All Indians Matter

The rise of the right wing has been accompanied by a demand for the abolition of reservations. Reservations were introduced to correct a centuries-old imbalance in Indian society that made the upper castes extremely powerful and rich while keeping other castes crushingly poor and low in status. VP Singh, as prime minister, implemented the recommendations of the Mandal Commission by providing reservations for the first time for OBCs in government services. All Indians Matter speaks with veteran journalist Debashish Mukerji, who’s also the author of a much-acclaimed biography of Singh, about how reservations shape Indian politics and what lies ahead for them.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Indian medical students who fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion have not yet been accommodated in Indian colleges despite a government committee’s recommendation that they be given admission to corresponding courses in India. The only option left for the students is to return to Ukraine, which is potentially life threatening and there is no guarantee their courses will be completed either. Their hopes now rest on the Supreme Court. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Centre doesn’t seem to be invested in MNREGA, a lifeline for those suffering the worst from rural distress. Allocation for the scheme was slashed by more than 25% in the last Budget and, worse, Delhi owes more than Rs 4,720 crore as MNREGA dues to 13 states and union territories. Meanwhile, the workers often have to go hungry or take on debt. Anuradha Talwar, veteran trade unionist and rural labour activist, speaks to All Indians Matter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that, every year, 100 billion cigarette butts get dumped in the landfills of India, accounting for 26,454 tons of waste? Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that takes almost 10 years to completely decompose. In fact, such filters are probably the world’s most littered form of plastic with close to 4.5 trillion butts polluting the environment every year. This litter finds its way to our oceans and the microplastics go deep into the ground, posing a serious danger to land and sea life and contaminating our food and water. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.

Environmental challenges posed by cigarette butts: https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/the-environmental-challenge-posed-by-cigarette-butt-litter-101610204964038.html

What the WHO says about cigarette butts: https://www.thehindu.com/society/buttrush-is-an-initiative-to-collect-harmful-cigarette-butts-and-send-them-for-recycling/article65213841.ece#:~:text=In%20truth%2C%20cigarette%20butts%2C%20the,contains%20over%207%2C000%20toxic%20chemicals.

EU ban on microplastics stubs out cigarette butt pollution: https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/30-05-2022-eu-ban-on-microplastics-stubs-out-cigarette-butt-pollution

UN partnership aims to combat microplastics in cigarettes: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/1111072

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What exactly is nationhood? How has it evolved in India and what does it mean in these tough, divisive times, to different groups? Priyadarshini Singh – Research Fellow at the State Capacity Initiative at the Center for Policy Research – recently published the study ‘India and its Nationhood: Grassroots Nationhood as Conceptual Frames’. She speaks to All Indians Matter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Press freedom, never a given in India, has suffered repeated assaults – never more sustained than now. Siddique Kappan’s case is emblematic of it. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021 was one of the deadliest years of the past decade for Indian journalists. No wonder India is ranked 150th among 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.

Mehnaz Kappan’s speech: https://twitter.com/AzeefaFathima/status/1559110055194394624?s=20&t=R0lJfmo1K0wtANJxPRi7iw

India’s World Press Freedom Index ranking: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-falls-8-positions-to-150th-rank-in-rsf-2022-world-press-freedom-index-101651622367861.html

Committee Against Assault on Journalists report: https://www.caajindia.org/2022/02/media%20ki%20gherabandi%20caaj%20report%20uttar%20pradesh.html

The steady decline of democracy, institutions and freedoms in India over the past eight years has been a matter of great concern to Indians and governments across the world. Interestingly, many of the trends witnessed here are mirrored in the US too – the rise of an aggressive right wing, aggressive religious nationalism, calls to subvert the democratic process and, perhaps most worrying of all, a dysfunctional judicial system. As we celebrate Independence Day, Rohit Tripathi, Washington-based policy advocate who has worked with both the US Congress and the Indian Parliament on a variety of issues, speaks to All Indians Matter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government wants more mergers of public sector banks mergers, arguing that it will lead to cost savings and consolidation in the banking sector. But opponents of the move point to problems in the merged banks, ranging from clunky process integration to the shutting of branches and the unsatisfactory reduction of bad loans. What would more such mergers mean for the banking sector and depositors like you? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government claims forest cover has risen by 2,261 sq km, but the figure is hotly contested by experts. They point out that, shockingly, it’s the result of the legal definition of a forest being changed! Now, tea estates, coconut plantations and even tree-lined avenues in cities are being classified as forests. Veteran environmentalist Stalin D, of the NGO Vanashakti, speaks to All Indians Matter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our sporting superheroes have brought the country medals and glory despite the sports system in India. Our performance, especially in major events like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, has improved over time. Now, it’s time to build on it. We are a nation of 1.3 billion with more than 300 million youth – roughly the entire population of the US – of Olympic participation age. Yet, even smaller nations, some of them smaller even than some of our states, regularly win more medals. The problem lies not just in the way we nurture our sportspersons but also in our sporting culture. So, what can be done to make India a sporting superpower?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices