Navigating India

In 1908, an Indian revolutionary from Madras arrived in Marseille, France, and later travelled to Paris, London, Lisbon, New York, Berlin, and Russia with two main objectives: to unveil the brutality of British colonialism and to reject the idea of the universalisation of the nation-state. He made significant contributions to our understanding of resistance to oppression in all its forms, as embodied by the nation-state. He was one of India’s most prominent anarchist activists and theoreticians, M.P.T. Acharya. To explain his life trajectory and the various themes that have shaped it, we are in conversation with historian Ole Birk Laursen.

References:

1. Ole Birk Laursen: Website, LinkedIn
2. Anarchy Or Chaos: M.P.T. Acharya and the Indian Struggle for Freedom by Ole Birk Laursen
3. We Are Anarchists: Essays on Anarchism, Pacifism, and the Indian Independence Movement 1923 - 1953 by M.P.T. Acharya, edited by Ole Birk Laursen
4. ‘I have only One Country, it is the World’: Madame Cama, Anticolonialism, and Indian-Russian Revolutionary Networks in Paris, 1907–17 by Ole Birk Laursen
5. John Steinbeck, Charles Dickens, Samuel Selvon, V.S. Naipaul, George Lamming
6. Spies, Lies and Allies: The Extraordinary Lives of Chatto and Roy by Kavitha Rao (Episode 12 of Navigating India)
7. Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia by Sam Dalrymple (Episode 15 of Navigating India)
8. Magda Nachman: An Artist in Exile by Lina Bernstein
9. The Ghadar Movement: A Forgotten Struggle by Rana Preet Gill

Purnima Tammireddy is a writer, translator, publisher, and full-time software engineer. For nearly two decades, she has contributed to Telugu literature through short stories, book reviews, and articles on technology, as well as by translating fiction and non-fiction from Hindustani, English, and Kannada into Telugu. She recently translated Volga’s ‘On the Banks of the Pampa’ from Telugu to English.

Purnima joins us in this episode to discuss her literary journey, life lessons, her obsession with Manto and partition literature, the Telugu reading community, the craft of translation, gully-cricket, and much more. Sit back and enjoy.

References:

1. Purnima Tammireddy: Instagram, Facebook
2. On the Banks of the Pampa by Volga, translated from Telugu by Purnima Tammireddy 
3. ఎలమి | Elami | Telugu Publishing House
4. Emotional Pregnancy by Purnima Tammireddy
5. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
6. The Sound of the Kiss, or The Story That Must Never Be Told by Pingali Suranna, translated from Telugu by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman
7. Jabberwock, The Middle Stage, Kiran Kumar Chava, Lekhini.org
8. Saadat Hasan Manto, Amrita Pritam, Ismat Chughtai, Sughra Humayun Mirza, Premchand, Harishankar Parsai, Srinatha, Yandamuri Veerendranath, Anita Desai, Ruskin Bond, R.K. Narayan, Italo Calvino, Franz Kafka, Jose Saramago, Chandrahas Choudhury, Gulzar, Arshia Sattar, Vanamala Viswanatha, J Devika
9. Bride in the Hills by Kuvempu, translated from Kannada by Vanamala Viswanatha
10. Pustakam.net
11. Sutradhar theatre group presented a live dramatised reading of Sadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Siyaah Haashiye’
12. Mahaprastanam by Sri Sri
13. The Sixth River: A Journal From The Partition Of India, originally published as Chhata Darya by Fikr Taunsvi, translated by Maaz Bin Bilal
14. Manto by Nandita Das, Pathala Bhairavi (story and dialogues by Pingali)
15. Ramayan by Ramanand Sagar, Mahabharat by B.R. Chopra
16. Naga-Mangala by Girish Karnad, Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag, translated from Kannada by Srinath Perur

As recently as 1928, a vast region spanning twelve of today’s Asian countries—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait—were bound together as a single entity known as the Indian Empire, or simply the Raj. In less than 50 years after 1928, this Indian empire was shattered by five partitions, which created new nations, redrew maps, led to mass migrations, and left behind a legacy of conflict that still haunts the region. What led to these partitions and the creation of new nations? And why is studying these partitions important today in a globalised world? In this episode, Sam Dalrymple joins us to answer these questions. 

References:

1. Sam Dalrymple: Website, X, Instagram, Substack
2. Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia by Sam Dalrymple
3. Project Dastaan
4. Aanchal Malhotra, Kavita Puri, Anirudh Kanisetti
5. Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon from the movie Patanga, sung by Shamshad Begum and C. Ramachandra
6. Quote from Jinnah’s Speech, 11 August 1947:
7. Vajpayee: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924–1977 by Abhishek Choudhary
8. Believer’s Dilemma: Vajpayee and the Hindu Right's Path to Power, 1977–2018 by Abhishek Choudhary
9. Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India by Dhirendra K. Jha

In this episode, I am joined by N. Kalyan Raman, a celebrated translator of modern and contemporary Tamil fiction and poetry into English. Our conversation will explore his journey as a translator, the Tamil literary milieu, the process of text selection, the power and significance of translation, the dynamic between author and translator, the challenges faced by translators, and the broader goal of fostering a more robust literary discourse around translated works.

References:

1. N Kalyan Raman: Website, X, Published Works
2. Ashokamitran, Sundara Ramaswamy, D. Jayakanthan, Subramania Bharati, Perumal Murugan, Vaasanthi, Devibharathi, Poomani
3. Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhashti
4. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell
5. Pyre by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by Aniruddhan Vasudevan
6. Poonachi: Or the Story of a Black Goat by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
7. One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by Aniruddhan Vasudevan
8. Chowringhee by Sankar, translated from Bengali by Arunava Sinha
9. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag, translated from Kannada by Srinath Perur
10. A Southern Harvest (Katha Regional Fiction), edited by Githa Hariharan
11. Farewell, Mahatma: Stories, The Solitude of a Shadow by Devibharathi, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
12. Breaking Free: A Novel by Vaasanthi, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
13. Vaadivaasal, the Arena by C.S. Chellappa, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
14. Vaadivaasal, the Arena by C.S. Chellappa, adapted by Perumal Murugan and Appupen [Graphic Novel]
15. Animal Farm by George Orwell
16. Boats Against the Current: The Kongunadu novels of Perumal Murugan by N Kalyan Raman
17. Why Perumal Murugan’s “One Part Woman” is Significant to the Debate on Freedom of Expression in India by N Kalyan Raman
18. Indian judge rules novelist silenced by nationalist pressure ‘be resurrected’ by Vidhi Doshi
19. Nirmal Verma, Krishna Sobti, Mahasweta Devi, Sunil Gangopadhyay
20. The JCB Prize for Literature has shut down. What else has ended with it? by Arunava Sinha
21. Susan Santag: Quotes on reading and translation
22. Walter Benjamin: The task of the translator

Join us as we converse with Arunava Sinha, India's most prolific translator! We dive into the profound impact of translations, teaching the craft, fostering vibrant translator and reader ecosystems, the influence of AI, and much more.

References

1. Arunava Sinha: Website, X, Instagram
2. Translations Published, Forthcoming and Work in Progress
3. Meet Arunava Sinha, likely India’s most prolific translator by Priya Ramani
4. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
5. Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhashti
6. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell
7. Pyre by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by Aniruddhan Vasudevan
8. How not to (not) teach translation by Arunava Sinha
9. Why Heart Lamp’s Booker win breaks many barriers by Arunava Sinha
10. Lost in Translation: What the first line of “The Stranger” should be by Ryan Bloom
11. Ashoka Centre for Translation
12. A Glimpse of My Life: Autobiography of the Indian Revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, translated from the Hindi by Awadhesh Tripathi
13. The JCB Prize for Literature has shut down. What else has ended with it? By Arunava Sinha
14. Books by Sankar, Translated by Arunava Sinha: Chowringhee, The Middlemen, Limited Unlimited, Dear Reader: A Memoir
15. Books by Manoranjan Byapari, Translated by Arunava Sinha: There’s gunpowder in the air, Imaan
16. Books by Anita Agnihotri, Translated by Arunava Sinha: A Touch of Salt, 17, Sickle
17. Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

While India's freedom struggle is often remembered for its nonviolent approach, remarkable individuals like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Sukhdev, and Rajguru actively pursued revolutionary methods, conducting rebellious activities within India. Meanwhile, others ventured abroad, forging alliances, securing funds and weapons for Indian revolutionaries, assassinating British officials in London, conspiring against colonial authorities, and establishing organisations, parties, and committees, often while navigating complex love lives. Two such remarkable figures are Virendranath Chattopadhyay, alias Chatto, and M.N. Roy. In this episode, Kavitha Rao chronicles the extraordinary journeys of these two individuals.

References

1. Kavitha Rao: Website, X, Instagram
2. Books: Spies, Lies and Allies: The Extraordinary Lives of Chatto and Roy, Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine, The Librarian
3. Daughter of the Earth: A Novel by Agnes Smedley
4. Giulia Lazzari by Somerset Maugham
5. The Multiple Careers of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: In conversation with Nico Slate- Episode 7 of Navigating India 
6. Transnational resistance and fictive truths: Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Agnes Smedley and the Indian nationalist movement by Purnima Bose
7. A Glimpse of My Life: Autobiography of the Indian Revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, translated from the Hindi by Awadhesh Tripathi
8. Why have Indian historians failed to combat ‘WhatsApp history’? By Shoaib Daniyal
9. Ramachandra Guha, Peter Frankopan, William Dalrymple, Manu S Pillai, Srikar Raghavan, Ira Mukhoty, Rollo Romig, Sam Dalrymple
10. Rama Bhima Soma: Cultural Investigations into Modern Karnataka: In Conversation with Srikar Raghavan- Episode 10 of Navigating India
11. New India Foundation
12. A Journalist’s Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India: In conversation with Rollo Romig- Episode 11 of Navigating India
13. Gender bias in men’s reading habits still exists by Claire Shanahan: “This research confirms that while women read books by women and men equally, men overwhelmingly reject books written by women in favour of male authors”

On September 5th, 2017, activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot in front of her house in the city of Bangalore. In January 2025, the last of the accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case was granted bail. No one has been convicted in this case yet. Who killed Gauri Lankesh? Who wanted her silenced? What was her true legacy? And what are the consequences of her assassination for journalism, activism, and democracy in India? Pulitzer Prize finalist author and journalist Rollo Romig joins in this episode to discuss these questions and many more

References:

1. Rollo Romig: Website, Instagram
2. Book: I Am on the Hit List: Murder and Myth-making in South India
3. Last Accused In Custody For Journalist Gauri Lankesh's Murder Gets Bail, 17 Accused Out On Bail While One Absconds by Mustafa Plumber
4. Ground report: Behind Karnataka BJP's ‘jihadi’ murder list, more than Hindutva and Islamist clashes by Sruthisagar Yamunan
5. Have ‘jihadis’ killed 23 Hindutva activists in Karnataka since 2014 as BJP claims? by Sruthisagar Yamunan
6. Gauri Lankesh's killers just did the job our society had designed for them by TM Krishna
7. The end of rule of law in America by J. Michael Luttig
8. ‘Electoral autocracy’: The downgrading of India’s democracy by Soutik Biswas
9. Looking back 2024: Most dangerous places for journalists by Gautam Nirmal Doshi
10. How to steal a river by Rollo Romig
11. Agni Sreedhar: Instagram
12. My Days in the Underworld- Rise of the Bangalore Mafia by Agni Sreedhar
13. India's newspaper revolution: capitalism, politics, and the Indian-language press, 1977-99 by Robin Jeffrey
14. Speaking of Shiva by A.K. Ramanujan
15. Who is Luigi Mangione, CEO shooting suspect? by Madeline Halpert & Mike Wendling
16. Rama Bhima Soma: Cultural Investigations into Modern Karnataka- In Conversation with Srikar Raghavan- Episode 10 of Navigating India
17. The Adversary by Srikar Raghavan

In this episode, I am in conversation with Srikar Raghavan about his book, ‘Rama Bhima Soma: Cultural Investigations into Modern Karnataka’. With rigorous research and profound sensitivity, this work examines the trajectories of Karnataka’s Literary, Trade Union, Naxal, Dalit, Socialist and Environmental movements. It also delves into the genesis and contradictions of all the major ideologies that have operated within the state and highlights the contributions of several individual figures, including Saketh Rajan, Syed Issaq, Shankar Mokashi Punekar, Shantaveri Gopala Gowda, Dr. Rajkumar, Pratibha Nandakumar, M.K. Indira, U.R. Ananthamurthy, S.L. Byrappa, and Ram Manohar Lohia. This episode and the book itself offer a scholarly exploration of the ideas, events, biographies, and movements that have significantly shaped the cultural and social fabric of Karnataka.

References: 

1. Srikar Raghavan: About, Twitter, Instagram
2. Rama Bhima Soma: Cultural Investigations into Modern Karnataka by Srikar Raghavan
3. Rama Bhima Soma Website
4. Essays by Srikar Raghavan: The Adversary (On Saketh Rajan and Naxalism in Karnataka), Running after the light: Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy’s writing searches for a new moral order
5. Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi
6. Chomana Dudi by Kota Shivarama Karanth
7. Provincials: Postcards from the Peripheries by Sumana Roy (Review by Srikar Raghavan)
8. Bringing Ambedkar and Gandhi together by Ramachandra Guha
9. The Flaming Feet and Other Essays: The Dalit Movement in India by D.R. Nagaraj
10. The Life and Times of George Fernandes by Rahul Ramagundam (Spotify, Apple Podcasts)
11. Chomana Dudi, Moga Padeda Mana by Kota Shivarama Karanth
12. Remembering U R Ananthamurthy by Chandan Gowda
13. U R Ananthamurthy: Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man (Translated from Kannada to English by A K Ramanujan), Bharathipura (Translated from Kannada to English by Susgeela Punitha), Avasthe (Translated from Kannada to English by Narayan Hegde)
14. Vamshavriksha, Daatu by S L Byrappa 
15. Varadambika Parinaya Campu of Tirumalamba (Translated from Sanskrit to English by Sujatha Reddy)
16. Songs for Siva: Vacanas of Akka Mahadevi (Translated by Vinaya Chaitanya)
17. Tungabhadhra by M K Indira
18. A Part Apart: The Life and Thought of B.R. Ambedkar by Ashok Gopal
19. Staging a folk epic by Sweekruthi K (On Daklakatha Devikavya, a play adapted from works of K.B. Siddaiah)
20. Making History: Karnataka’s People and their Past- Volume I (Stone Age to Mercantilism), II (Colonial Shock, Armed Struggle) by Saki (alias Saketh Rajan)
21. Naanembudu Kinchittu (Autobiography) by Dr. Mogalli Ganesh
22. How the Brahmins Won: From Alexander to the Guptas by Johannes Bronkhorst
23. Who was Shivaji by Govind Pansara 
24. Library with 11,000 books burnt down in Mysuru, librarian vows to rebuild it by Sanjana Deshpande
25. Syed Issaq- Mysuru’s ‘library man’ rebuilds his dream, on his own labour by Karthik KK
26. Sri Ramayana Darshanam by Kuvempu (Translated from Kannada to English by S M Punekar)

In this episode, I am in conversation with Neha Dixit about her new book, ‘The Many Lives of Syeda X: The Story of an Unknown Indian’- an outcome of 9 years and more than 900 interviews to tell the story of an ordinary working-class faceless Indian woman, from the early 1990s to the present day. 

We also discuss her journey as a journalist since 2007 and her extraordinary resolve to report the ground realities of the ‘New India’ in the face of increased corporatisation of the media, ongoing law and order cases and criminal cases against her that take years in the court of law (two days after recording this episode, she had to appear for a hearing in Guwahati), imminent threats and intimidation.

References: 

What does education do? Whose needs are being met by education? What does education mean to different people? Why did schooling fall short in providing equality of opportunity? Vishal Vasanthakumar joins us in this episode to illustrate the complex issues involved in the provision and purpose of education in India. 

References: