ARGUMENTATIVE INDIANS PODCAST

PANELISTS
Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed  #DrIshtiaqahmed @Ishtiaqahmed
Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University and Author. He is the Editor-in-General of the "Liberal Arts & Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ)".

Dr. Sucheta Mahajan #Drsuchetamahajan
Professor & Former Chairperson, Center For Historical Studies, JNU. Her publications include Towards Freedom: Documents on India's Freedom Struggle, 1947, parts one and two (editor), 2013 and 2015; Independence and Partition: The Erosion of Colonial Power in India (2000) and India's Struggle for Independence (with Bipan Chandra et al),1988.

Dr. Masood Ashraf Raja #Masoodashrafraja @Postcolonialism
Associate professor of postcolonial literature and theory at the University of North Texas. He is the editor of Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies, an open access journal that he founded in 2009.

Sudheendra Kulkarni  #sudheendrakulkarni
Indian politician, Socio-Political Activist, Author and columnist. Author of "MUSIC OF THE SPINNING WHEEL: Mahatma Gandhi's Manifesto for the Internet Age".

Abhijit Chavda #abhijitchavda #askabhijit @abhijitchavda
Founder & Host of, The Abhijit Chavda Podcast. He is also a writer and researcher of history and geopolitics. Abhijit writes articles for several publications including Swarajya, IndiaFacts, MyNation, the Deccan Chronicle and the Asian Age.

SYNOPSIS:
The #Partition of India was one of the most tragic events experienced by humanity in modern times. It is estimated that one million people were killed and 12 million made homeless. Painful loss of family members and loved ones to mindless violence have left the collective memories scarred on both sides of the border created by the Partition.
Even as we approach 75 years since this momentous event people have never ceased wondering and questioning ‘what if’. The reasons that led to the Partition and its very legitimacy continue to remain highly contested. While many accuse #independenceleaders such as #Gandhi and #Nehru, others lay the blame squarely on #British connivance and yet others trace the seeds of division in the birth of the #MuslimLeague. The defenders of each side claim their powerlessness in the face of the inevitable Partition. But was it really inevitable?


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.

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.

Voices seeking rewriting of #IndianHistory are not new. For decades there have been myriad groups expressing their discontent with the mainstream history as it is taught in Indian schools and universities. Some of the most repeated criticisms include under-appreciation of ancient Indian achievements, exploitative portrayal of #caste, undue importance to #Mughals and neglect of those who resisted them, Delhi-centric narrative and oversight of histories of #Kashmir, North-East and South India, romanticisation of #precolonial inter-communal relations, airbrushing of #British atrocities and disproportionate importance to #Gandhi and #Congress leaders in the freedom struggle at the expense of revolutionaries such as #Bose and #Savarkar. 

In the last few years these voices have become increasingly louder with the rise of social media and ideological state support. A strong impetus came two years ago when India’s home minister, Amit Shah called upon historians to re-write history. 

Yet for many professional historians such demands are puzzling, as they seem to suggest that Indian history was some sort of a static gospel. They point out that history writing is a continuous process. New research and re-examination of available evidence are always underway. This however has failed to assuage the critics who allege a systemic bias in Academia resulting in what they view as “distorted history”.

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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.

Prostitution has been an age old trend in the Indian society and no one can today can even find out the approximate date from when this profession came into existence. It is claimed that it has been a part of our society even before Christ came into existence. Though surprising, it is still true that prostitution has still not got any specific legal recognition in our country. One can say it is neither legal nor illegal in the country. 

To look at this issue from different views, we have brought a group of reputed experts, activists, academicians and psychologists with direct experience. Organizations involved at the grassroots levels such as Kranti, Kat-Katha and MSC will be putting forth their view on the matter.
We firmly believe it is critical to include the perspectives of sex workers themselves. The President of National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW) and one of the members of Veshya Anyay Mukti Parishad (VAMP) will be representing the voice of the sex workers. 

Explore More - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROL4M2k_nSM&t=174s

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:
Dr. Timothy Lynch, Professor in American Politics and the Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. In 2022, he will be the Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Wyoming, researching 'red state' foreign policy. Author of in the Shadow of the Cold War: American Foreign Policy from George Bush Sr. to Donald Trump.

SYNOPSIS:
Every day we come across numerous articles and political commentaries asserting that America is in decline. Terms like the “new world order”, referring to a world where United States is no longer the sole hegemon, have become ubiquitous. Foreign policy wonks churn out reports on how their nations should prepare for the imminent bipolar world or multipolar world.

For those on the political Right, US has gone too far from its roots chasing political correctness and this has precipitated its fall. And for those on the Left, America’s prestige and authority have waned due to its inability to conform to its own values of equality and justice for all, as evident from the extreme inequality and endemic racism. Either side foretells America’s diminishing global stature.

Prophesies of American Decline are not new. The rise of Soviet Union, collapse of Breton Woods, Japan’s economic success, Sep 11, America’s war on terror, the global financial crisis, and now the China challenge…. All have been at some point claimed to be the harbinger of America’s end.

Naturally such predictions have never come to much. United States remains the most powerful nation economically, militarily and culturally. But just because the declinists were wrong in the past, does not mean that US would reign supreme forever. The gap between the US and other powers has narrowed considerably. Is this time really different? Are we witnessing the decline of America?

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.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.

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.

The world is becoming increasingly gender-neutral. Most of Europe and North America and even Asian countries such as South Korea, Bhutan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have enacted gender-neutral laws. Under #genderneutral laws, all genders are equal in the eyes of law. Is India ready to follow suit?

As the #Metoo movement gathered pace in India, it was not just female victims who rose to speak up against sexual violence. The #Indianlaw assumes that only women can be victims of sexual crimes, and men can only be the perpetrators. When it comes to domestic violence, workplace harassment, stalking, voyeurism and rape, our laws do not see men as being at the receiving end. However, this is far from the reality. Thousands of men are subjected to gender-based violence each year, but in the absence of explicit laws to protect them, they are forced into a helpless silence.

#Article14 of the Indian Constitution grants equal protection under law, so shouldn’t all victims have access to justice irrespective of their gender? As many legal experts have pointed, crime has no gender, so shouldn’t the law of the land be applied equally to all genders?

Some worry that such changes would ignore the power differentials deeply entrenched in our society and would roll back decades of progress made by women’s rights groups. Yet others argue that it is impossible to frame laws that are gender-neutral in a country with such varied personal laws. Moreover, with a lack of #socialawareness around the matter, India might not be ready for such disruptive changes.

Would introducing gender neutral laws further tip the balance of power towards men? And does that risk justify depriving thousands of male victims of all recourse to justice? This is a complex subject, largely overlooked by the mainstream media.

We believe it is high time we bring it out from under the carpet and have an informed discussion on it.

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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:
Parvati Sharma
Parvati Sharma. Acclaimed Indian author, best known for her unconventional narrative biographies, among which the latest is Akbar of Hindustan.

SYNOPSIS:
Akbar is usually presented as a beacon of tolerance. His philosophy of “Sulh-I-Kul” or universal peace seems far-sighted and rather astonishing if we consider the times he lived in. Times when Elizabethan England was zealously persecuting Catholics, Huguenots were getting massacred in France and the infamous Inquisition was torturing “heretics” not just in Spain and Portugal but across their vast empires in America, Africa and Asia. Freedom of religion had not yet been conceived as a value much less articulated and enshrined among state objectives anywhere in the world.

The ethos of pluralism and tolerance pioneered by Akbar served his empire well long after he had passed away.

Now in 21st century as religious differences are once again beginning to tear at India’s social fabric, can we look to Akbar’s India as a role-model for our multicultural society? Can Akbar be upheld as an icon for a cohesive India?

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.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.

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.

We take immense pride in #India’s unique and glorious #history, and yet the unfortunate irony is that most of the best relics of this history are scattered across museums and private collections far away from India. The large scale looting of India by British colonisers deprived it of tens of thousands of priceless artworks among so much else.

Even as India approaches 75 years of #independence and claims to have arrived as a major political and economic power on the world stage, surprisingly there is little to no national discussion about restoring our vast stolen heritage. In recent years a few volunteer-based independent initiatives have emerged working towards building a moral case for restitution of Indian #artefacts. They argue that “History belongs to Geography”, and it is wrong for the #heritage of #Indian people to be located elsewhere.

While their efforts have been quite successful in bringing back many important #antiquities smuggled out of India post independence, the national museums of UK and many other western countries have flatly refused to return art objects plundered during the colonial period. Arguments range from the futility of correcting historical wrongs to the inability of India in protecting and preserving precious art. Some Indian scholars also support this view pointing to the apathy of the Indian government and broader society towards #art. They highlight the dismal condition of most of India’s resource-starved museums and the poor treatment meted out to many of the recovered artworks. But does India’s alleged incompetence in looking after its heritage entitle others to own it? Are Indian #artworks really better off in international #museums?

Panelists -

1. Prof. Jyotindra Jain - #jyotindrajain
- Jyotindra Jain  is an Indian art and cultural historian, and museologist.

- A scholar on folk and ritual arts of India, he was the Director of the National Crafts Museum, New Delhi and Member Secretary and Professor (Cultural Archives), at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi.

2. Anurag Saxena - #anuragsaxena #indiaprideproject
- Anuraag Saxena is an Indian activist, author and commentator and  the Regional CEO with World Education Foundation.

- He is a founder of the India Pride Project, a volunteer effort to return to India archaeological artifacts taken out during the colonial period.

3. Dr. Naman Ahuja - #drnamanahuja

- Dr. Naman P. Ahuja  is an art historian and curator and Professor of Indian Art and Architecture at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

- His research and graduate teaching focus on Indian iconography and sculpture, temple architecture and Sultanate-period painting.

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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.

With the central government increasing its hold over the states in administrative, financial, and legislative domains, experts warn against the steady dilution of federalism and its multifold consequences. When it comes to financial matters, they contend that "one nation one tax" under the GST regime has made states heavily dependent on the Centre for release of dues.

In law-making, every second bill proposed by parliament is opposed by the states as encroaching on state subjects, for instance, the contentious farmers laws, dam safety law; the list goes on. During the pandemic, states complained the directions issued by the Central government made the states appear as subordinate partners. Many fear that federal space shrunk to the detriment of the constituent states.  

On the other hand, supporters of a strong Central government defend this 'asymmetrical federalism', by stating that only a strong Centre can ensure political stability, and not cave into polarising and secessionist forces. Moreover, because of India's massive cultural heterogeneity and threats to national security, proponents deem this arrangement as necessary for the very survival of the nation. 

What do such Centre-state entanglements say about India's federalism? And what should we be batting for - a more federalised structure or a stronger Centre?  

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. 

PANELISTS:

Mr. N K Singh
Seasoned bureaucrat, Leading Economist, Prominent Politician - Bhartiya Janta Party, Former member of Rajya Sabha, and presently the head of 15th Finance Commission of India. Formerly, he was a member of the Planning Commission and handled assignments of Union Expenditure and Revenue Secretary. He was also an Officer on Special Duty to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mr. Praveen Chakravarty
Eminent Political Economist, Leading Columnist, Chairman of the Data Analytics department, and Senior Office Bearer, Indian National Congress. He has co-authored with former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and many others. He has served in the Unique Identity Project (Aadhaar) and in the National Skills Development Agency.

Ms. Avani Kapur
Lead, Accountability Initiative, working towards Responsive Governance and Fellow, Centre for Policy Research. She leads research studies on fiscal federalism, health, nutrition, sanitation, and education financing.

Dr. Niranjan Sahoo
Senior Fellow, Governance and Politics Initiative, ORF and South Asia member for the Carnegie Rising Democracies Network. He writes on governance reforms, federalism, decentralisation, service delivery, electoral reforms, democracy, human rights, insurgencies, affirmative action and social exclusion.

Dr. Wilfried Swenden- Senior Professor of Indian and South Asian Politics, University of Edinburgh, and foremost expert on multi-level governance and federalism. He co-convened the ECPR Standing Group on Federalism and Regionalism, the largest European network in the field of territorial politics and he was also Vice-Chair of IPSA RC28, Research Committee on Comparative Federalism and Multi-Level Governance, International Political Science Association.

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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.

India’s increasing closeness with the US and joining the QUAD (an informal forum for cooperation with US, Japan and Australia ostensibly to contain China) is viewed with optimism in India, but has come at the expense of straining India’s age old relationship with Russia, which has not kept its displeasure a secret. At the same time India’s decision to buy Russia’s S-400 air defence despite repeated warnings of sanctions from the US is testing the limits of the new-found warmness between the two democracies.

India hopes to grow its strategic partnership with the US, while at the same time retaining its special relationship with Russia. But as US-Russia ties revert to Cold War hostility, will India be able to maintain this delicate balance or will it be forced to choose (once again) one over the other? And who will India choose - the longtime steadfast friend or the new wealthy suitor?

PANELISTS:

Amb. Ashok Sajjanhar (@asajjanhar)
- Served as India’s ambassador to Sweden, Latvia and Kazakhstan
- And is currently the president of Institute of Global Studies

Maj Gen PC Kharbanda
- Veteran of 1971 Indo-Pak war
- He is a senior fellow at CLAWS - Centre for Land Warfare Studies

Emily Tamkin (@emilycttamkin)
- Well-known American Journalist
- US Editor of New Statesman

Brig. Pradeep Sharma (@BrigPradeep)
- Over 35 years of active military experience
- Well-known speaker on contemporary topics of National Security and  Counter Terrorism

Commander Dr. Shishir Upadhyaya (@Shishir6)
- Associate Professor & Associate Dean, Jindal School of International Affairs
- Former defence intelligence officer with vast experience in Indian Navy
- Author of 'India’s Maritime Strategy-Balancing Regional Ambitions and China'

#russiaukraineconflict   #ukrainewar #geopolitics #diplomacy #russia #ukrainewar #ukrainerussiacrisis

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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.

We routinely hear media pundits and celebrities vocalise the popular notion that reservations have encouraged an environment of “mediocrity”. Middle-class Indians frequently lament about the unfairness of the reservation policy and attribute to it a litany of perceived national problems ranging from inefficiency of India’s bureaucracy to poor quality of its medical services to the incompetence of its engineering graduates. 

A nation that persistently compromises on “merit” cannot compete at the global level. This is the argument of many members of India’s prestigious IITs and IIMs, who insist that they are “institutes of excellence” and hence must be exempted from reservations. They explain the lack of representation of minorities and OBCs in their faculty by emphasising the focus on “merit” in their selection. 

There is widespread support for the view that “merit” should be the sole selection yardstick for access to top schools and jobs. Proponents of this caste-blind approach insist that it is the only way for India to break out of the shackles of the centuries old pernicious caste-divisions. By designating certain castes as “backward”, we are perpetuating the existing distinctions on the basis of caste. 

If the aim of reservations is to make up for socio-economic differences, then those differences should be basis of the reservation policy, not caste. This would help end the continued presence of caste in public discourse and allow more targeted allocation of reservation benefits to those who actually “deserve” them, as opposed to the “creamy layer” among the oppressed castes, who tend to be repeated beneficiaries of India’s affirmative action policies. 

Further the historically privileged classes cannot be expected to atone for the sins of their ancestors till perpetuity. Reservation policies have been in force for over 70 years and even longer in some parts of India. Generations of students and job applicants have experienced utter frustration at seeing their hard earned positions being denied to them and allocated to those who scored less than them in competitive exams. Isn’t this reverse discrimination?

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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.