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Beyond Nation & State with Smita Sharma

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Now tune into the new season of Beyond Nation and State with Smita Sharma, a seasoned journalist with experience reporting on foreign policy and global events. With her new role as a podcaster, she plans to explore the evolving world and India's position in it. She aims to uncover the behind-the-scenes diplomacy and decision-making that shaped Indian foreign policy in the past, interviewing key figures involved. Additionally, she will analyze current global developments and their impact on India and its citizens, providing insights into the country's future direction.
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A Woman Walks Kabul

A Woman Walks Kabul

2021-08-3001:04:30

Despite the presence of and intervention from foreign forces, the people of Afghanistan have always sought peace, which continues to evade them. In attempting to make sense of events in Afghanistan, what is the importance of listening and referring to Afghan voices? Do the long historical, trade and cultural connections between India and Afghanistan somewhat explain why Indians feel especially welcome in Afghanistan? Despite the deeply problematic ways in which the Indian media covers Afghanistan, do alternate viewpoints and possibilities exist?In this episode, film-maker, journalist and writer Taran Khan ponders on the meanings of war and peace from the perspective of Kabul. She speaks about the common shared passions and differences between Indian and Afghan people. Taran shares her personal impressions of culture and life in Kabul based on her frequent travels to the city. She also discusses her book, based on Kabul.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
The Sixth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change strongly concludes that human beings are almost wholly responsible for climate change and its calamitous effects. The Conference of Parties (COP), an annual multilateral summit which brings together - and frequently divides- countries on the issue of climate change, is the first summit to take place on the heels of a devastating pandemic. How have countries such as India fared on their commitments to the Paris Agreement of 2015? Should developed countries take on the greater share of responsibility for contributing to climate finance? What are the prospects of transitioning away from fossil fuels? Harjeet Singh, a senior adviser with Climate Action Network- International (CAN) and Strategic Advisor: Global Partnerships to the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty Initiative talks to Beyond Nation and State about what we can expect from forthcoming COPs, why we should be talking more about climate finance and the effects of global warming on migration. Harjeet Singh is a global expert on the issues of climate impacts, migration and adaptation. He has been supporting countries across the world on tackling climate change.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Defence modernisation is a declared priority of successive Indian governments. When some years ago,  the Indian Air Force sought to replace its outdated aircraft, major defence equipment manufacturing companies put in their bids. Dassault Aviation, a French company,  won the bid and was selected for the purchase of 126 Rafale fighter aircraft.  This was approximately in 2012 when the United Progressive Alliance, led by the Congress was in power. In 2015, the Modi government announced new terms to the agreement, which dramatically increased the cost of the aircraft. It also resulted in the sudden replacement of the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with Reliance Defence, a company set up by the businessman Anil Ambani, and which had no prior experience in making defence equipment. India’s Supreme Court has rejected allegations of irregularities in the matter. However, in June 2021, France announced a judicial inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption and favouritism and involvement of both governments.  This development was a result of investigations by the French news publication Mediapart and Sherpa, a French NGO that fights economic crime.  Beyond Nation and State Host, Urvashi Sarkar spoke to Chanez Mensous, litigation and advocacy officer at Sherpa, about the status of the case in France and the lack of transparency worldwide in defence procurement. The Rafale case isn’t the first instance of corruption in defence deals in India. Previous prominent cases include the Bofors and AgustaWestland corruption scams. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Increasingly powerful and wealthy corporations are challenging the might of the state, though in most cases, states facilitate their rise to those powerful positions. In many cases, corporations also behave as a force multiplier for states. But what happens when a giant multinational corporation like Cairn Energy plans to take over the assets of a country- its airlines, shipping vessels and more? What causes a government to be forced into paying billions of dollars in a penalty to a gigantic telecom corporation like Vodafone? What methods did Union Carbide Corporation use, to try and escape the devastating consequences of its negligence in the 1984 Bhopal gas disater? Prof. Rahul Varman from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur whose various research interests include the political economy of corporations, globalisation and the working classes and small firm clusters explains how the power of corporations is still largely under the radar and why this is a problem. Prof. Varman uses recent examples to illustrate the various ways in which corporations dodge taxes and escape responsibility. He tells us about the problematic framing of the public versus private sector debate and how politicians, the judiciary, Parliament and media have created an environment where corporate accountability is completely thrown out of the window. Show notes: The Larger Issues Underlying the Claim of Cairn Energy on Air India.The Political Economy of Corporations: Behind the Veil of ‘Corporate EfficiencyBehind the Hype of E-commerceFrom 2014 to 2019: How the Adani Group’s footprint expanded across IndiaHow Reliance Jio’s Entry Tied Regulatory Knots Around India’s Telecom EcosystemSee sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
