The Big Story

By The QuintSociety & Culture News

The Big Story episodes

March 23, 2022 Birbhum Violence: What Happened and How It's Becoming a TMC Vs BJP Issue Now
West Bengal’s Birbhum district has been simmering with tensions since the beginning of this week.

The murder of Bhadu Sheikh, a local TMC panchayat leader in Bogtui village, sparked violence from the night of 21 March, with several houses being set ablaze. At least eight lives were lost in the arson incident, while three people including a minor have been hospitalised.

On 22 March, 11 people have been arrested as charred bodies were recovered from two houses. Fearing repercussions of this violence, many people from this village are now starting to pack up and leave.

While some reports have alleged that this incident of violence is an intra-TMC feud, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that there is a larger conspiracy to defame the state.

But this incident is fast turning into a BJP vs TMC issue, with not just leaders like Suvendu Adhikari or Dilip Ghosh criticising the law and order of the state, but Prime Minister Narendra himself also acknowledging this incident.

Addressing a virtual event at Kolkata's Victoria Memorial, PM Modi urged the people of Bengal to never forgive perpetrators of Birbhum violence. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah has also sought a report from the West Bengal government in 72 hours.

But which events led to this spell of violence? What is the current situation on ground? In this episode, we’ll hear from family members of the victims. We also have with us freelance journalist Ajoy Mukhopadhyay giving us updates from ground zero and Monideepa Banerjie, a senior independent journalist who talks about what impact can this incident have on the TMC-led government and the state's politics.

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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17 min
March 22, 2022 Why The CUET Test for College Admissions is Garnering Mixed Reactions
It’s not class XII board exam results but a new Common University Entrance Exam or the CUET that will drive college admissions now.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) said this test that is likely to be held in the first week of July, will be compulsory for anybody seeking admissions to undergraduate courses in all the 45 central universities from the academic year of 2022-23.

This is going to be a computer-based multiple-choice test that will be held in two shifts and can be taken in 13 languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, Punjabi, Odia, and English.

But who all are eligible to take the test and what will the CUET test students on? We’ll try to answer all the FAQs around this upcoming test.

However, there are also some larger questions that arise with this decision. For instance, will this be beneficial for students’ education? Or will the CUET end up diluting the importance of school education and school exams? Is it important that school marks still carry some weightage? Does it level out the opportunities for student as intended?

In this episode we ask teachers and educators to tell us what they have to say on this new method of admission and whether or not the CUET will reduce the burden on students.

Our guests are Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson & Executive Director of Education, Innovations and Training- DLF Foundation Schools and Scholarship Programmes; Abha Dev Habib, Professor of Physics at DU's Miranda House and a Member of Executive Council of Delhi University; and Neeti Bhalla, Executive Principal, GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram.

Tune in!

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Editor: Shelly Walia
Guests: Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson & Executive Director of Education, Innovations and Training- DLF Foundation Schools and Scholarship Programmes;
Abha Dev Habib, Professor of Physics at DU's Miranda House and a Member of Executive Council of Delhi University;
Neeti Bhalla, Executive Principal, GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram.

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Also Read: Common Entrance Test Compulsory for UG Admissions: How Should One Prepare?

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15 min
March 21, 2022 Does 'The Kashmir Files' Represent Kashmiri Pandits or Co-opts Them?
Vivek Agnihotri’s new film - The Kashmir Files that focuses on the events surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits between the late 80’s and early the 90’s, has been triggering a lot of responses from day one.

It’s also perhaps one of the few Bollywood films releases of the Covid-era that continues to be at the box office for 10 days now with steady earnings.

For comparison, Gangubai Kathiawadi starring Alia Bhatt that was released in February 25 earned Rs 117 crores domestically in three weeks. But recently, after raking up its highest one-day collection yet on 20 March Sunday, The Kashmir Files’ total earnings now stand at Rs 167 crores roughly. This is just in 10 days!

But at the same, Vivek Agnihotri’s film has sparked a political storm with debates around what the film depicts and how polarized its reception has been on the ground.

While some feel that it’s about time that the painful story of Kashmiri pandits be shared with the country unabashedly, others point out that in the process of dramatization, the movie stray from facts and ends up vilifying and generalizing Kashmiri Muslims.

But amid this cacophony of arguments and counter-arguments, a big question is, who is the film for? Does it serve the purpose of representing the plight of Kashmiri pandits, or does it get politically co-opted?

In this episode of The Big Story, I’ll be joined by Aditya Raj Kaul, the Executive Editor of TV9 Network and Dr Suneem Khan, a Medical Doctor with CRPF at Srinagar who describes himself as a cinephile. We’ll hear from them their views of what the film does and doesn’t.

Tune in!

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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16 min
March 17, 2022 Can the Congress Party Survive Without a Gandhi at the Helm?
Post the 2022 Assembly election results, two things became abundantly clear from the final scoreboard: first, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) proved that it remains a formidable force and second, the Congress party seems to be in a free fall.

To rectify this crisis, on Wednesday, 16 March, a group of 18 Congress leaders – a mix of G-23 dissidents and others – met at the senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s house. Here they decided that the grand old party needs a “collective, inclusive leadership.” They also demanded that the Congress needs to be proactive to create a platform with other “like-minded parties to take on the BJP in 2024.”

Before this, the Congress Working Committee, the party's top decision-making body, also held a meeting on 13 March. The five-hour-long meeting, however, reached the déjà vu conclusion of the party leadership consisting of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offering to step down from their respective roles and then the CWC unanimously refusing to accept their resignations and passing a resolution to let them continue.

The question of a Congress without a Gandhi at the helm has been compounding over the years, especially after the G-23 leaders stood up in 2020, demanding sweeping organisational change. But the question after every meeting has remained unanswered.

And the resounding rejection of the party in the recently concluded elections poses the next big question: where does the Congress go from here? Is a change in leadership the only answer to move ahead?

Joining me today to discuss this are political analysts and senior journalists Arati Jerath and Javed Ansari.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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20 min
March 16, 2022 Hijab Row Verdict: Understanding the Impact on Muslim Women's Education
The Karnataka High Court on 15 March effectively upheld the government imposed ban on hijab in educational institutions in the state and further stated that the right to wear a hijab is not constitutionally protected.

Referring to constitutional guarantees, Hazra Shifa, one of the students who filed the petition in the court, said, “We were expecting so much from our constitution and country. If today Dr BR Ambedkar were alive, he would have literally cried."

As examinations are expected to begin in April and the students said they would seek further legal course and will approach the Supreme Court to intervene and stay the order.

But the ongoing chaos over this issue for the past few months, especially after the verdict, has brought forward the question of how it is impacting the education of Muslim women.

In our last episode, we broke down the high court verdict and why it may be problematic. In today’s episode, The Quint spoke to Aliya Assadi, one of the students who filed the petition on the effect it will have on her education. You will also hear from Mihira Sood, Executive Director of Centre for Child Rights & Juvenile Justice and a professor at the National Law University.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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14 min
March 15, 2022 Hijab Row Case: Why the Karnataka High Court Verdict is Problematic
After months of political upheaval and 11 days of hearing, a three-judge bench in the Karnataka High Court upheld the restrictions on Muslim women wearing a hijab in educational institutions.

The bench held that the right to wear a hijab is not constitutionally protected. In its verdict, the bench comprising of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi stated: “We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith... The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction that is constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to."

The court also held that the Karnataka governments 5 February order, which essentially banned the wearing of hijab in educational institutions, is sound and that there was no case made out for its invalidation.

Commenting on the high court order, Karnataka Chief Minister (CM) Basavaraj Bommai asked everyone to maintain "peace and order" and allow the students to attend classes, adding that education was more important than anything else. ⁦

In today’s episode, we breakdown the reasoning behind the Karnataka high courts judgment and why it is problematic.

Guest: Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint's Legal Editor
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Vakasha Sachdev

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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34 min
March 14, 2022 India Missile Misfire: How Can an Accident Like This Happen?
In an extremely rare incident, India on 9 March "accidentally" fired a missile into Pakistan airspace, raising questions immediately about the safety mechanisms of such armament.

India, in its statement on 11 March, expressed “deep regret” over the incident and said that a “technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile”. This statement, however, came 2 days after the incident and a day after a statement from Pakistan’s Major General Babar Iftikhar. The Pakistani statement read that such “irresponsible incidents” reflected India’s “disregard for air safety and callousness towards regional peace and stability”.

Neither country has so far spelt out what kind of missile was used. The missile in question travelled a total of 200 kms, with 124 kms of that in Pakistani airspace at an altitude of 40,000 feet and at a speed of 2.5 to 3 times the speed of sound. Based on this information, experts speculate that the missile is probably BrahMos, one of India’s top cruise missiles.

Fortunately, the missile was not armed and did not cause any casualties. But a lot of us must be thinking the same question – how can an accident like this happen? What is the protocol when incidents like this take place?

To help answer these questions, we spoke to Kartik Bommakanti, a fellow at Observer Research Foundation specialising in space military issues.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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18 min
March 11, 2022 Assembly Polls 2022: Unpacking BJP's Wins in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur
The Bharatiya Janata Party scoreboard for the latest round of assembly election shows that the saffron remains a formidable force in Indian politics.

Barring Punjab, where AAP decimated the ruling Congress, the BJP regained a second term in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

Especially in Uttar Pradesh, the incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath made history as the first chief minister in decades to return to power in the state after a five year term and for the BJP, it is the first time a party has come back to power in Uttar Pradesh since the mind-80’s.

In our last episode, we unpacked what led to AAP’s stunning victory in Punjab. In today’s episode, we will take a close look at the BJP’s success in this election and the main takeaways from each of the victories.

Joining me for this is Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor and Himanshi Dahiya, The Quint’s correspondent who has been covering Goa, Punjab and UP.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Aditya Menon

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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28 min
March 10, 2022 Assembly Polls 2022: What Led to AAP Decimating Congress in Punjab?
The Aam Aadmi Party is headed for a massive win in Punjab, with trends showing the party leading in at least 92 seats in the 117-member Assembly at the time of recording this podcast.

It has been decades since any party in the state has secured such a vast majority with the last instance being way back in 1962, when the Congress had won 90 seats and then a close recreation was in 2017, when they won 77 seats.

Bhagwant Mann, the AAP’s CM face in Punjab, who won from the Dhuri assembly constituency with a margin of over 58,000 votes and said that he will put Punjab back on the development track.

And away from AAP’s spotlight are the opposition heavyweights which include Congress’s Charanjit Singh Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu, former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, SAD's Parkash Singh Badal, all of whom have lost from their respective constituencies.

For today’s episode, we will breakdown the key takeaways from the Punjab election. Joining me today is Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Aditya Menon

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

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12 min
March 09, 2022 Breaking Down Why India is Fence-Sitting on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February, countries around the world have condemned it for its aggression through sanctions and statements.

However, India, one of the key players in international relations and geopolitics, has held its nose and has been mum on the issue. As of 8 March, it has abstained five times on any vote of condemnation and has avoided criticising Russia.

While none of these abstentions have affected the outcome of the vote, India’s silence on the entire conflict through its vote has raised questions on how long it can walk on this tightrope.

Its abstentions are not of surprise since India-Russia relations have endured everything since the Cold War and has remained a close strategic ally of Russia. Pertinently, India imports the majority of its arms and ammunition from Russia, with some estimates going as high as 70 percent.

But India’s balancing act is now proving increasingly difficult as the situation worsens in Ukraine, which even prevented Indian students stranded in Eastern Ukraine from evacuating. More so, the diplomatic pressure on India is also increasing, with the US indicating multiple times the “importance of a strong collective response to Russian aggression” and even the Ukrainian Ambassador to India stating that his country is “deeply dissatisfied” with India’s position on the issue.

So the big question here is, for how long can India look back on old friendships to make foreign policy decisions in the present and future? Is it in India’s best interest to remain neutral in this crisis?

Joining me today to discuss the same is Nandan Unnikrishnan, a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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27 min