The Big Story

By The QuintSociety & Culture News

The Big Story episodes

March 08, 2022 What is the Russia-Ukraine ICJ Case And Is Prez Putin Likely to Stand Trial?
In response to Russia’s growing incursion and attacks, Ukraine has now taken the legal route and brought the issue front and center of the United Nations highest court—the International Court of Justice— on 7 March, urging the judges to issue an injunction demanding Putin to end the invasion.

At the ICJ, the Ukrainian delegation accused Moscow of putting “millions in dangers” and for defiling the Genocide Convention by falsely claiming that Ukraine was committing genocide against Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine as one of the pretexts for its invasion.

However, not surprisingly, Russia did not show up for the hearing on Monday, effectively boycotting the hearing.

Apart from this, thirty-nine countries have also referred the ongoing crisis in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court, a separate entity that has the power to investigate genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. This court has now opened an investigation. However, it is important to note that both Ukraine and Russia are not signatories of the ICC thus putting a question on how effective an ICC investigation will be.

Further, Russia’s absence at the ICJ also casts doubt over the extent to which international legal mechanisms can be effective. But the biggest question here is- how likely is President Vladimir Putin or anyone else involved in the invasion of Ukraine to stand trial?

To understand exactly how the ICJ and ICC work and the legal remedies that Ukraine possibly has, joining me today is Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint’s Legal Editor.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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33 min
March 07, 2022 Assembly Elections 2022: What Are the Big Predictions of the Exit Polls?
The exit poll results are in! What are the big predictions - will it be Yogi or Akhilesh in UP? Can Congress retain Punjab, or will AAP come to power for the first time there? And which way do the voters of Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur seem to be leaning? Which states are too close to call? And how accurate have exit polls been in these states in the past?

Tune in to a live conversation with The Quint's Political Editor Aditya Menon as he unpacks the various exit poll results and what they signal for 10 March.

Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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52 min
March 04, 2022 'An Absolute Genius': Celebrating Virat Kohli's Journey to 100 Test Matches
When Virat Kohli took to the field against Sri Lanka on Friday, 4 March, he became only the 12th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches.

Announcing his arrival by leading India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2008, Kohli quickly climbed the ropes and soon paved a path to international test cricket in 2011. And since then, is known as one of the greatest players in the world cricket across all formats.

After nearly 11 years at the biggest stages of international cricket, more than 8,000 runs, and a jaw-dropping average of 50.39, we take a look at Kohli's test cricket legacy and his impact both on and off the field in this special episode of The Big Story podcast,

Joining me today is our regular guest and friend of the show, cricket commentator and analyst Chandresh Narayanan.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Mendra Dorjey Sahni

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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18 min
March 03, 2022 Unpacking IPCC's 'Bleakest Warning Yet' on Climate Change for India
The impact of climate change will be more severe and less avoidable in the years to come, according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which was released on 28 February.

Issuing its "bleakest warning yet," the new report concludes that global warming is outpacing our ability to cope and that governments around the world are not doing enough to protect us from the hazards that climate change has already unleashed, let alone from future disasters.

For India, the report says that the country could be one of those where heat and humidity levels would pass the limit of human survivability and climate change could mean about 40 percent of people in India living with water scarcity compared to 33 percent now.

The contents of this report are grim and upsetting. But like the physical science report that the panel published last year, none of this is new knowledge and scientists have been warning about this for years. This report pertinently provides the most detailed look yet at the threats posed by global warming.

It draws a direct link between climate change and serious consequences like humanitarian crises, food insecurity, water scarcity, migration, and even premature deaths.

And to combat this, nations across the world have vowed to limit total global warming to no more than 1.5 degree Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels. But what this report makes very clear is that exceeding this threshold will result in permanent lasting damage and that even humanity’s best effort to adapt could falter.

Joining me to discuss the main takeaways from the report is Professor Anjal Prakash, the Research Director of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at Indian School of Business and also one of the authors of the latest report.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Vaishali Sood

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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23 min
March 02, 2022 A Peek Into Operation To Evacuate Indians Caught in Russia-Ukraine War
The death of an Indian student – Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar – in Kharkiv on 1 March has brought home the escalating crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

Naveen, a fourth-year student of forensic science at Kharkiv National Medical University, had stepped out of a bunker to buy groceries and was in the queue at the local supermarket when Russian shelling began, reportedly targeting the governor’s house in Kharkiv.

More than 5,000 people, including military personnel and civilians, have lost their lives as the Russian invasion entered its sixth day on Wednesday, 2 February.

Other than the geopolitical crisis created out of Russia’s aggression, the invasion has also resulted into a major humanitarian crisis with more than 800,000 people already having fled Ukraine. And for India, the war has unfolded into a crisis in the form of thousands of stranded citizens, mainly students, who are stuck in cities across Ukraine.

For the past week, uncertainty on leaving Ukraine has been a constant for any person trying to flee the country, with visuals on social media showing long lines of vehicles stuck in traffic on their way to nearest western border and some even braving the cold to make the journey on foot along with their belongings.

At present, there are nearly 20,000 Indians living in Ukraine and as tensions escalate in Kharkiv and Kyiv, among other cities, the Indian government accelerated evacuations under Operation Ganga. The Indian Air Force has also been tapped in to help with the evacuations.

But there are still thousands of students stranded across the country as Russia forces advance.

In today’s episode, we bring voices of some of those caught in the war. You will also hear from Nitesh Singh, a founding member of Team SOS India, an organisation helping Indians in Ukraine.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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20 min
February 28, 2022 Russia-Ukraine War: How Worrying is Putin's Threat of Nuclear Weapons?
For the past week, all eyes have been on Ukraine as Russian forces continue to rain down on the country. However, the war took a turn for the worse on 27 February, when Putin leaned towards the nuclear option.

In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Putin ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces to be put in a “special regime of combat duty”. He justified this move as a response to the “illegal sanctions” and “aggressive statements” from NATO countries.

And these searing sanctions are already showing their impact, with the Russian central bank more than doubling its interest rate and the Russian ruble crashing to its lowest trade to the dollar at 119.

Five days into the invasion, it is apparent that things are not going Russia’s way, with the countries ministry of defence own report admitting no major victories. The main reason for this has been the resistance of the Ukrainian army, which has been further bolstered by civilians volunteers.

Visuals from the ground show defiant Ukrainian’s taking arms to Russia troops in cities like Kharkiv and even ordinary citizens standing on the street to block the advance of Russian tanks. Ukrainian authorities indicate that even though they are outgunned, the pace of the enemy attacks seems to have reduced.

However, the threat of a nuclear war is what hovers across the entire world. Many analysts have interpreted it as a bluff but it is terrifying nonetheless. In this episode, we will try answering the big question- how serious is Putin’s threat of a nuclear war?

Joining me today to discuss this is Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme 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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16 min
February 25, 2022 What’s at Stake for the Indian Economy as Russia Invades Ukraine?
With Russian troops circling Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, the worsening Ukraine-Russia crisis has sent the global economy in a frenzy with oil prices soaring past the $100 mark for the first time in seven years and stock markets crashing around the world.

Crude oil prices led the way in most impact, with Brent touching $105, European gas prices surging more than 30 percent and the Russian rouble plummeting to a record low against the dollar on 24 February. The Dow Jones fell 1.38 percent and Nasdaq lost 2.6 percent. The crypto market also took a hit, with Bitcoin falling below $35,000.

This crisis comes just as countries had started recovering from the impact of COVID-19 on their economies. And the spike in oil prices is especially worrying for India, which imports more than 80 percent of its oil. These high crude oil prices could result in higher fuel prices for the Indian consumer.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia also pushed the Indian stock benchmarks to log one of their worst days in nearly two years, with Sensex and Nifty tumbling 2.5 percent each in opening trade on 24 February.

So how exactly is the Indian economy going to be impacted by this geopolitical crisis? How well placed are we? And if you are a young investor listening in, what should you do with your investment in light of this geopolitical flux?

To understand the impact on the economy, you will be hearing from JP Morgan’s James Sullivan and Indranil Sengupta from CLSA India, a global investment group. And for the young investors listening in, we have Vaibhav Sanghavi from Avendus Capital.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Interview Source: Bloomberg Quint

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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11 min
February 24, 2022 As Russia Invades Ukraine, What Can the West Do Beyond Sanctions?
Any remaining hope for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis went down the drain on 24 February as the country woke up to an invasion by Russia from both land and sea.

Addressing his nation in a televised speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that this is a “special military operation” to demilitarise Ukraine but not occupy it, but the situation on the ground speaks differently with explosions occurring across a wide swathe of the country.

The explosions, according to the several foreign media reports, could be heard in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Kharkiv in the country’s north-east, and as far as Vinnytsia in the west. Ukrainian officials have stated that explosions were also heard at the country’s largest airport, in Kyiv.

At the time of recording this episode, at least 40 Ukrainian soldiers and 10 civilians were killed by Russian shelling, as per an AFP report. The report adds that Russian forces have also captured two towns in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region, which Putin recognised as independent just two days ago.

Visuals from the ground in Kyiv capture air raid sirens blasting across the city as citizens try to leave the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared martial law for the next 30 days. In a late-night statement on 23 February, Zelenskyy said that if Russia invades, Ukraine will defend itself, adding "as you attack, it will be our faces you see, not our backs.”

This is an unprecedented move by Russia, with the story still developing as we record this episode. Today, I will unpack what we know so far and where this crisis may be headed.

Joining me today to discuss the crisis is Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
VO: Saptarshi Basak

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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13 min
February 23, 2022 Harsha Murder Case: How Did the Incident Become So Communally Charged?
The murder of a 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district brought the city to a boil with large scale protests erupting on 22 February, followed by demonstrations across the state.

The deceased man, known as Harsha Hindu, was reportedly stabbed by a group of five assailants on 21 February in Shivamogga, which is about 250 kms away from Bengaluru.

This incident comes at an especially charged up moment in the state with several districts witnessing hijab vs saffron shawl protests. In this little town too,58 students were suspended from the local college just recently for demanding to be allowed to attend classes.

Expectedly, the incident soon turned into a political slugfest, with BJP leaders Kapil Mishra calling this a new form of jihad and Goa CM Pramod Sawant blaming “anti-Hindu fundamentalists”.

Karnataka Rural Development Minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa went onto openly accusing “Muslim goons” for this act while BJP National Secretary CT Ravi called the murder a "conspiracy".

Though Harsha had been a part of the protest demanding a ban on hijabs held on 7 February outside a college in Shivamogga, the reason behind the killing has not yet been ascertained.

Despite the prompt action by the police—which made its first arrest in the case just hours after the incident— ,thousands of Bajrang Dal activists took to the streets the very next day to take out a funeral procession.

This too soon turned violent, with reports of vandalism, including several vehicles being reportedly torched by the activists resulting in police lathicharge and tear gas shells being fired. A curfew has also been placed in the city till 25 February.

But how did this incident become so communally charged in a small town in Karnataka? Where does the investigation stand now?

Guest: Nikhila Henry, The Quint’s South Bureau Chief.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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15 min
February 22, 2022 Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Why Has Putin Deemed Donetsk and Luhansk as Independent?
In a dramatic escalation in the ongoing Ukraine crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin on 21 February recognised the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered Russian forces in those territories for “peacekeeping” purposes.

In a televised address, Putin recognised the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic – which are globally considered as part of Ukraine’s sovereign territory – and added that “Ukraine has never had its own authentic statehood.”

Putin’s address also carried a warning for Ukraine, threatening a war if the country's forces did not stand down. He said “all the responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be completely and entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling Ukraine’s territory.”

For weeks, Putin has kept the world on its toes with some 150,000 Russian troops amassed at Ukraine’s border but has denied any plans to move into Ukraine. However, the formal recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk has triggered fears in the West of an imminent Russian invasion.

The formal recognition also prompted a chorus of condemnation from the West, with the United States (US) announcing sanctions on those regions, Germany halting the approval process of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemning Russia’s move, calling it a “violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine” and “inconsistent with the principles of the UN Charter.”

Criticism of Russia also came from India, which at the UNSC meeting said that tensions along the border between Ukraine and Russia was a “matter of deep concern,” and that it had the potential to undermine peace and security in the region. However, India stopped short of condemning Putin’s statement or its actions without naming Russia at all.

In today’s episode, we will dive deep into the relevance of Donetsk and Luhansk and why Russia’s deems them independent.

To understand this, I spoke to former Indian ambassador to Russia, DB Venkatesh Varma, who recently returned from Russia.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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23 min