Himal Southasian Podcast Channel

Southasian Conversation #2 | Himal Southasian Like the pandemic itself, the problems faced by the inoculation drives over the past few months has revealed to us the confines of public health and the need to confront existing political, social and economic structures of our societies. In this second edition of Southasian Conversation, a series of online crossborder conversation, we hope to sift thr...

In this episode of Himal interviews, we speak to Geoffrey Aung, an anthropologist of Myanmar whose area of research focuses on the politics of infrastructure and the economic history of postcolonial Myanmar. He is currently a PhD candidate at Columbia University. In the context of the military coup and ongoing violence against civilians, Aung talks to us about the changing composition and strategi...

Southasiasphere is our monthly podcast roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs. 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: bit.ly/3a0jnEk In this episode of Southasiasphere, we talk about state and civil society response to escalating violence in Myanmar...

In this episode of Southasiasphere, we talk about the reinstatement of Nepal’s Parliament and why these events reminded us of Sri Lanka’s constitutional crisis in 2018. We also discuss a recent investigative report by Al Jazeera on high-level corruption in Bangladesh and the reactions it triggered in the country. Plus we introduced two new segments, including one on contemporary culture across Sou...

Southasiasphere, our analysis of regional affairs is now a monthly podcast. If you’re a member, you’ll automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you’re not yet a member, you can still get it for free by signing up here: https://bit.ly/3a0jnEk In this episode of the roundup, we talk about the ongoing military coup in Myanmar, Nepal’s constitutional crisis, updates on vaccine...

In this episode of Himal interviews, we speak to David Brenner, a Himal contributor, the author of Rebel Politics: A Political Sociology of Armed Struggle in Myanmar's Borderlands, and a lecturer at the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex. Brenner talks to us about how the military coup will impact the country’s unresolved ethnic conflicts, how international aid has sometimes empowered...

Southasian Conversation #1 | Himal Southasian The swearing in of Kamala Harris as the first female vice president of the United States has renewed conversations on women in political leadership around the world. In Southasia, where several women have assumed the prime ministerial and presidential offices in the past, these discussions are complicated by the dynastic background of the leaders, from...

In recent months there has been increased discussion around regulating content online. Pakistan recently enforced its rules on removal and blocking of unlawful online content, giving the state regulator broad powers to restrict online content. Recently, India brought online news portals and entertainment content providers, such as Netflix, under its purview, while Sri Lanka has announced plans to...

During the early stages of the pandemic, social-media posts began flagging the return of wildlife to public spaces that were deserted due to COVID-19. Air pollution also reduced as industrial activity, ground and air transportation came to a standstill. But these gains were short lived, and, given the current health crisis, more enduring crises have been pushed into the background. In this podcast...

Southasiasphere, our analysis of regional affairs will be a monthly podcast featuring Himal editors! If you’re a member, you’ll automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you’re not yet a member, you can still get it for free (for the time being..) by signing up here: bit.ly/2QE7wkN In this audio episode of the roundup, we talk about the Myanmar elections, large opposition r...

Southasiasphere, our analysis of regional affairs will be a monthly podcast featuring Himal editors! If you're a member, you'll automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you're not yet a member, you can still get it for free (for the time being..) by signing up here: bit.ly/2QE7wkN In this second podcast episode of the roundup, we talk about constitutional change in Sri Lan...

On 9 August, an official at an airport questioned the Indian identity of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi because she did not know Hindi. In response, Kanimozhi tweeted “I would like to know from when being Indian is equal to knowing Hindi” with the hashtag #hindiimposition. The incident triggered viral responses on social media. Actors and politicians wore T-shirts wit...

On September 1, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocked access to five dating and live streaming apps, including Tinder and Grindr, citing immoral or indecent content. This is only the latest instance of the regulator cracking down on apps using Pakistan’s Prevention on Electronic Crimes Act, commonly known as the Cyber Crimes Law, passed in 2016. While Pakistan’s current Prime Minister Imran...

Starting this month, we are happy to announce that Southasiasphere, our analysis of regional affairs will be a monthly podcast featuring Himal editors! If you're a member, you'll automatically receive links to the new episodes in your inbox. If you're not yet a member, you can still get it for free (for the time being..) by signing up here: https://bit.ly/2QE7wkN In this first audio episode of the...

In this special podcast, the editors of Himal mark the release of ten issues of Southasiasphere, our fortnightly newsletter, and take stock of some of the major events that shaped the region over the last several months. From militarisation of our democracies to growing Islamophobia, and from the emerging economic crisis to the plight of workers – all under the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic – we ana...

Often described as the 'first wall of defence' against extreme weather events, the Sundarban is a complex and fragile ecosystem straddling the India-Bangladesh border which was badly impacted by cyclone Amphan. The spread of COVID-19 has made government assistance to the region more complicated. Environmental anthropologist Megnaa Mehtta explains how the state response to these intersecting crises...

As the COVID-19 outbreak impacts economies around the world with debilitating effects, international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank face the prospect of helping keep the engines of the global economy running. Several countries, particularly developing economies, have been seeking assistance from these organisations. But how effective have their...

Interview with Anita Gurumurthy on data and surveillance capitalism by Himal Southasian

A shocking explosion of violence broke out in New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday night, 5 January 2020, when armed and masked groups muscled their way into the university campus, entered student’s hostels and attacked students violently with rods and stones. The JNU Teachers’ Association and the JNU Students’ Union have both blamed the JNU administration, specifically the vice...

The defeat of Abdulla Yameen to the Maldivian Democratic Party candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the 2018 presidential elections was seen as a watershed moment for the political future of the Maldives. Following the MDP’s resounding victory in the April 2019 parliamentary elections, hopes for democratic reforms and justice for past atrocities rose still higher. But is the new government in Male l...

In late May 2019, Pakistan’s security forces fired at a procession of activists in Khar Qamar area of North Waziristan, which killed several protestors. The procession was part of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (or the Movement for the Protection of Pashtuns). Also known as the PTM, the movement has been seeking accountability for extrajudicial killings and disappearances during the ‘war on terror’...

Among the many political fallouts of the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka was the renewal of debates on the need for robust anti-terrorism laws. The government has sped up deliberations on a proposed law, Counter Terrorism Act (CTA), which seeks to replace the older, and notoriously draconian, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). But how necessary is a new anti-terror law? Will it reign in the excesses o...

Pakistan’s media has of late made news for all the wrong reasons: from state censorship to journalists being laid off in large numbers. Despite a growth in the number of media establishments in the last several years, the state has found new ways to silence independent journalism and manage public perception. In this episode of Himal Interviews, we talk to Omar Waraich, who reported from Pakistan...

The Easter Sunday attacks on 21 April 2019 in Sri Lanka, which killed over 250 people, have shocked the country and left people fearful and uncertain. While some details about the conspiracy behind the coordinated bombings of churches and hotels have come out, much remains unclear. Political infighting within the government has added to the lack of credible information, compromising the general pu...

As India heads towards the last phase of its month-long general elections, the results of the polls are being keenly anticipated not just by its citizens but also by many others in Southasia. Close links between the peoples – and politicians – of India and its regional neighbours means that the political landscape of the region’s largest country has considerable impact on its neighbourhood. Given...