Himal Southasian Podcast Channel

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here. In this episode, we talk about the recent suicide bomb attack on a political rally in the Bajaur district of Khyber...

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out twice a month. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here. In this episode, we talk about the disturbing video footage of sexual assault coming out of Manipur, and the Dhaka by-polls a...

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia. Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal S...

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here. In this episode, we talk about crackdowns on online publishers and activists in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, as wel...

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here. This episode, we talk about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, and the sinking of a trawl...

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia. Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal S...

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here. In this episode, we talk about communal misinformation connected to the Odisha train crash in India and the abductio...

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here. In this episode, we talk about the political implications of continued violence in Manipur, including growing calls...

In this episode, we talk about the violence in Manipur in the past few weeks, and the latest developments following Imran Khan's arrest in Islamabad. For 'Around Southasia in 5 minutes', we talk about the recently held Karnataka Assembly election and Adani Ports' recently completed sale of its port in Myanmar - at far below the value of the conglomerate’s initial investment. We also talk about the...

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia. Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal S...

In this episode, we talk about ongoing court cases on marriage equality in India, decriminalisation of same-sex relationships in Sri Lanka, and recognition of foreign same-sex spouses in Nepal. We also talk about the fencing of the Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan. For “Around Southasia in 5 minutes”, we'll be talking about April marking 10 years since the collapse of Rana Plaza in Ban...

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here: https://bit.ly/3GVBb3o In this episode, we talk about recent airstrikes in Pazigyi village in Myanmar and new restri...

The Adani Group has been making big news for the wrong reasons. Hindenburg Research’s report accusing the group of “the largest con in corporate history” sent Adani stocks plummeting, wiping well over USD 100 billion off the group’s valuation even as the conglomerate denied doing any wrong. Suddenly Adani is facing extra scrutiny from investors, governments and the media – but activists who had lo...

At Screen Southasia, we host monthly online screenings of compelling documentaries from the region, including Nepal, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. We present a diverse range of films, both classic and new, that showcase the unique cultures, histories and perspectives of Southasia. Screen Southasia is a partnership between Himal S...

In this episode, we talk about recent events in the Doklam border dispute in Bhutan, with India and China both involved; an escalation in attacks on journalists in Bangladesh, Kashmir and the Maldives, and the tragic drowning of an Afghan journalist; and the Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as an MP in India, following a recent court conviction for defamation. For “Around Sout...

In this episode, we talk about the attempted arrest of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan and details of the case against him, involving state gifts. We also discuss a fresh UN High Commissioner for Refugees funding call for Afghanistan, where the dire humanitarian situation means 20 million people - almost half the population - are experiencing food insecurity. In “Around Southasia in 5...

In this episode, we talk about the assembly election and by-election results in India, and examine growing trepidation in Bangladesh about a 2017 deal signed between the Bangladesh Power Development Board and the Adani Group. In “Around Southasia in 5 minutes” we’re talking about the closure of the Dainik Dinkal newspaper in Bangladesh; Pakistan on the economic precipice and a recent loan from Chi...

According to the UN, 2022 was one of the deadliest years for Rohingya refugees at sea since 2014. Over 3500 Rohingya attempted to leave Myanmar or Bangladesh by sea in 2022, and at least 348 lost their lives or went missing while doing so. But these tragedies have already faded from headlines, even though the Rohingya crisis continues. In this edition of Southasian Conversations, recorded on 27 Fe...

In this episode, we talk about delayed local government elections in Sri Lanka. We discuss the tax raid on BBC offices in Mumbai and Delhi. We also discuss the shutdown of embassies in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In “Around Southasia in Five Minutes”, we discuss the release of PTM leader Ali Wazir after almost two years behind bars in Pakistan, a new political party law and a directive from the junt...

“The military’s exit from politics would not only stabilise civilian democracy but also strengthen the Parliament, as the country’s supreme body that is directly accountable to the people,” writes Salman Rafi Sheikh, assistant professor of politics at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, in his article for Himal Briefs looking at how Pakistan needs to go beyond the 18th amendment to end t...

In this episode, we talk about the silent strikes in Myanmar marking two years since the country’s military coup. We also look at security in Pakistan in the wake of a suicide bomb blast in Peshawar, and the spiralling impact of the country’s debt crisis on the wellbeing of citizens. In “Around Southasia in Five Minutes”, we discuss the impact of a report by Hindenburg Research accusing the Adani...

In this episode, we look at the Gwadar Rights Movement and other burgeoning protests across Pakistan, from demonstrations against the local government elections in Karachi to protests around skyrocketing inflation in Swabi and against rising militancy in Sindh. We also unpack the recent BBC documentary on Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots - and the Indian government's reaction to it. In Around...

Over the past year, Sri Lanka has often been cited as a case study in economic precarity, and while headlines have been full of stories of poverty and the ongoing protests, there has been less dedicated coverage over next steps. The UN states that at least 5.7 million people within the country require humanitarian aid. With food inflation reaching 85.6 percent in October, 28 percent of the populat...

In this episode, we look at several steps towards accountability for corruption and money-laundering in the region, from Myanmar to the Maldives. But a closer look reveals that the timing of these charges are significant. In Around Southasia in 5 minutes, we talk about the Taliban ban on education for women, Pakistan’s early to bed early to rise policy, the Rohingya crisis at sea, the Tamil Nadu g...

In this episode, we unpack the recent elections in Nepal by discussing the newly formed parties, key campaign issues, and the likely outcome of these results at a time when the country is facing various political and economic challenges. In Around Southasia in 5 minutes, we talk about protests against an Adani-backed seaport project in Vizhinjam, Kerala, and the wider influence of the Adani Group...