All Indians Matter

The BJP had an unusual response to the Pegasus internal surveillance expose: it blamed Amnesty International, among others. The government has had Amnesty in its sights for a while, even freezing its bank accounts last year. Why does it want Amnesty out of India? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month. In India, 35,000 children are born with clefts every year. Those untreated face difficulty in eating, breathing, hearing and speaking, greatly affecting their ability to thrive. Dr B Krishnamurthy, Smile Train Project Director at Bhagwan Mahavir Jain Hospital in Bangalore, has performed multiple cleft surgeries over the past t...

While the poor got poorer during the pandemic, India’s 100 billionaires got wealthier by almost Rs 13 lakh crore – enough to give the 138 million poorest Indians Rs 94,045 each. The number of poor rose by 75 million, accounting for 60% of the global increase in poverty and it didn’t even include the second wave. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad ch...

While consumption drives the economy, it has a destructive impact on the environment. India’s aggressive economic focus over the past few decades has been accompanied by alarming ecological destruction. How does what you consume impact the planet? And can altering individual consumption habits change that?  Akshata Bhadranna, one half of an ecopreneur couple, tells All Indians Matter how reducing...

The Indian government would have us believe that an 84-year-old with advanced Parkinson’s Disease was a terrorist. Incarcerated, Father Stan Swamy was denied not just bail but something as basic as a sipper that he needed because his trembling hands couldn’t hold a cup.  Father Stan died in hospital, a price he paid for fighting for tribals’ rights. What does this say about us and our judicial sys...

In a societal and business landscape loaded against women, strong networks are vital for women entrepreneurs to support each other and grow their businesses. Such networks help not just by presenting opportunities, but also through advice specific to the unique challenges women face. Neha Kadakia is the founder of Hastaksharr Self Made Diva – a networking forum specifically for women entrepreneurs...

The battle between the Indian government and Twitter is blowing up. The cases and clashes are part of an ever-expanding struggle between the world’s leading microblogging platform and the Narendra Modi government over the latter’s attempt to control the digital narrative about it amid growing criticism of its performance. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about...

Whatsapp’s case against the new digital rules is important for India’s internet future. WhatsApp argues that the rules violate privacy rights. This comes on the back of attempts by the government to control the digital narrative about it, including pressurizing social media companies to remove posts critical of it. Kushagra Sinha, the Litigation and Intermediary Liability lead at the Delhi-based S...

Fuel prices have risen at least 24 times since May 4 and petrol crossed the Rs 100 per litre mark in seven states and union territories. As common Indians reeling from the economic impact of COVID-19 looked to the government for help, they came up against a brick wall. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 2021 is Pride Month, so it was fitting that a few days ago the Madras High Court suggested measures to sensitize society and the state to remove prejudices against the LGBTQIA+ community. It also ordered strict action against those found to be attempting to “cure” or change sexual orientation. Khushi Shaikh, one of India’s first transgender models and a leading content creator, speaks about t...

While the Ollie Robinson episode underscores the racism prevalent in international sport, discrimination based on looks, skin colour, geography and caste have existed forever in Indian sport. It’s time conversations about it got more common so that something can be done about it. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

It’s estimated that a staggering 70% of surface water in India is too polluted for consumption. Every day, 40 million litres of wastewater enter rivers and other water bodies with only a tiny fraction adequately treated. India’s water bodies are dying. Karishma Asoodani, who represented Asia at the World Water Forum 8 and is involved in the World Water Forum 9 to be held in 2022, is among India’s...

Language is political. So, when nurses in a Delhi hospital were asked to not converse in Malayalam, it was correctly considered discriminatory. Instances of linguistic discrimination, including the first draft of the education policy, abound in India. Linguistic discrimination is social discrimination and its economic and cultural costs are high. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians...

44 labour laws have been condensed into four codes on wages, social security, occupational safety and industrial relations. The government claims this will allow flexibility in hiring and layoffs, and make strikes difficult. Activists say they make workers more vulnerable to exploitation. Chandan Kumar, National Coordinator of the Working People’s Charter, a coalition of over 150 worker collective...

There were roughly 350,000 orphans in institutional care before COVID-19. The pandemic has orphaned thousands more, say social workers. The government said at least 577 children were orphaned between April 1 and May 25, 2021, alone. With our low adoption rates and the danger of them falling prey to traffickers, this is a crisis that India must deal with quickly. Please listen to the latest episode...

The world’s largest vaccine manufacturer is facing a deadly shortage of COVID-19 doses. From planning to procurement and pricing, everything went wrong.  Murali Neelakantan, a former global general counsel for pharma heavyweights who has worked extensively on issues related to the intersection of healthcare and law, dissects the crisis – from IPR to procurement and production to pricing – for All...

15 million Indians have invested $2 billion in cryptocurrency. Is it a bubble? Or an opportunity? A lot depends on how the regulatory framework takes shape. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. An estimated 15 million Indians have invested over $2 billion in cryptocurrency. Depending on who you choose to believe, cryptocurrency is a wealth creation opportunity like no other o...

“Disability is a political issue,” asserts disability rights crusader Arman Ali in a special conversation with All Indians Matter. The 2011 census counted 2.68 crore disabled persons, which is more than the population of Australia. However, activists believe this is a gross undercount. Why is being getting this count right crucial for social justice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

How do you open up COVID-19 vaccinations for roughly 960 million Indians without procuring anything close to the 1.8 billion doses required? It’s a story of bad planning, thoughtless procurement and the less said about pricing the better. It’s ironic that the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer is facing a deadly shortage of vaccines itself. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matt...

Unsustainable development and the disappearance of mangroves, wetlands and water bodies is destroying India’s coastlines. The damage has impacted fishing communities, their economies, fish catches and adjoining urban areas. Recurring natural disasters like cyclones and manmade structures like ports pose a serious danger to our coasts. Coastal conservation experts Aarthi Sridhar and Naveen Nambooth...

Amid the second wave of COVID-19, India is now witnessing cases of mucormycosis – the ‘black fungus’. The rare but potentially fatal infection is being found in COVIDpatients with a number of cases detected in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi. With over 22 million COVID cases and counting, this is another challenge in India’s COVID battle. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. L...

An estimated 56 million Indians suffer from depression and 38 million from anxiety disorders. Very few, however, seek help. In villages, especially, patients are likely to face stigma and fall prey to quacks and witch doctors in the absence of mental healthcare facilities.  Snehal Joshi, director and COO of Healstation, a startup that runs one of India’s largest non-government community mental hea...

Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress steamrolled the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-led BJP campaign to win a massive two-thirds majority – even more seats than it did the last time. Don’t forget that hers was already a two-term government, so not only did she battle the BJP cash-and-election machine, but anti-incumbency too. And she did it in style. Please listen to the latest episode of All India...

India’s wealthy have taken to philanthropy in a big way. Big philanthropy has the power to influence the development agenda of civil society. But how effective it will be in achieving societal goals depends on how well philanthropists understand ground issues and go beyond just giving to ensure long-term impact. Ingrid Srinath, founder director of the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy at A...

18 million cases and counting since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Experts say the actual number is several times higher – as we can see from reports on the ground. The government, meanwhile, focuses on a crackdown on social media posts criticizing it. Please listen to the latest on All Indians Matter episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices