Grand Tamasha

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Salman Soz on what the abrogation of Article 370 means for Jammu and Kashmir—and for India Sep 04, 2019

Show notes

Last week on the podcast, Milan talked with journalist Rahul Pandita about the Indian government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants the state of Jammu and Kashmir semi-autonomous status. According to Rahul, while many Kashmiris are up in arms over the government’s decision, many residents quietly support the move.

This week, we continue our exploration of the events unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir by speaking with Salman Soz, who offers a very different perspective on the actions on the ground. Soz is an international development expert who hails from Kashmir and a member of the opposition Indian National Congress. He is also the author of a new book, The Great Disappointment: How Narendra Modi Squandered a Unique Opportunity to Transform the Indian Economy.

Salman believes the scrapping of Article 370 will have serious, adverse consequences for the state and for Indian democracy on the whole. Milan and Salman discuss the latter’s personal ties to the state, when a return to “normalcy” might be possible, whether Article 370 can be linked to the state’s troubles, and what state politics looks like in the future.

Rahul Pandita on Kashmir: “You can leave Kashmir but Kashmir never leaves you” Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

Milan sits down with journalist Rahul Pandita to talk about the situation in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Rahul has an intense personal connection to the state—he was just fourteen years old when he and his Kashmiri Pandit family were forced into exile. He speaks with Milan about a recent reporting trip he took to Kashmir in the aftermath of the government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, ending seven decades of constitutional autonomy for the state.

Milan and Rahul discuss the fall-out of the government’s move, the contradictory narratives from the ground, and the prospects for violence. Rahul also explains his frustration with mainstream media’s “apocalyptic” reporting from Kashmir, which he says fails to adequately report all sides of the story.

Rahul documented the heartbreaking story of Kashmir and his connection to it in his 2013 book, Our Moon Has Blood Clots: A Memoir of a Lost Home in Kashmir. Today, Rahul is a journalist with OPEN Magazine.

Christophe Jaffrelot on the Modi Moment in Indian Politics Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

This week on the Grand Tamasha podcast, we bring you some special bonus content--a conversation Milan recorded with political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot in June 2019 in the aftermath of the momentous Indian general election. Christophe is one of the world’s best-known scholars of India, having written some of the field’s foundational texts dissecting caste politics and Hindu nationalism.

In his conversation with Milan, Christophe discusses the factors that led to the BJP’s crushing victory in the 2019 election, starting with the magnetic charisma and “national populism” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two also debate the long-term implications of the election for the construction of a Hindu rashtra (nation), the future of secularism, and what the election portends for the future shape of politics in India’s south.

Kashmir, the Indian Economy, and the PM’s Independence Day Speech Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

In the season premiere, Milan hosts an end-of-summer news round-up with Sadanand Dhume of the American Enterprise Institute and Wall Street Journal and Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution.

Milan and his guests discuss three topics: the Modi government’s decision to abrogate Section 370 of the Indian Constitution granting semi-autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, the slumping Indian economy, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address.

Programming note: this season we're changing up our format to allow us to dig deeper into the issues you care about. Each episode will either break down the news of the week, or feature an interview with an expert. Thanks for listening!

U.S.-India Trade Woes and Shereen Bhan on Modi’s Economic Agenda Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

First, Milan sits down with Richard (Rick) Rossow who holds the Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. With years of experience in the private sector as well as in the think tank world, Rick follows India’s trade and investment scenario India more closely than almost anyone else on the planet. Rick and Milan discuss the recent trade fallout between the United States and India and whether we are at the beginning of an ugly trade war. Rick and his colleagues have also been tracking the Modi government’s economic reforms through a unique reforms scorecard, and Rick tells us about what we can expect from Modi 2.0 based on the experience of Modi 1.0.

