Alongside much social unrest, the Indian economy went to hell in 2019. Vivek Kaul joins Amit Varma in episode 153 of The Seen and the Unseen to survey the damage, and to demystify the rubble. For detailed show notes, head on over to seenunseen.in .
Why is India burning over the Citizenship Amendment Bill? Why does the NRC matter? What is happening in Assam? Srinath Raghavan joins Amit Varma in episode 152 of The Seen and the Unseen to give historical perspective on our current ferments. For detailed show notes, head on over to seenunseen.in .
Politics in Maharashtra is deeply complicated. Its themes and fault lines have been formed over decades. Veteran journalist and author Sujata Anandan joins Amit Varma in episode 151 of The Seen and the Unseen to unravel some of the mysteries behind its fascinating dramas. Also check out : 1. Hindu Hriday Samrat -- Sujata Anandan 2. Maharashtra Maximus -- Sujata Anandan 3. Marathi Manoos -- Sujata Anandan....
How has Indian publishing evolved in the last few decades? What does India read, and why? Publisher VK Karthika joins Amit Varma in episode 150 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about what she learnt in her years in Penguin, Harper Collins and (now) Westland. Also check out: Death of the Author -- Roland Barthes (pdf link) How to Read and Why -- Harold Bloom A Poetry Handbook -- Mary Oliver Roseanna -- Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism -- Akshaya Mukul...
Jayaprakash Narayan was trained as a physician, served in the IAS, and went on to start a political movement. JP joins Amit Varma in episode 149 of The Seen and the Unseen to share his insights on Indian politics, the nature of the state and what we need to do to change India for the better. Also check out: The State of Indian Politics -- Episode 50 of The Seen and the Unseen (w JP Narayan) What Is It Like to Be a Bat? -- Thomas Nagel (pdf link) Lessons from an Ankhon Dekhi Prime Minister -- Ami...
In episode 148 of The Seen and the Unseen, host Amit Varma invokes a fictional super-weapon to build an argument against gun rights in India. Guests Shubho Roy and Sudhanshu Neema disagree with him, and each other, most vigorously. Also check out: The Bombzooka Question -- Amit Varma on India Uncut Resisting State Injustice -- Episode 120 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jason Brennan) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://iv...
Jahangir is often considered a lightweight Mughal emperor, an ineffectual drunkard sandwiched between his father and his son, Akbar and Shah Jahan. But this is an unfair view. Parvati Sharma joins Amit Varma in episode 147 of The Seen and the Unseen to shed light on not just Jahangir as an emperor, but on his human side, endearing and infuriating in equal measure. Also check out: Jahangir: An Intimate Portrait of a Great Mughal -- Parvati Sharma Women in Indian History -- Episode 144 of The Seen...
Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code is an archaic law and needs to go. But what is the historical background of our sedition law? What are the political and social contexts in which it evolved and thrived? Chitranshul Sinha joins Amit Varma in episode 146 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his book on the subject, The Great Repression. Also check out: The Great Repression -- Chitranshul Sinha Don't Insult Pasta (2007) -- Amit Varma Hardcore History by Dan Carlin Archive.org The Emergency --...
Is there such a thing as Indian conservatism? What does it mean and where did it come from? Jaithirth Rao joins Amit Varma in episode 145 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his latest book. Also check out: The Indian Conservative -- Jaithirth Rao Conservatism: Ideas in Profile -- Roger Scruton Why I am Not a Conservative -- Friedrich Hayek The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel) Religion and Ideology in Indian Society -- Episode 124 o...
The history of humanity is more than just the history of men. Historian Ira Mukhoty joins Amit Varma in episode 144 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about going beyond the male gaze to write history. She also discusses Daughters of the Sun, her account of the rich and complex world of Mughal women. Also check out: Daughters of the Sun -- Ira Mukhoty Heroines -- Ira Mukhoty Yuganta -- Irawati Karve Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World -- Ruby Lal Empress : -- Ruby Lal Wolf Hall -- Hi...
The geopolitics of the West is reasonably well-understood -- but China remains a mystery to many. What drives China? How does it look at India? China expert Manoj Kewalramani joins Amit Varma in episode 143 of The Seen and the Unseen to provide historical context and strategic perspective. Also check out: Modi-Xi Informal Summit: An Indian Interests Agenda -- Manoj Kewalramani Chinese Foreign Policy -- Episode 81 of The Seen and the Unseen Myths About China -- Episode 66 of The Pragati Podcast N...