The discipline of international relations and its practice, which includes foreign policy,  is an esoteric field. Debates on foreign policy and international relations are abstract and rarefied as if it doesn’t affect the lives of people.  But on the contrary,  foreign policy decisions affect all kinds of things that matter to people  -  it can decide whether a country is at war or not, the prices of food, medicines and consumer goods, borders and citizenship, travel and mobility and much more. Who makes foreign policy? In India, it’s usually the  External Affairs Minister, Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary who have a say in foreign policymaking. Bureaucrats, academicians and professors, think tank communities and journalists too, play a role.  But who really are these people? Do they hail from a certain socio-economic background which can be described as ‘elite’? Are they only from a particular class and or also from a certain caste? Do the socio-cultural and economic backgrounds of decision-makers affect how foreign policy is made? The guest on the fifth episode of Beyond Nation and State is Pavan Kumar, a PhD candidate at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for International Politics, Organizations and Disarmament. Pavan’s research interests are history of India's foreign policy, theories of international relations, gender, and caste. He recently submitted his PhD thesis on Vallabhai Patel’s approach to India’s foreign policy See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Urdu is a major South Asian language spoken in large parts of India and Pakistan. In India, it is one of the 22 languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution while in Pakistan Urdu is the national language. There are similarities between the Urdu, Persian and Arabic scripts. Hindi and Urdu too, share similarities in grammar and vocabulary.  Urdu in India is currently at a place where some worry over the passing of the era of Urdu’s glory. At the same time, there is a revival of interest in its script and vocabulary, literature and poetry. Mahtab Alam, managing editor at the National Foundation of India has been a journalist for nearly a decade and writes in English, Urdu and Hindi. He was also Executive Editor (Urdu) for The Wire. In this episode of Beyond Nation and State, Mahtab Alam explains the nature of the crisis of Urdu in India, the state of Urdu press and journalism, Urdu-speaking diaspora and the capacity of Urdu to act as a binding agent for the people of India and Pakistan.  Show notes: Safekeeping Urdu depends on the next generation’s zeal to embrace itExplained: Why Urdu is an Indian language, not a foreign oneRekhta’s Trilingual Online Dictionary Opens up New Worlds For Urdu LoversCensus Data on Language Reveals a Surprise about UrduTom Alter: The ‘Angrez’ Who Wrote His Memoir in UrduCan Urdu regain its place in India’s linguistic landscape? Yes, if it is treated as a mother tongueSee sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Ethnic communities in Myanmar have long borne the brunt of abusive military rule since the military staged a coup against the democratically elected government in 1962. Time and again ethnic people especially in the states of Rakhine, Chin, Shan, Kachin, and Karen have been significantly abused.  These abuses include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and mistreatment, forced labor, reprisals against members of the opposition, restrictions on movement, expression, and religious freedom, abusive military conscription policies, and extortion and confiscation of property. The discrimination faced by the Rohingya community in particular is well-known and documented; this community is probably the worst discriminated against in Myanmar. The Chin people are another group at the receiving end. After the military junta staged yet another coup in February 2021, thousands of Chin people crossed over from Chin state to India’s Mizoram with which it shares a 404 km border. Chin people have been escaping persecution earlier too since the 1980s. While they have sought refuge in countries like Thailand and Malaysia, Mizoram in India has drawn more Chin people. Besides proximity, the people of Chin State and Mizoram also share a common history and ethnic ancestry. However, India has not signed the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol. The status of Chins in India is therefore undefined. There is no clear estimate of the number of Chin refugees in India. Dr. Rini Ralte who is President of Northeast Solidarity speaks about the dire conditions of Chin refugees in Mizoram’s refugee camps. She highlights the difficult and fraught journey that Chins make to cross into India from Myanmar and discusses the ties that bind the people of Chin state and Mizoram. Dr. Ralte earned her doctorate degree from Boston’s Episcopal Divinity School and Senate of Serampore College, West Bengal. She is a retired Professor from the Department of Women’s Studies at the United Theological College, Bangalore. She currently lives in Aizawl.