In May 2017, a PIL in India’s Supreme Court kickstarted a hot debate on one of the most controversial practices in the 21st century—female genital mutilation (FGM). Described by activists as a "heinous crime" and "cruelty of the first order", the case stretched over several months and drew attention to a practice that has remained one of the most guarded secrets in the subcontinent and around the world. Tune into this snippet of Let’s Talk About: Female Genital Mutilation where Gaurav Sarkar explores the religious, legal, mythological and medical aspects of FGM. Subscribe to Newslaundry at bit.ly/paytokeepnewsfree to listen to the full version here: https://www.newslaundry.com/2019/02/06/lets-talk-about-female-genital-mutilation You can also listen to all our podcasts on iOS and Android. iOS: http://apple.co/2iZhEq1 Android: http://bit.ly/2jTtG3x

Lets Talk About

How India’s FGM story unfolded in the Supreme Court

Brigadier BK Ponwar, the Director of the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College in Chhattisgarh, compares the Naxal insurgency to fish in a pond. He explains this analogy by giving examples from insurgencies in other parts of India, particularly the Northeast. Amit Bhardwaj also questions him about the alleged incidents of sexual assault by security forces on civilians. Tune in to this snippet of Let's Talk About: Naxalism - Part 2 to listen to what he has to say. Subscribe to Newslaundry to listen to the full version here: https://www.newslaundry.com/2019/01/23/lets-talk-about-naxalism-part-2

Why the Naxals are like fish in a pond

In 1968, Narayan Singh Chauhan joined an uprising that was painting Indian jungles red. Joined by comrades from different parts of the country, he was there to fight feudal lords, emancipate the peasants and crush the state. In his three year-long involvement with the Naxalite insurgency, Chauhan was involved in multiple encounters and also admits to killing a revenue-collector. Tune in to this snippet of Let's Talk About: Naxalism - Part 1 to listen to his story. Listen to the full episode here: https://www.newslaundry.com/2019/01/02/lets-talk-about-naxalism-part-1 Subscribe to Newslaundry to listen to the full version. You can also listen to all our podcasts on iOS and Android. iOS: http://apple.co/2iZhEq1 Android: http://bit.ly/2jTtG3x

Why did Narayan Chauhan become a Naxal?

The word 'objectivity' has garnered increasing usage in the world of journalism in recent years. Yet, its meaning remains elusive to many. For some, it represents a method that must be followed by those who claim to present the truth to the wider world, while for others, it's a mental skill that allows for impartial and balanced judgment. Speaking to several prominent journalists and writers, Abhinandan Sekhri tries to grapple with the various definitions and facets of objectivity—has the term always had a fixed meaning? Is it better suited for science than for journalism? Using thought experiments, literary allusions and big philosophical words, he seeks an answer to the ultimate question: is objectivity even desirable? Subscribe to Newslaundry at http://bit.ly/paytokeepnewsfree to catch the full episode here: https://www.newslaundry.com/2018/10/15/lets-talk-about-objectivity-in-journalism

Is objectivity achievable in journalism?

The word 'objectivity' has garnered increasing usage in the world of journalism in recent years. Yet, its meaning remains elusive to many. For some, it represents a method that must be followed by those who claim to present the truth to the wider world, while for others, it's a mental skill that allows for impartial and balanced judgment. Speaking to several prominent journalists and writers, Abhinandan Sekhri tries to grapple with the various definitions and facets of objectivity—has the term always had a fixed meaning? Is it better suited for science than for journalism? Using thought experiments, literary allusions and big philosophical words, he seeks an answer to the ultimate question: is objectivity even desirable? Tune in to this episode of Let's Talk About to heard Abhinandan explore the many conundrums that objectivity presents.

Let's Talk About: Objectivity In Journalism

Let's Talk About... has gone behind the paywall, but because we love our listeners, here's a sneak peak into the latest episode. Here's Let's Talk About: Privacy. Privacy -- is it a personal or a policy issue? The dictionary defines privacy as a state in which one is free of attention and today, that state is harder and harder to achieve. Our privacy is often being invaded without us even realising it and many shrug at this fate. "What do I have to hide?" is the standard response to privacy being lost but the real question is "Why is your privacy so precious to others?" With the data collected by the Unique Identity project, aka Aadhaar, surfacing in unexpected, unauthorised places, you must know what your rights are and how the government helps you uphold them (or not). In this episode of Let's Talk About, Meghnad S, a public policy nerd and compulsive Lok Sabha TV watcher, speaks to lawyers, journalists, researchers, and businessmen to figure out what privacy is in the digital age and whether Aadhaar really is the way forward.

How important is privacy for you?

Privacy -- is it a personal or a policy issue? The dictionary defines privacy as a state in which one is free of attention and today, that state is harder and harder to achieve. Our privacy is often being invaded without us even realising it and many shrug at this fate. "What do I have to hide?" is the standard response to privacy being lost but the real question is "Why is your privacy so precious to others?" With the data collected by the Unique Identity project, aka Aadhaar, surfacing in unexpected, unauthorised places, you must know what your rights are and how the government helps you uphold them (or not). In this episode of Let's Talk About, Meghnad S, a Public Policy nerd and compulsive Lok Sabha TV watcher, speaks to lawyers, journalists, researchers, and businessmen to figure out what privacy is in the digital age and whether Aadhaar really is the way forward.

Lets Talk About: Privacy

In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries declared post-truth as word of the year. The word post-truth dominated debates during the recent American President elections. It’s been bandied about in debates and in essays, but, what exactly does post-truth mean? Is it destructive and damaging? Is there a solution? In this episode of Let’s Talk About, Madhu Trehan, Editor in Chief of Newslaundry, speaks to several Indian and international journalists, authors and academicians who were at this year’s Jaipur Literature Festival. Together, they get to the bottom of the phenomenon known as post-truth.

Lets Talk About: Post-Truth

Let's Talk About... has gone behind the paywall, but because we love our listeners, here's a sneak peak into the second part of our deep dive into the Kashmir conundrum. This time, we look at the issue of protests and how they're quelled in one of the most turbulent parts of India. We speak to historians, military men who have served in Kashmir, Kashmiri refugees, journalists who have covered the insurgency, and activists who have raised their voices against human rights violations. Aided by their insights, we try to understand what azadi means for Kashmiris, the pellet gun problem, and if there is a solution that will end one of the longest-running insurgencies in the world.

Are Pellet Guns The Only Option In Kashmir?

It was once described by poet Amir Khusro as paradise on earth, but in the 21st century, Kashmir is better described as paradise lost. The conflict in Kashmir is perhaps the most complex issue of our times. From a northern kingdom to a region ravaged by insurgency, it has suffered generations of unrest and turbulence. In the second part of Let’s Talk About… Kashmir, we speak to historians, military men who have served in Kashmir, Kashmiri refugees, journalists who have covered the insurgency, and activists who have raised their voices against human rights violations. With the benefit of their insights, we try to understand what azadi means for Kashmiris, the pellet gun problem, and if there actually can be a solution to the Kashmir conundrum.

Let’s Talk About: Kashmir – Part 2

It was once described by poet Amir Khusro as paradise on earth, but in the 20th century, Kashmir is better described as paradise lost. The conflict in Kashmir is perhaps the most complex issue of our times. From a northern kingdom to a region ravaged by insurgency, it has suffered generations of unrest and turbulence. In Let’s Talk About … Kashmir, we speak to military men who served there, young Kashmiri stone pelters, journalists who have covered the insurgency, and activists who have raised their voices against human rights excesses. Through their insights, we piece together what troubles Kashmir.

Let's Talk About: Kashmir - Part 1

This week, we launch our new, fortnightly podcast, Let’s Talk About. In this series, we bring you nuanced explorations into one subject in every episode. No short cuts, no crash courses, but a deep dive that offers you perspective. The first subject we consider is Kashmir, coveted by two countries and home to one of the longest-running insurgencies in the world. Abhinandan Sekhri tries to figure out what is about the Kashmir problem that nobody -- from Jawahar Lal Nehru to Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Narendra Modi -- could solve it. We talk to historians, journalists, activists, authors and ex-Army officers who were stationed there, to tell us about the disappointments and complications that have made Kashmir so precious and ever more contentious with every passing year. Since it's the first in the series, we've got two episodes on Kashmir and the first one is available to all our listeners. The second part of Let's Talk About: Kashmir will only be available to subscribers. To subscribe: https://www.newslaundry.com/subscription

Coming Soon - Let’s Talk About: Kashmir

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Lets Talk About

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