We are surrounded by frauds, and are dying to believe them. Vivek Kaul joins Amit Varma in episode 142 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss ponzi schemes, both in India and outside, both by private actors and the government. Also discussed: chit funds and kitty parties, and why we are wired to be deceived. Also check out: Real Estate Prices : Episode 30 of The Seen and the Unseen The Anti-Defection Law : Episode 13 of The Seen and the Unseen 12 Dream Reforms : Episode 138 of The Seen and the Un...
Vivek Tejuja, known for his writing on books, has just released his memoir of growing up gay in India. He joins Amit Varma in episode 141 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how he -- and those around him -- came to terms with his sexuality. In the second half of the episode, Vivek and Amit discuss writers they like, and read out their favourite poetry. Also check out: So Now You Know -- Vivek Tejuja Being Gay in India -- Episode 84 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Navin Noronha) Keeping it Queer...
What exactly is wrong with Indian agriculture? How can we help our farmers? Barun Mitra and Kumar Anand join Amit Varma in episode 140 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the root causes and remedies of this decades-long problem. Also check out: The State of Our Farmers -- Ep 86 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Gunvant Patil, in Hindi). Entry and Exit in Indian Agriculture -- Ep 1 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Pavan Srinath & Karthik Shashidhar) Futures Markets in Agriculture -- Ep 12 of The ...
The recent victories of political Hindutva were enabled by a century-long cultural movement spearheaded by a publishing house based in Gorakhpur. Akshaya Mukul, author of Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India, joins Amit Varma in episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen. Themes discussed include the relationship between society and the state, Marwari history, cow, temple, gender, caste, Muslims, Communism, and the spontaneous combustion of virtuous Hindu women. Also check out: Gita Press and th...
Times are bad -- but pessimists can dream! Tired of only talking about problems, Shruti Rajagopalan, Rajeswari Sengupta and Vivek Kaul join Amit Varma in episode 138 of The Seen and the Unseen, to propose solutions! Three each. Many bad jokes and Bollywood songs are thrown in. Also check out: Population Is Not a Problem, but Our Greatest Strength -- Amit Varma. Alone in the City -- Amit Varma Where Are the Jobs? -- Ep 87 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Yazad Jal) Education in India -- Ep 77 of The...
The India of 2019 is a different country from the India of 1989. Social commentator Santosh Desai joins Amit Varma in episode 137 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the many ways in which we have been transformed in this time -- not always for the better. Also check out: 1. Santosh Desai's column archives in The Times of India. 2. Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India -- Santosh Desai 3. The Decline of Collective Trust -- Santosh Desai 4. Surrounded by Screens - Santosh Desai 5. T...
Data journalism in India is fast coming of age, shedding light on our society and politics. Roshan Kishore joins Amit Varma in episode 136 of The Seen and the Unseen to speak about his profession (data journalism), his passion (political economy) and his dark, mysterious past as a student leader in JNU. Also check out: Roshan Kishore's writings in Hindustan Times. Demystifying GDP -- Episode 130 of The Seen and the Unseen. The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and t...
Mohit Satyanand saw the 2008 crisis coming and put his money where his mouth was. Now he says we're in the middle of another crisis. He joins Amit Varma in episode 135 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain what exactly went wrong in 2008, and what's gone wrong now. Also check out: This is All Because of Rupal Ben -- Episode 5 of The Seen and the Unseen Poker and Stock Markets -- Episode 47 of The Seen and the Unseen DeMon, Morality and the Predatory Indian State -- Episode 85 of The Seen and the...
Kashmir is in lockdown, and Article 370 is history. What does this mean for Kashmir -- and for India? Historian Srinath Raghavan joins Amit Varma in episode 134 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the historical, geopolitical, ideological and moral questions at the heart of the Kashmir problem. Also check out: War and Peace in Modern India -- Srinath Raghavan The Geopolitics of the Bangladesh War -- Episode 113 of The Seen and the Unseen. Understanding the India-Pakistan Conflict -- Episode 11...
We live in a world besieged by falsehood -- but there is a growing resistance movement. Pratik Sinha of Alt News joins Amit Varma in episode 133 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about disinformation, misinformation and why the truth will prevail. Also check out: Alt News Truth of Gujarat India Misinformed -- Pratik Sinha and co-authors The Alt News App for Android The Facts Do Not Matter -- Amit Varma Public Opinion -- Walter Lippmann This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.c...
There is a crisis in India today. There are not enough women taking up paying jobs -- and their unpaid labour at home continues to be taken for granted. Journalist Namita Bhandare joins Amit Varma in episode 132 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the state of women in India today. Also check out: Namita Bhandare's homepage . Namita Bhandare in the Hindustan Times . Why Indian Workplaces Are Losing Women -- Namita Bhandare (The IndiaSpend series) Namita Bhandare at Sheroes . Metrics of Empo...
Political Ideology in India Description: The usual spectrum of left and right does not apply to Indian politics. But does that mean that our politics is based on identity and patronage, and not ideology? Not quite, says political scientist Rahul Verma, as he joins Amit Varma in episode 131 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain the two ideological cleavages that divide India. Also check out: Ideology and Identity -- Pradeep K Chhibber and Rahul Verma Religious Practice and Democracy in India -- P...
In recent times, the GDP has become less of an economic measure and more of a political tool. Economist Rajeswari Sengupta joins Amit Varma in episode 130 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain what the GDP is, what it is good for, what it is not good for and what the fuss over this figure in India is all about. This episode has immeasurable value. Also check out: Rajeswari Sengupta's writings. GDP – A Brief but Affectionate History -- Diane Coyle Gross Domestic Problem -- Lorenzo Fioramonti The ...
Like cricket and cinema, the annual budget brought out by the central government has become a national obsession. Vivek Kaul. the Shah Rukh Khan of Economics, joins Amit Varma, the Govinda of Podcasting, in episode 129 of The Seen and the Unseen to demystify the budget. Much fun is had. Blockbuster guaranteed. Also read: The Sholay Redux -- Vivek Kaul Easynomics: Why high-income tax hurts -- Vivek Kaul How ₹1.7 trillion has gone missing -- Vivek Kaul The State of Our Farmers -- Episode 86 of The...
India is a nation on the move, and migration is in our DNA. Economic historian Chinmay Tumbe joins Amit Varma in episode 128 of The Seen and the Unseen to present the rich history of migrations into, out of and within India. Also check out: India Moving -- Chinmay Tumbe The Story of Our Ancestors -- Episode 112 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tony Joseph) Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon -- Patanga You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https:...
Indian history is wild fun. Historian Manu Pillai joins Amit Varma in episode 127 of The Seen and the Unseen to regale him with stories from his latest book. The subjects discussed include caste, gender, narrative manipulation, mad elephants and men blown out of cannons. Also check out: The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin -- Manu Pillai The Deccan Before Shivaji -- Episode 98 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manu Pillai) When Gandhi was Mohandas -- Episode 104 of The Seen and the Uns...
Can India ever be a sporting nation? What will it take to get there? Joy Bhattacharjya, who started up Kolkata Knight Riders, brought the u-17 Football World Cup to India and is CEO of the Pro Volleyball League, sure thinks so. He joins Amit Varma in episode 126 of The Seen and the Unseen to share his passion and vision for Indian sport. Also check out: Bindra's Wishlist (2005) -- Amit Varma Opportunity, Choice and the IPL (2008) -- Amit Varma The IPL is Here and Here Are Six Reasons to Celebrat...
People often talk of the world of Finance as a giant casino, where sociopathic bankers gamble with the livelihoods of real people. Economist Ajay Shah joins Amit Varma in episode 125 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain why this is a misconception, and why Finance is at the heart of our progress. Also check out: Why I Loved and Left Poker -- Amit Varma, from his poker column, Range Rover. Zombie Firms and Creative Destruction -- Episode 118 of The Seen and the Unseen. Futures Markets in Agricul...
What is the role of religion in Indian society? What is conservatism like in India? Suyash Rai joins Amit Varma in episode 124 of The Seen and the Unseen for a wide-ranging free-wheeling chat on these subjects. Also check out: The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel) What is Libertarianism? -- Episode 117 of The Seen and the Unseen (w David Boaz) You're From the Mutton Lobby -- Episode 49 of The Seen and the Unseen (Amit Varma solo, on ou...
