Jaipur Bytes

Darryl Jones, Maja Lunde and Mridula Ramesh in conversation with Marcus Moench. The disruptions of climate change can no longer be ignored. A timely and urgent conversation on perhaps the most crucial issue for our planet that discusses the ingenuity and initiative required to adapt to changing conditions while attempting to reverse their shattering consequences. A panel of distinguished environmentalists and climate warriors speak of their experiences and learnings. Darryl Jones is an academic at Australia’s Griffith University who has been engaged in exploring the many ways that humans interact with nature. Maja Lunde has written several books for children and young adults, including The History of Bees. Mridula Ramesh is the founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, focused on waste and water solutions and education, and an active angel investor in cleantech startups. Her recent book is The Climate Solution: India's Climate-Change Crisis and What We Can Do about It. Marcus Moench is the founder of ISET-International and has worked extensively on water, climate and urbanisation particularly in Asia. This episode is a live session from day 3 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Sven Beckert is Laird Bell Professor of American History at Harvard University, where he teaches the history of the United States in the nineteenth century, and global history. Patrick French is a biographer and historian, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Professor for the Public Understanding of the Humanities at Ahmedabad University. This episode is a live session from day 2 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Dhrubo Jyoti, Desraj Kali, Manoranjan Byapari and Sheoraj Singh Bechain in conversation with Harish Trivedi. Transformative Dalit literature has an inspirational role to play in the battle for justice and equity. Iconic writers and journalists who struggled with extreme poverty, prejudice and illiteracy and went on to become highly regarded litterateurs speak of the trajectory of their careers, the hardships and humiliation they faced and the victories and redemptions of literature. Sheoraj Singh Bechain teaches Hindi in the University of Delhi and is the author of several books, including the chilling autobiography Mera Bachpan Mere Kandhon Par. Manoranjan Byapari, a Bengali writer and sociology political activist, learnt to read and write while in jail at the age of 24. He has written over a dozen novels, a hundred short stories and numerous essays. His autobiographical novel, Interrogating My Chandal life, has won several awards. Dhrubo Jyoti is a Dalit and genderqueer person who works on issues of caste, gender and sexuality. Desraj Kali is a Punjabi novelist whose work focuses on the Ghadar movement, the literature and culture of Punjab and Dalit issues. In conversation with writer, editor and critic Harish Trivedi, they discuss their writing in the context of the personal and the political, and the many dimensions of Dalit literature. This episode is a live session from day 2 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Information empowers and its role in a democracy is especially critical and definitive. In this important session, social activist Aruna Roy, the power behind the RTI Movement and Harsh Mander, fearless activist, who works with survivors of mass violence and hunger, the homeless and street children, and also the Director of the Centre for Equity Studies, make a passionate plea for the ‘Right to Know’ in order to challenge the convenient obscurantism of those in power. In conversation with Indian feminist and publisher Urvashi Butalia, a session rich in anecdote and readings from The RTI Story: Power to the People, authored by Roy, and for those who ask questions to seek answers. This episode is a live session from day 2 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Audrey Truschke, Parvati Sharma, and Rana Safvi in conversation with Ira Mukhoty. This episode is a live session from day 3 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Daniel E. Lieberman and David Reich in conversation with Tony Joseph. A session that brings together two of the most highly regarded geneticists and paleoanthropologists of our age. Everyone knows about DNA. It is the essence of our being, influencing who we are and what we pass on to our children. But its information can’t be used without a machine to decode it. The ribosome is that machine. David Reich tells the story of Who We Are and How We Got Here while Daniel E. Lieberman speaks of The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease. Together, they discuss the emerging picture that is one of many waves of ancient human migrations where all populations living today are a mix of ancient ones and often carry a genetic component from archaic humans. Chaired by writer and journalist Tony Joseph. This episode is a live session from day 1 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Anjum Hasan, Andrew Sean Greer, Jayant Kaikini and Mahesh Rao, moderated by Paul McVeigh. This episode is a live session from day 5 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Boria Majumdar, Rajdeep Sardesai and Shashi Tharoor in conversation with Prayaag Akbar. This episode is a live session from day 2 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Alka Pande, Bulbul Sharma, Devdutt Pattnaik, Pavan K. Varma and Yudit Greenberg in conversation with Malashri Lal, introduced by Namita Gokhale. This episode is a live session from day 1 of #ZEEJLF2019.

Ruby Wax (actress, comedian, mental health campaigner, lecturer, and author of 'How to be Human) in conversation with journalist and poet Jerry Pinto. This episode is a live session from day 1 of #ZEEJLF2019.