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has inaugurated a dangerous era of world politics with a huge human cost. Overnight, more than 1 million people have already become refugees, fleeing to neighbouring countries such as Poland and Hungary. While we must hold Russia accountable, the role of the US, Europe and NATO cannot be ignored in this conflict. While the invasion invites questions which will continue to be asked for years to come, there are a few basic and pressing questions. First, why did Russia invade Ukraine? Two, what do Ukrainians want? Three, what is the role of NATO in this conflict. To answer these questions and give us crucial context, veteran Russia studies expert Dr. Anuradha Chenoy speaks to Beyond Nation and State. Dr Anuradha Chenoy is Professor (retired) and former Dean of the School of International Studies,  Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She was chairperson and director of the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies at JNU. She is an adjunct faculty at the OP Jindal Global University .   India too has a role to play in the conflict. Why did India refuse to outrightly condemn Russia? How do India’s concerns with regard to China and in the Indo-Pacific matter? Why did India mess up the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine, with many saying the Indian Embassy in Ukraine didn’t help as much as it should have. Our other guest Dr. Happymon Jacob addresses some of these questions.Dr. Happymon Jacob teaches at Jawaharlal Nehru University and is the host of National Security Conversations with The Wire. He is also a columnist with The Hindu newspaper. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Sri Lanka is in the midst of an acute crisis. Thousands of Sri Lankans are on the streets protesting shortages and the soaring cost of food, medicines and fuel. Long power cuts and no cooking gas are causing Sri Lankans unimaginable distress and suffering. Hospitals cannot perform routine surgeries, medicines are in short supply and school exams are being postponed due to the lack of paper. The country lacks foreign currency for the most basic imports and is in debt of over 50 billion dollars which it says it cannot repay for the time being.  Sri Lankans are angry with the terrible economic mismanagement of their country and the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government. However, protests by the people are being suppressed in increasingly brutal ways and there is a sense that worse may come. What is the role of the much-debated China debt trap and should Sri Lanka accept a bailout from the International Monetary Fund? Colombo-based Marlon Ariyasinghe, the Senior Assistant Editor for Himal Southasian magazine decodes the crisis in this episode of Beyond Nation and State. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Press freedom is increasingly endangered across the world. At least 28 journalists were killed due to their work in 2021, with India and Mexico topping the list of countries with the most media worker deaths, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Journalists in many countries are feeling the pressure as they are arbitrarily imprisoned, silenced or killed in some instances, for the work they do.  But journalists are continuing to push boundaries and in some cases are transcending borders to report on important causes. Notwithstanding the global climate of curbs on freedom of expression, a handful of intrepid foreign correspondents from India are travelling across the world to tell stories on human rights, culture, politics and resistance.  In a special episode on the various meanings of press freedom foreign correspondent Priyanka Borpujari talks to host Urvashi Sarkar about the various meanings of freedom as a journalist and why frontlines need not always imply war and conflict. She explores concepts of not just freedom from oppression but also freedom to practice the profession on her own terms.  Priyanka is an award-winning journalist currently based in Ireland. She has previously reported from Japan, India, El Salvador, Indonesia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina. Between 2018 and 2019, she walked 1,200 kms across north and northeast India on the Out of Eden Walk with Pulitzer-winning journalist Paul Salopek, which traces the path of human migration. Her journalism has been published in a wide range of international and Indian news publications. She speaks 7 languages.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Now tune into the new season of Beyond Nation and State with Smita Sharma, a seasoned journalist with experience reporting on foreign policy and global events. With her new role as a podcaster, she plans to explore the evolving world and India's position in it. She aims to uncover the behind-the-scenes diplomacy and decision-making that shaped Indian foreign policy in the past, interviewing key figures involved. Additionally, she will analyze current global developments and their impact on India and its citizens, providing insights into the country's future direction.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
In her debut episode today, senior journalist and host of this season of Beyond Nation & State, Smita Sharma is going to talk about a region which hardly finds mention or coverage in Indian mainstream media but it should. She was recently in Uzbekistan to cover a constitutional referendum under its strongman President Mirziyoyev. So why talk about Uzbekistan? Because the country is opening up and transforming at a great speed with implications for the region and India. The former Soviet republics in the Central Asian region- Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan - have large swathes of territory rich in natural resources and with geo strategic importance. The Central Asian countries are also the key driving force within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that India is chairing this year. PM Modi will host the SCO Heads of States and Governments in July.  While in Tashkent- the beautiful Uzbek capital, Smita sat down to speak to a renowned journalist and analyst Dr. Beruniy Alimov, Founder and Director, New Media Education Center, Tashkent about what a changing Uzbekistan means for the region and how ties with India looked upon amid the influence of dominant players Russia and China. She also speaks with Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar in Delhi who is a retired diplomat who has served as Indian envoy in Kazakhstan, Sweden & Latvia. He is associated with several prominent think tanks including ORF and Ananta Aspen Centre.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
India and the US today are working closely on critical and emerging technology. The US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) will be an important component in talks during the upcoming State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington DC. He will be only the third Indian leader after President Radhakrishan in 1963 and Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2009 to be hosted on a State Visit by the American President.  While the India US relations have undergone massive transformations in the last decade and a half, the one deal that reshaped and reset the contours of this relation was the 123 agreement or the India-US civil nuclear agreement inked in 2008. This marked a strategic repositioning of Indian foreign policy overcoming the deep mistrust of the US in the post Cold War era. It also ended the  nuclear apartheid and discrimination that India was subjected to despite being a nuclear weapons power.  This deal involved intricate and complicated diplomacy and negotiations over a period of 3 years under the leadership of US President George W Bush and Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh.  On Episode 2 of Beyond Nation and State season 2, we turn back the clock to reflect on what played out behind the scenes in obtaining a special waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group and inking the agreement. What still holds back the deal and the future of nuclear energy.  Smita Sharma speaks to Ambassador Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, currently the President of the India International Centre. Among the key architects who made the deal a possibility, Saran shares the make it or break it moments and sharp insights from the drawing board table.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
 21st June was declared as the International Day of Yoga on 10TH December 2014 by the United Nations. This was the result of an India led resolution mooted and supported by more than 175 member countries. This happened in less than 3 months of  Record time.   On Episode 3 of Beyond Nation and State season 2, senior journalist and host Smita Sharma speaks to retired diplomat Ambassador Asoke Mukerji who introduced the resolution on “International Day of Yoga” as then India’s Permanent Representative to the UN. He recalls how the idea that was proposed by Prime M minister Modi was turned into a reality and all the push and pull that went in behind the scenes to get the resolution adopted in record time.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold official talks with American President Joe Biden during his first State Visit to the United States on 22nd June.  Two key components are expected to be likely deliverables of the state visit - the iCET or the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies and a possible agreement authorizing joint production of GE F-414 jet engines in India to power indigenous fighter aircraft.  The two defense ministries are also expected to launch an innovation bridge under the framework.  On this episode of Beyond Nation And State, host Smita Sharma speaks to two expert voices, Sameer P Lalwani - Senior Expert at the Asia Centre, USIP, and Arun K Singh, Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Israel, and France and Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Carnegie India to understand how the iCET can further transform the strategic ties and is it the next historic nuclear deal moment in ties? Additional Reading: https://carnegieindia.org/2023/04/17/what-should-india-do-before-next-taiwan-strait-crisis-pub-89515  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/new-phase-in-india-us-ties-but-there-has-to-be-room-to-disagree/  https://www.foreignaffairs.com/india/markey-modi-biden-united-states https://carnegieindia.org/2023/06/12/india-and-united-states-good-bet-one-year-of-u.s.-india-initiative-on-critical-and-emerging-technology-icet-pub-89926 See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Pushp Kamal Dahal, or Prachanda was on his first official overseas visit to India in June this year in his his current term as Prime Minister of Nepal. There were some important outcomes from his meeting with Prime Minister Modi but also some controversies Ince he returned home including over the mural depicting Akhand Bharat including Nepal, on display in India’s new parliament building.  What are some of the deep fault lines plaguing India Nepal relations? With 70% of its population less than 40 years of age, how Is Nepalese society changing? Why does democracy remain so fragile and governments unstable in Nepal? What is Nepal’s long view of its relations with India and China?  In Episode 5 of Beyond Nation and State, Independent Journalist and Host Smita Sharma is in conversation with Kathmandu based Editor and Writer Amish Raj Mulmi. He is the author of the recent book 'All Roads Lead North: Nepal's Turn to China.'See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Since the  National Uprising of Tibetans in 1959 against the People’s Republic of China (PRC) tens of thousands of Tibetans found refuge in India as the  Tibetan Government-in-Exile came into existence. Today with an aggressive Chinese foreign, defence and security policy under President Xi Jinping, information and access to Tibet is extremely controlled with Tibetans saying they are dying a slow cultural death.  On Episode 6 of Beyond Nation and State on Suno India, we talk about the centrality of Tibet in the dynamics of Indo-China relations, the question of the reincarnation and succession of the Dalai Lama and what is happening inside Tibet. The changing demographics in Tibet, Chinese cultural and religious influences as well as the environmental concerns around China's infrastructure development projects.  Independent Journalist and Host Smita Sharma spoke to Penpa Tsering who is the highest political leader or the Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration or the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.  Listen to all previous episodes of the Foreign Policy Podcast series on Suno India, Spotify and Apple. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
657 days and counting- since the Taliban banned teenage girls from school. An Entire generation of young girls are getting scarred for life as they struggle for the most basic freedoms under the return of the Taliban to power in the war-torn country. On the 15th of August 2021, Kabul fell again to the Taliban for the second time just days ahead of the final withdrawal of the US led international forces. All the initial there talk of Taliban 2.0 being different in their approach from their first stint in power from 1996-2001 has proven to be a clear sham. The Ministry of Vice and Virtue in the Taliban government continues to strangle the lives and rights of young girls, women and minorities with daily new shackles.  On Episode 7 of Beyond Nation And State, independent journalist and host Smita Sharma is joined by -Shinkai Karokhail - Former Member of Parliament for Kabul Province. Member of Afghan Women's Network and Founder of Afghan Women's Educational Center and Afghanistan Cancer Foundation.  Speaking from Ottawa where she is forced to live in exile, Shinkai Karokhail recalls the Afghanistan of the past that respected women and allowed them their rights before the Taliban came into existence. In this heartfelt conversation she speaks about the daily horrors that young girls and women are facing under the Taliban, why she feels completely let down by the international community and why countries like India need to do a lot more.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to the Eastern Theatre Command's headquarters on 6th July. This is the command in charge of the region around Taiwan. While there Xi warned about a 'new period of turmoil and change for the world’. This warning also came just days ahead of Taiwan’s main annual Han Kuang military exercises.  Has Xi upped the ante on Taiwan? Will China force a reunification with Taiwan in the near future through military escalation?  And what would the next Taiwan Strait military conflict mean for the US, India and the world.  On Episode 8 of the foreign policy podcast Beyond Nation And State, independent journalist and host talks about the history of the Taiwan crisis, changing dynamics with the island and the Peoples’ Republic of China, and what is at stake for India and the world if it leads to a flare up involving the world’s two biggest powers of US and China.  In conversation with Vijay Gokhale, Retired career diplomat, former envoy to Malaysia, Germany and China and Former Foreign Secretary.  He is the author of  3 important books -  Tiananmen Square: The Making of a Protest, The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India, and After Tiananmen: The Rise of ChinaVijay Gokhale  is currently a Non-Resident senior fellow at Carnegie IndiaAnd has authored a recent working paper on -‘What should India do before the next Taiwan Strait Crisis.’ See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
Srilanka witnessed massive protests- called the Aragalaya movement last year against the government in the wake of the worst economic crisis the country faced since its independence. By July events unfolded fast with homes of lawmakers and politicians being torched. President Gotabaya Rajapksa was forced to flee Srilanka and resign. Six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected the new president, despite the protesters demanding the entire ruling elite quit. A brutal military crackdown on the protestors followed soon removing them from Galle Face Green.  In the last one year Srilanka assisted by India, Japan, World Bank, it has tried to find a way out of the debt crisis and seeking and International Monetary Fund bail out. President Wickramesinghe was in Delhi recently on his first bilateral visit since resuming office last year and held formal talks with Prime Minister Modi.  So is there faith in his leadership now in Srilanka? Does the country feel it is headed on a positive trajectory now? How are the youth reacting to the political process?  On episode 9 of the Foreign Policy Podcast Beyond Nation and State, we try and understand the underlying currents in Srilanka -what lies beneath the surface. Independent Journalists and Host Smita Sharma is joined by Dilrukshi Handunnetti- Award-winning journalist and lawyer. She is a founder and director of the Colombo-based Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR).See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.
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