahrain and Qatar), and Magan (Oman Peninsula).
For her fieldwork, she have travelled across Gujarat and Kutch in India, plus the UAE and Oman in the Oman Peninsula identifying markers, and artefacts, of the trade connect:
Apart from her PhD thesis and Master’s dissertation, she has a number of published papers, presented at various conferences on archaeology and marine archaeology, both national and international.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
#sufism in #india is associated with mysticism - from #kashmir to #kanyakumari our land is abound with legends of great fakirs, magical amulets, and sacred dargahs. Far away from the strict tenets of Orthodox Islam, Sufism spread and prospered in India for centuries, operating in a largely spiritual domain. Millions of Indians, regardless of their religious affiliations, still flock to shrines of venerated Sufi saints scattered across the subcontinent. They make earnest wishes and sacred vows in the hope of divine intervention. Yet most of them know little to nothing about the philosophies of those saints. Sufism has exerted such prolonged and profound influence on Indian thought and culture, that its ideas are no longer distinguishable. Over the centuries they have blended into our collective wisdom just like Sufi poetry and music are now integral to India.
In this session we aim to discuss Sufism’s history in India that spans over a millenia. We hope to understand its powerful appeal to all kinds of Indians - from poor Dalits to mighty Sultans, the role it played in India’s religious and political developments, how it shaped Indian society and culture, and how it in turn got shaped by them, and finally its place and relevance in today’s India.
SPEAKER:
Moin Mir is a London-based writer of Indian origin. He began writing under the influence of his grandfather, a scholar of Sufism, Omar Khayyam, and Mirza Ghalib. He is the author of critically acclaimed book Surat: Fall of a Port, Rise of a Prince. His second book The Lost Fragrance of Infinity has been commended for beautifully blending history with philosophy in a story that spans continents.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
From #WendyDoniger to #EvanSpiegel to #justintrudeau , and more recently #rihanna and #gretathunberg Thunberg, we tend to go up in arms at every hint of being slighted or criticised by an outsider. Is this because we are exceptionally thin-skinned? Or is this because we are trying to regain control of the international narrative about India, still plagued with #colonial prejudices.
This is a complex matter and opinions tend to diverge drastically. With the aim of exploring this topic in depth, some of the brightest minds of India from varied fields including Politics, Technology, History, Entertainment and Journalism came together in this insightful debate.
We are proud to have brought together such an amazing group of panelists:
Sanjay Jha - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjay-jh...
Vikram Sampath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikram-sa...
Shweta Kothari - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shwkothari
Shashank Pathak - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashank-ai/
Sukrit Sharma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukrit-sh...
Yajur Arora -Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
In 1998, former president #drkalam predicted that India was on its way to becoming a #superpower . Since then people have started referring to India as an emerging global power.
In 2009 Hillary Clinton called India "not just a regional power, but a global power". Following year US President Barack Obama stated “India is not just a rising power, it has already risen.” More recently Biden administration welcomed India’s “emergence as a #globalpower ”.
Indians have come to believe their ascent to superpower status is inevitable. However the economic growth has stalled, and for the first time since independence middle class has begun to shrink. India is failing to provide quality #education , decent #healthcare and most importantly jobs to its ever burgeoning population. Further the nation is struggling to keep up with the rapid technological breakthroughs such as Artificial Intelligence, Drone Warfare, 3D Printing, 5G and Blockchain taking place outside its borders.
Is Dr Kalam’s prediction still possible?
PANELISTS
Gen JJ Singh - 21st Chief of Army Staff, Former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh
Dilip Cherian - Public Relations expert, Political Campaign Advisor, well known Lobbyist
Bharat Karnad - Author, Emeritus Professor for National Security Studies
Abhijit Iyer-Mitra - Journalist, Researcher, Defence & International Security Expert
Shehzad Poonawalla - Lawyer, Civil Rights Activist, Political CommentatorExplore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
SPEAKER:
Indian historian and journalist. Editor-at-Large at Fortune India where he writes a weekly column. He is also a columnist for Aspen Italia and The New Indian Express.In 2019, his book "The Man Who Saved India" won the prize for best work of non-fiction at the Valley of Words literary festival in India. In 2018, he became the only Indian to win the Wilbur Award given by the Religion Communicators Council of America for his book "Being Hindu". In 2015, his book Recasting India was shortlisted for the Hayek Prize given by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative American think-tank. Hindol Sengupta’s tenth book Sing, Dance and Pray was released on May 14, 2022. This is the authorized biography of Srila Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of ISKCON.
