The Big Story

The Big Story

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The Big Story episodes

  • What Can Deter Russia From Possibly Invading Ukraine?
    For about two months now, more than 100,000 Russian soldiers have been present at the border the country shares with Ukraine in preparations on what the US says will be an invasion any day now.

    And the recent developments at the border are not reassuring with reports of shellfire ringing out in the rebel held territories in eastern Ukraine. Both Russia and Belarus have also extended their military drills that were due to end on 20 February, signaling intensifying pressure on the West.

    Diplomatic talks between the US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun in earnest but no concrete headway has been made with the latter refusing to de-escalate on his demands. However, there are talks now of a possible summit between Biden and Putin sometime in the coming days.

    In our past episodes, we dove into why Russia is fielding soldiers at the Ukraine border and the actions taken by the US so far. In today’s episode, we will try answering the big question: what steps can be taken to deter a potential Russia attack, will economic sanctions really work? What steps can be taken to prevent the worst?

    To discuss this, I have two great guests-Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank and PS Raghavan, former Indian Ambassador to Russia.


    Guests:
    Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

    PS Raghavan, former Indian Ambassador to Russia.

    Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
    Editor: Saundarya Talwar

    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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    21 min
  • Understanding Punjab Politics Ahead of Assembly Elections 2022
    The Punjab is set to see its most crucial Assembly election in decades on 20 February and for the first time, the state is witnessing as many as five parties or coalitions for 117 seats.

    In the run-up to the election, the Punjab just in the past year has gone through many major developments, starting from the year-long farmers' agitation, which also led to the exit of the Shiromani Akali Dal from the Narendra Modi government as well as National Democratic Alliance. The ruling Congress party in the state has gone through an internal crisis, leading to the ouster of former Chief Minister  Captain Amarinder Singh and the induction of the state’s first Dalit CM Charanjit Singh Channi.

    Months after the historic farmers' agitation ended and the contentious farms laws were repealed, the farmer unions have also joined the political fray, contesting as individual candidates and further changing the political equations.

    The old parties are also being challenged by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which entered the state’s political arena in 2017 and had to content itself with only 20 seats. But this time around, there seems to be a wave of AAP support across the state, with some voters willing to give the 'Delhi model' of governance a chance.

    With a crowded contest up ahead, what are the big trends in the Punjab? Will the Congress’ game plan of fielding CM Channi to rake in the crucial Dalit vote bank work or will the anti-incumbency wave lead to AAP taking away the baton? And how heavy will the farmers' agitation weigh against the BJP?

    To help us navigate through the ins and outs of this election, joining me today is Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor.


    Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
    Editor: Aditya Menon

    Also check out:

    In Punjab's War Against Drugs, Women Battle Addiction, Assault, and Stigma

    Beyond Farmers' Protest, the Reality of 'Kisan-Mazdoor Ekta' in Punjab

    Which is the Real Home? UP Migrants in Punjab Speak on Being From Two States

    Punjab Elections: No Matter Who Wins, BJP Has Already Succeeded in Its Mission


    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

    Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

    Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
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    20 min
  • 'Disco king' Bappi Lahiri's Legacy - From Desi Beats to Raag-Based and Beyond
    Gilded with sparkling disco beats, the song 'I 'am a Disco Dancer...'  is not the only track that made us, Indians, the real 'Disco Deewane'. Bappi Lahiri who ruled the music industry in the 70s and 80s passed away on Tuesday, 15 February, in CritiCare Hospital in Mumbai, aged 69, but he remains an icon in India's music industry. And if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have got our 'Disco King'.

    Bappi Da, as he was also popularly known, didn't just give Bollywood some of its best disco beats but also sang some hugely popular chartbusters in his unique voice. This podcast is a tribute to the legend - Bappi da.

    For this podcast, we reached out to the veteran filmaker B Subhash - his movies and  Bappi's music took over the Hindi film industry with disco beats that changed the way we liked our music.

    Tune in as we pay tribute to India's 'Disco King'.

