In this episode of What's Your ISM?, Sudipto Mondal sits down with Journalist Kalpana Sharma to discuss her trailblazing career in journalism. They explore her early days with Himmat, a small but influential English-language weekly that stood for truth and justice during the post-Emergency era. Kalpana reflects on her work covering Dharavi and amplifying marginalized voices, as well as the evolution of feminism and the role of media in today’s social movements.

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In Episode 26 of What's Your Ism? Sudipto Mondal speaks with Shailaja Paik, MacArthur 'Genius' Award winner and scholar, to delve into Dalit feminism, caste, and sexuality. They explore ‘Manuski,’ caste intersectionality, and the hidden stories of Dalit women in art like Tamasha. Episode releases tomorrow—stay tuned!

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Our guest this time is hard to define. President of PUCL Karnataka, law scholar, Constitutional expert, author, one of the country’s pioneering LGBTQ+ activists, co-founder of the Alternative Law Forum and the legatee of a family that laid the first foundation for secular education in Karnataka. Over two decades of human rights work and political organising, he has created his own unique ism combining Gandhi and Ambedkar

Sudipto Mondal discusses the anti caste legacy of one of Bangalore’s oldest charities, human rights law, the Constitution and the relevance of Gandhi and Ambedkar today with Arvind Narrain in episode 25 of What’s Your Ism.

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How did the Modi government gain the Shompen tribe’s consent for the construction of two cities, a port and gas refinery on the Great Nicobar island? What does the Modi government’s plan to introduce carbon trading mean for the environment? How do the latest changes to the Forest Conservation Act threaten community forest? What to expect from the COP29 in November?

Sudipto Mondal discusses the climate crisis, India’s most vulnerable communities and the global debate with the noted environment journalist Rishika Pardikar in episode 24 of What’s Your Ism.

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How did the civilian administration in India gain an upper hand over the military? Why did Pakistan and Bangladesh fail to control their generals? Nehru was initially dismissive of the armed forces, why and how did his view evolve? What was Jinnah’s view of the military?

Sudipto Mondal discusses the Poles Apart – a newly released book comparing the three major military powers of South Asia – with the author Dr. Aditya Sondhi. The Supreme Court lawyer and former Additional Advocate General of Karnataka also reflects on how civil military relations in India could be further improved in episode 23 of ‘What’s your ism?’

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Is it possible to survive in India without Aadhaar? How does one protect individual rights against an ever more powerful surveillance state? What is legally valid, paper records or digital records? Is privacy an elite obsession?

Sudipto Mondal discusses data privacy, state surveillance and digital rights with one of the last people in the country to resist the imposition of Aadhaar, the founder of Internet Freedom Foundation and Hasgeek Kiran Jonnalagadda in Episode 22 of ‘What’s your ism?’

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What role did eugenics play in the creation of a modern police force in India? What does it take for a Dalit woman to negotiate with the savarna dominated judiciary? What does it mean to be a ‘creamy layer’ Dalit in the most rarefied space in the Indian power structure?

Sudipto Mondal discusses the savarna stranglehold on the judiciary and Brahminical policing with Nikita Sonavane, Lawyer and Researcher Nikita Sonavane , founder of Bhopal-based Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project (CPAP) in Episode 21 of ‘What’s your ism?’

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What are the ways in which journalism in India is changing? Is Indian democracy safe? How deep is the rot in the country’s anti-corruption agencies and security establishment? Can the Indian army be trusted to stay out of civilian affairs?

Sudipto Mondal discusses the state of the nation and the future of journalism with the country’s leading investigative journalist and founder of Confluence Media Josy Joseph in Episode 20 of ‘What’s your ism?’

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