#sardarpatel #indianhistory #indianhistorylive #indianleaders #indiaindependence #partition #indiaindependenceExplore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
SPEAKER:
Professor Pechilis is a Historian of Religions and serves as Chair of the College of Liberal Arts History department, where she teaches courses in global history, the history of Asian religions in the U.S., historical research methods and gender and history. Recent work includes reflections on the body in Indian traditions, theorizing the relationship between bhakti and Tantra, and ethnographic study of women and their perceptions and experience of work. She is the Author of the influential book, 'The Embodiment of Bhakti'.
#indianhistory #bhakti #bhaktimovement #historyofindia #bhaktiyoga #kabirdas #gurunanakdevji #meerabai #ramanujacharyaExplore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
SPEAKER:
Prof. Patton E. Burchett
Patton Burchett is an assistant professor of religious studies at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Professor Burchett's research focuses on (a) early modern devotional (bhakti) and tantric/yogic religiosity in north India and (b) the interrelations of magic, science, and religion in the rise of Indian and Western modernities. His first book, released in May 2019, is titled A Genealogy of Devotion: Bhakti, Tantra, Yoga, and Sufism in North India.
SYNOPSIS:
Far from being at the periphery, #tantra was the dominant form of #religiosity in large parts of the Indian subcontinent for many many centuries. According to several scholars some of the most salient features of Indian culture such as #yoga , #puja , #meditation , #mantras and even the Hindu temple originated not in the #vedas or #upanishads but in Tantra! It’s influence on our contemporary beliefs and practices is immeasurable. Then why and how did Tantra become synonymous with blackmagic in India?Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
SPEAKER:
Ambassador Kishan S. Rana is Professor Emeritus, and a Senior Fellow at DiploFoundation. He was Ambassador and High Commissioner for Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Kenya, Mauritius, and Germany; and consul general in San Francisco. He served on staff of PM Indira Gandhi (1981-82).
Author of the forthcoming book - Churchill, and India: Manipulation Or Betrayal?Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
SPEAKER:
Disha Ahluwalia is an archeologist currently pursuing a PhD at MSU Baroda. She has worked as a field archaeologist for a decade including at sites like Binjor, Sinauli and Rakhigarhi.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
Speaker: Nilakantan RS trained as an engineer at Clemson University and is the Chief Data Scientist for one of India’s largest fintech firms. His primary interest is designing stable decentralized systems – be they political entities or business-related processes.He has written for publications such as The Caravan, Wire.com and The Hindu.
Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
Across the globe, #brands are becoming more vocal about #social and #political issues. This wasn't always the case, till a few decades ago, brands considered any form of advocacy as 'bad business' and prospered on playing it safe. However, as employees and customers become ever more environmentally-conscious, socially-aware and politically-engaged, it has become increasingly challenging for brands to remain silent on raging culture wars. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility - with the kind of influence they assert, brands are expected to speak out.
Many corporations have begun to evaluate their impact on the community and the environment. Through their brands they try to proactively show that they care about more than just minting profits. When big brands choose to take a moral stand, it can count for potent messaging too. This can be evidenced in popular advertisements, campaigns (such as #nike ‘For Once, Just Don’t Do It’ campaign with respect to #racism in #america or P&G's ‘We See Equal’ campaign designed to fight #genderbias ) or even in the choice of brand ambassadors, which are quickly absorbed into public conversation. Some have welcomed this #corporateactivism, for it is these organisational values that in turn form a big part of their overall identity and cultivate an authentic brand promise.
PANELISTS:
1. Jessie Paul
Jessie Paul is a marketing specialist and the Founder/ CEO of Paul Writer, India's leading B2B consulting firm. With over 18 years in services marketing, including a stint with Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, Ms. Paul is considered an expert in brand globalization and has been named one of the most influential business women in the Indian IT industry.
2. Dr. Daniel Korschun
Dr. Daniel Korschun is an associate professor of Marketing at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.His areas of expertise include brand and corporate reputation management, corporate social responsibility, internal marketing, marketing strategy, relationship marketing and country reputation.He is co-author of the book Leveraging Corporate Responsibility: The Stakeholder Route to Business and Social Value (Cambridge University Press).
3. Dr. Prakash Bagri
Prakash Bagri is currently Associate Dean – Corporate Engagements & Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing at the Indian School of Business.He has three decades of experience bridging industry and academia, including leadership positions in Unilever and Intel. He has been adjunct/ visiting faculty at the Indian Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad, Bangalore & Calcutta.
4. Dr. Madhu Visvanathan
Dr. Madhu Viswanathan is a Senior Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Indian School of Business (ISB). Prior to joining ISB, he worked as an assistant professor at University of Arizona. Professor Viswanathan’s research work focuses on the role of distribution channels, B2B relationships, salesforce compensation and its impact on marketing mix elements like prices and assortments.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
SPEAKER:
Disha Ahluwalia is an archeologist currently pursuing a PhD at MSU Baroda. She has worked as a field archaeologist for a decade including at sites like Binjor, Sinauli and Rakhigarhi.
EXPLORE MORE:
Find out about upcoming sessions and learn how you can join them live and become a part of the conversation - https://www.argumentativeindians.comExplore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
SPEAKERS:
Amb. Kishan S Rana
Ambassador Kishan S. Rana is Professor Emeritus, and a Senior Fellow at DiploFoundation. He was Ambassador and High Commissioner for Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Kenya, Mauritius, and Germany; and consul general in San Francisco. He served on staff of PM Indira Gandhi (1981-82).
Author of the forthcoming book - Churchill, and India: Manipulation Or Betrayal?
Dr. Sanjoy Bhattacharya
'Sanjoy Bhattacharya is a historian of South Asia in 19th and 20th centuries, and also works on national, international and global health policy analysis. He is current Head of the School of History at the University of Leeds, UK, where he holds the additional role of Professor of Medical and Global Health Histories.'
Dr Madhusree Mukherjee
Madhusree Mukerjee is a writer and journalist. She is the author of The Land of Naked People: Encounters with Stone Age Islanders (2003) and Churchill's Secret War: The British Empire and the Ravaging of India during World War II (2010). She is also a contributor to the People's Archive of Rural India and an editor with Scientific American.She documents the role played by the policies, as well as the racial and political worldview, of the war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his trusted friend and advisor Frederick Lindemann, in the death and devastation caused by the Bengal famine of 1943 and the partition of India.
Dr. Mark Tauger
Mark B. Tauger is Associate Professor of History at West Virginia University, USA. In 2016-2017 he was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He has published on agriculture and famines and has won the Eric Wolf Prize of the Journal of Peasant History and the Wayne D. Rasmussen Award of the Agricultural History Society. He is the author of "Agriculture in World History"
Dr. Tirathankar Roy
Professor of Economic History at Department of Economic History, at the LSE, and the author of India in the World Economy from Antiquity to the Present. He is one of the most influential researchers of the Economic History of South Asia and India, having published over 25 books and numerous articles. His work spans the fields of Economic History, Business History and Social History, particularly studying the effects of British colonialism in India on its economic development. His recent publications include Law and the Economy in Colonial India. The book discusses the diverse influences that shaped British Indian law and shows why it delivered rather poor value to the users.
FURTHER READINGS:
1. https://penguin.co.in/book/churchills... - By Madhusree Mukherjee
2. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2011... - By Dr. Mark Tauger
3.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
A #policy of No First Use (NFU) of nuclear weapons has long characterised India’s #security doctrine. Official declarations of that policy can be dated back to at least 1994, when the Government of India delivered a non-paper to #pakistan that included, among other things, an agreement on no first use of the nuclear capability. The country’s formal #nuclear doctrine from January 2003 includes a no first use pledge, albeit with caveats. The #Indian #diplomats have often advanced the country’s commitment not to use #nuclearweapons first as a proof of the country being a “responsible” state and thereby a way to resist any pressures to sign any treaties that would affect its #nuclear arsenal. It would seem then, that the NFU is a core element of India’s nuclear weapons posture.
On the other hand, the #NFU commitment has constantly been challenged and reviewed by various quarters, including no less than the Indian leadership. On several occasions, various high-level officials have frequently floated the idea that India should revisit its commitment to such a policy. Indeed, at the very time that the Government announced that it had adopted a formal doctrine, the #nationalsecurity Advisory Board, as it was constituted then, had recommended that the country -
“may consider withdrawing from this commitment as the other nuclear weapons states have not accepted this policy”
Additionally, India is wedged between two nations with territorial ambitions and which maintain a strategic alliance - Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state with no clear doctrine or policy and #China, a world hegemon in waiting with an expanding nuclear arsenal.
In that context, does the No-first-use nuclear policy even make sense for India when looked at from the operational perspective?Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
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We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. -
Intriguing temples dedicated to the worship of #yoginis , group #deities symbolising the sacred feminine force, are scattered all over Central and Eastern India, but remained largely unknown and unstudied by scholars till mid-20th century. Even today the beliefs and practices of those who worshiped in these temples remain steeped in mystery.
Who built these temples? Why were they hidden away in forests and deserted areas? Why do they diverge so drastically from the Indian architectural norms? For what sort of powers were the Yoginis worshipped? Is it true that the rituals involved alcohol, blood, and corpses? How prevalent were such beliefs? Were lower caste and tribal people allowed inside these temples? And finally when and why were they abandoned? To answer these and many related questions about the Yoginis we have with us one of the best scholars on this subject.Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com
DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests. - Show more