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    13 min
  • What Should the Retail Investor Note About LIC's Mega IPO?
    LIC is now a step closer to becoming one of the largest companies in India, with the government selling a five percent stake in the insurance giant for the first time in an upcoming IPO.

    The household insurer name on 13 February filed its draft red herring prospectus or DRHP with markets regulator SEBI, which states that it will be offering 31.62 crore in equity or 5 percent of the company to the Indian market in its upcoming IPO.

    This move is in line with the Centre’s disinvestment plan to fill its coffers drained by the pandemic. It was also mentioned in the recent budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

    Now, LIC is India’s biggest life insurer. Here are a few numbers to support that statement—286 million policies, 115,000 employees, 1.34 million individual agents and more than 2000 branches. It is one of the top 5 global insurers and controls 64.1% market share in India.

    Its IPO is set to be the biggest in Indian stock market history, dwarfing the record of $2.4 billion set by Paytm last year. Though the valuation has not been inked yet, analysts have pegged it anywhere between Rs 5.4-8 lakh crore.

    But as the company prepares to go public, it leaves a few questions unanswered for investors such as—how is this going to affect policy holders? What is the insurer's profitability plan? And is it worth investing?

    To discuss this, we spoke to Madhavan Narayanan, a senior journalist and Prosenjit Datta, former editor of Businessworld and Business Today. Tune in!


    Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
    Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha and Shelly Walia


    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

    Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

    Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
    Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
    Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
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    12 min
  • Unpacking the Hits and Misses of 2022 IPL Mega Auction
    It was raining money in the jam-packed two-day IPL Mega Auction, with the 10 franchises splurging close to Rs 550 crore on 204 players to assemble their respective squads.

    Ishan Kishan emerged as the most expensive player of the auction, bought by Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 15.25 crore. New team Lucknow Super Giants made Avesh Khan the most expensive uncapped player of IPL history by buying him for Rs 10 crore.

    But the highlight of the second day of the auction was England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who triggered an intense bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings. He was finally bought by the team with the biggest auction purse, Punjab Kings, for Rs 11.5 crore.

    This auction also had many firsts – two new teams, 11 players being sold for Rs 10 crore or more (the most ever), and the end of an era for a few star players like Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, Steve Smith, Eoin Morgan, who had no takers.

    To discuss the hits and misses of this auction, joining me today is Chandresh Narayanan, a sports analyst and commentator. Tune in!


    Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
    Editor: Mendra Dorjey Sahni


    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

    Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

    Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
    Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
    Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
    Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
    Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur


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    21 min
  • Unpacking the Recent Developments in Karnataka Hijab Row
    For the past few weeks, the controversy over the wearing of hijab by Muslim students has rippled across coastal Karnataka with multiple incidents now taking place, the issue reaching the high court, and even drawing global attention.

    The hijab row has been gaining strength ever since six Muslim girls were denied entry into their classrooms at a Government Pre-University College in Karnataka’s Udupi in January this year for wearing the hijab. But this quickly turned communal after a group of boys, sporting saffron shawls, went to protest against wearing of hijab in the classes. 

    In another viral video, females students wearing saffron shawls could be heard chanting “jai shri ram” in an act of protest against wearing the hijab.

    However, the actions taken by the BJP government in the state and the Karnataka High Court have drawn the biggest criticism.

    Guest:
    Nikhila Henry, The Quint's South Bureau Chief
    Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint's Legal Editor 


    Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
    Editor: Vakasha Sachdev 


    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

    Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

    Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
    Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
    Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
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    36 min
  • Will the Anger Over Farm Laws in Western UP Turn the Tides for the BJP?
    Fifty-eight constituencies, 11 districts, 143 seats, and the fate of nine sitting ministers are to be decided, as the polling was held on Thursday, 10 February, in western Uttar Pradesh.

    West UP, often referred to as Jatland in the media, for being the Jat-dominated sugarcane belt of the state, witnessed a high-voltage electoral contest in the run-up to voting day, with the ruling BJP and the Opposition alliance SP-RLD trying to woo the community over the past few months.

    And since 2014, the BJP has flipped the game in west UP, sweeping the entire region in two successive Parliament polls and even the last Assembly polls.

    But this time, the saffron party may be nervous about its chances since the equations have changed primarily due to the anger among the Jat community over the now withdrawn farm laws. The pending dues of sugarcane farmers is another big issue in this region.

    In today’s episode, we will break down these main issues, the core points of the BJP and SP-RLD campaign, and what the trends in this region point towards.

    I’m joined by Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor and Himanshi Dahiya and Fatima Khan, The Quint’s correspondents who traveled across west Uttar Pradesh to bring you stories from the ground.


    Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
    Editor: Aditya Menon


    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

    Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

    Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
    Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
    Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
    Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
    Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

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    18 min
  • What to Expect From The Big 2022 IPL Auction?
    590 players in the auction list, 217 spots up for grabs, 48 players at the Rs 2 crore base price and once again, a 10 team IPL, but this time for good.

    There’s just so much to look forward to at the 2022 IPL auction that’s taking place on 12 and 13 February in Bengaluru and our episode today gets you the complete lowdown on what to expect.

    How will the auction process take place? The bidding starts with which players? Which uncapped players could make it big and also, why is Jofra Archer in the auction if he’s injured?


    Guest: Chandresh Narayanan, sports writer and commentator 

    Host: Mendra Dorjey
    Producer: Himmat Shaligram

    Also listen:

    Explaining the 'Mega' in Indian Premier League 2022 Auctions

    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

    Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

    Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
    Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
    Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
    Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
    Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur



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    12 min
  • Punjab Elections: With Channi As CM Face, Will Congress' Fortunes Change?
    After much anticipation and drama in the political corridors of Punjab, incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was declared the CM face of the Congress in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.

    Making the announcement, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that it was not he who made the choice, but the people of Punjab, who said "we want someone from a poor home as the chief minister."

    The question of who would become the CM candidate had been festering in the Punjab Congress for months, with constant infighting between CM Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had even gone on to resign in protest earlier last year.

    Now that Channi has been chosen, will the Congress' plan to consolidate the decisive Dalit votes in Punjab work? Also, what is next for Sidhu?

    To unpack this, in today's episode, I am joined by my colleagues Aditya Menon, The Quint's Political Editor, and Himanshi Dahiya, The Quint's correspondent, who has been travelling extensively across Punjab to cover the election.


    Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
    Editor: Aditya Menon

    Also Read:
    Punjab Elections: AAP Rising in Majha But It's Up Against Congress & SAD Bigwigs

    Punjab Elections: How Batala Became Symbolic of the State's Industrial Decay

    Punjab Elections 2022: Charanjit Singh Channi on Captain, Kejriwal, & Congress

    Punjab Polls 2022: 'Channi Stands With the Poor,' Say Bhadaur Residents

    Background:

    Does the Change of Guard in Punjab Signal a Congress Party Makeover?



    Music: Big Bang Fuzz

    Listen to The Big Story podcast on:

    Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
    Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
    Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
    Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
    Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

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    20 min
  • Remembering The Legend, Lata Mangeshkar: Why Indians Around the Globe Keep Her Close to Their Hearts?
    A voice that has lent pehchaan to female actors for at least 70 years. A voice that evokes reverence. A voice that the entire nation emotes with – for pain, hurt,  longing, and joy. There is a Lata Mangeshkar song for every mood. 

    ”Nightingale of India"- Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the age of 92 at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai after contracting pneumonia and COVID-19.

    Speaking to The Quint, Sharmila Tagore says that Mangeshkar gained such an iconic status because she was resonated with people across generations. She said the legendary singer sang songs for Shobhana Samartha, her daughter Tanuja, and even her daughter, Kajol. In this podcast you will also hear from lyricist, Swanand Kirkire who describes Lata ji as 'phenomenon beyond genius'. 

    But what is it about her that makes so close to hearts of Indians around the globe? The answer is not just one, but many.

    This podcast is a tribute to the legend. Tune in.

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    15 min

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