The Chicken-Neck Podcast

In our 9th episode, we are joined by Prof. Smitana Saikia, who is a political scientist and professor at the Azim Premji University, has completed her Ph.D. from the King's College London. Her research areas include Identity Politics in India, Federalism and State Formation, Borderland Studies, Conflict and Peace Studies, Democracy and Elections. In this episode, we talk to Prof. Smitana on the history of migration politics in Assam (or the politics of "others") and delve into the complexities of the NRC, CAA, as well as the question of identity. We also discuss the importance of Assam Accord and the relevance of Clause 6 in safeguarding the rights of indigenous people.
This episode is an attempt to provide an informative discussion on the issues concerning the State.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.

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In our 8th episode, we are joined by Ms. Hekani Jakhalu, a US educated lawyer turned social entrepreneur from Nagaland. Ms. Jakhalu is the founder of "YouthNet", a non-profit organization that seeks to empower the younger generation by imparting knowledge and life skills, and make them become self-directing and responsible citizens of the society.

In this episode, we talk to Ms. Jakhalu about her fascinating personal journey and on the challenges of being a female in an extremely demanding profession. We delve on the need to bridge the cultural and policy gaps in order to create a model that would help mushroom entrepreneurship and employment in the region. We also discuss her other initiatives that are helping leaders and entrepreneurs from the region connect with each other to push a new era of growth.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.   

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In our 7th Episode, we are joined by Mr. Himangshu Baruah, an entrepreneur from Assam. Mr. Baruah is the Founder and CEO of Finder Bridge Tourism, a destination based management organisation in Northeast India. His startup has received several awards including being selected for the Ashoka Changemaker X Summit, 2017 held in Philippines. We talk to Mr. Baruah about his journey in the world of startups and tourism in Northeast while delving into policy questions in this regard. Mr. Baruah also spoke to us about the future of the tourism industry in the region and his own ventures in this regard.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.

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In our sixth episode, we are joined by Monalisa Barua Mehta, an Arjuna Awardee and a National table tennis champion from Assam. She currently works With Oil India Ltd as a Senior Manager, HR & Admin and is associated with Table Tennis in various Administrative responsibilities. We talk to her about a variety of issues ranging from youth participation, gender disparity, sports policy focusing significantly on the North-Eastern Region. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcasts are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.

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In our fifth episode, we are joined by Mr. Prodyut Bora, who is a renowned political figure from Assam, as well as a social activist, and an enterpreneur. Mr. Bora, apart from being the Founder President of the 'Liberal Democratic Party' is also a prolific writer, whose pieces have been widely published both nationally and internationally. We talk to Mr. Bora on a wide range of topics from youth participation in politics to the changing political landscape in Assam and North-East. We also delve upon the prevailing health crisis in the country and the need for a robust health infrastructure development along with effective policy measures in the country.            Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcasts are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.

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In our fourth episode, we talk to Prof. Aruni Kashyap who has been at the helm of portraying the region and it's underlying stories in fascinating ways which has led to his stories being a bridge for the people from around the globe in understanding the region and the tryst of its people.

He is the winner of the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship for Creative Writing to the University of Edinburgh and is currently an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Georgia, Athens.


An ardent story teller he has covered a multitude of themes in his stories ranging from insurgency to homosexuality whilst also translating several Assamese literary works to English. His tales have given readers a means of getting to know the region and has managed to capture the wide array of emotions, while connecting the reader to the tale itself.



Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcasts are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.

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In the times of new age content, we talk to one of Assam's prominent content creators. Harpal Saikia who's become a well deserved social media phenomenon shows an astute sense of humour. His friendly neighbourhood characters have seen him become a fan favourite. In this episode, we get to know the world of content creation and also delve into Harpal's own story, off the screen and how a pandemic induced return to content creation paved the way for a long innings on the crease.
We also discuss the added responsibilities that comes with social media recognition, and how it's important to find the positives even with negative 'trolls', which has become a commonality these days. You will also end up listening to a few MSD references towards the end!

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In this episode we talk to Maitri Das about the impact varied art forms and social media combined can have on building consciousness about culture, history & literature in the society as a whole. Maitri along with Amalendu Kaushik is the founder of Daakor Boson, an online project that seeks to engage with the folk culture, history and literature of Assam through illustrations and comics. They also make commentaries on contemporary socio-political issues through satire and humour. She is also a freelance theatre artist and an actor who has been associated with theatre groups in Guwahati and Hyderabad and has been a part of over several plays in both the English and Assamese language.

Follow Daakor Boson at: https://instagram.com/daakor.boson?igshid=o9fw3mze95wa Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcasts are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.

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The past is often what defines our future. A lot of things are unique to the state of Assam and the North East, be it culture, houses or artifacts. In this episode we are joined by Avinibesh Sharma, founder of 'Vintage Assam' who talks about his journey of documenting and digitizing Assam's forgotten history where he uses photographs, artifacts, memoirs and architecture to tell stories about the unique history of Assam. Check Vintage Assam : https://instagram.com/vintageassam?igshid=7w0et3kcxwf3 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the podcasts are those of the individual podcasters. Listener Discretion is advised.

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