Then, Milan sits down with Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18, during her recent trip to Washington. Shereen has a front-row seat when it comes to Indian economic news, and she and Milan have a wide-ranging conversation on everything from India’s contested GDP numbers to private sector sentiment. Shereen also discusses the Modi government’s reform agenda, the road ahead for the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and questions around India’s trade policy.

The BJP in Power and Ashley J. Tellis on India’s Foreign Policy Future Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

First, Milan sits down with Uttam Kumar of the Hindustan Times to discuss the state of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the heels of its second consecutive election victory. Uttam and Milan discuss the role that Amit Shah, the longtime confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly inaugurated Union Home Minister, will play in the Modi 2.0 government. Uttam also shares his insights into the future of the BJP party organization, the makeup of the Cabinet, and the government’s early priorities.

Then, Milan talks with Ashley J. Tellis, who holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Milan asks Ashley about the foreign policy challenges facing the new government, as laid out in Tellis’ new Carnegie essay, “Troubles Aplenty: Foreign Policy Challenges for the Next Indian Government.” Tellis also assesses Modi’s first-term foreign policy record and the current turmoil in U.S.-India relations. Milan ends the conversation by asking Tellis to reflect on Modi’s choice of Dr. S. Jaishankar as the new External Affairs Minister.

Modi’s Cabinet and Sajjid Chinoy on the Economic Choices Facing the New Government Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

First, Milan sits down with Sadanand Dhume of the American Enterprise Institute and the Wall Street Journal to discuss the Modi government’s Cabinet picks. Sadanand and Milan discuss the two most notable additions to the Cabinet—Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Home Minister (and BJP Party President) Amit Shah. The two also discuss the issue of Modi’s second-term mandate as well as the relatively limited institutional checks and balances the prime minister faces going forward.

Then, Milan talks with Sajjid Chinoy, the chief India economist for JP Morgan. Sajjid is a prolific commentator on the Indian economy and a trusted external adviser to the government; he currently serves on the Advisory Council to the Fifteenth Finance Commission. Sajjid talks with Milan about the economic headwinds the government faces as it takes office and the hard choices the new government must tackle head-on in its first few months. Milan and Sajjid also discuss the global economic environment, the continuing problems ailing the rural sector, and the need to fix India’s economic “plumbing”.

The Election Aftermath and Devesh Kapur on the Indian State May 29, 2019

Show notes

First, Grand Tamasha's Executive Producer Lauren Dueck takes the helm to interview Milan on the election aftermath. Milan and Lauren discuss whether the election marks a structural break in Indian electoral history and what, if any, impact the economy had on the outcome. The two also discuss whether secularism has a leg to stand on going forward.

Then, Milan sits down with Devesh Kapur, director of Asia programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Devesh has spent much of his career researching the Indian state and he talks with Milan about his diagnosis of the challenges facing Indian public institutions. The two discuss India’s personnel shortcomings, whether India is truly a “patronage democracy,” and what should be on next government’s administrative reform agenda.

Election Postmortem With Tanvi Madan May 24, 2019

Show notes

Milan talks to Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution about the BJP's victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. We'll be back in your feed at our regularly scheduled time next week.

The End of the Never-Ending Campaign and Gilles Verniers on Data and Elections May 22, 2019

Show notes

First, the new national political editor of the Hindustan Times Sunetra Choudhury joins Milan to round up this week’s news. Sunetra reflects on some of her key takeaways from the 2019 campaign and how, if at all, this year’s election broke new ground. The two also discuss the recent electoral turmoil in West Bengal and the regional opposition’s backroom discussions over a post-election “Federal Front.”

Then, Milan sits down with Gilles Verniers, assistant professor of political science and Ashoka University and co-director of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data. If you’ve encountered insightful, data-driven election analyses this cycle, chances are Gilles or his colleagues had something to do with it. Milan and Gilles discuss how 2019 has stacked up in terms of women candidates and the nomination of incumbents. The two end their conversation by reviewing Gilles’ list of “states to watch” on May 23 as the results come in.

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