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As elections are underway in India, this is an important conversation. Human rights, hate speech, caste dynamics, the silencing of dissent and the idea of government working with civil society for the greater good - we cover a lot of ground in this truly special conversation with the inimitable Meenakshi Ganguly. Wise, experienced, and a true humanist, she is truly a force for good in this world.

Meenakshi Ganguly is also the Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, overseeing the work in a number of countries in the region. She served as correspondent for Time Magazine, worked with the Press Trust of India and published in the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Scroll, Wire, Dhaka Tribune, and The Kathmandu Post, among others.Ganguly has a Masters in Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics.

Tune in and do let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Megha Singh's journey as an entrepreneur will possibly resonate with many people who have had to restart or reimagine careers, balance passion with purpose, and create opportunities for themselves.

She says the working title of her autobiography could be Love. Money. God. and in this freewheeling conversation, Megha speaks with refreshing candour about her relationship with all three, and more.

Today Megha helps entrepreneurs get started and on their way to their first $100,000. For those who may feel inspired or just curious, you can reach her at:
Website: https://www.b-inc.asia/
Business IG: https://www.instagram.com/bincbymegha/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bincbymegha/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bincbymegha
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megha.singh.165/

The NGO that she speaks of in her conversation is called the Swayam Foundation. Interested folks who want to know more or support their initiatives can contact her father, Mr. Bijay Kumar at bijaykumar.ms@gmail.com.

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Ravijeet Dang is a techie with a difference. A believer in creating social impact through technology and community engagement, as the Managing Director of Iotasol, he is passionate about mentoring the next generation of technology leaders.

In this episode we explore an uncommon journey that led him from India, to Europe, Singapore and now to Australia. We talk passion and purpose, continual learning and the path to fulfilment.

We also get a peek into the exciting possibilities ahead with AI and how technology can potentially solve for some of the most pressing challenging of our times.

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Was the Delhi Sultanate a barbaric and bloodthirsty line of rulers who imposed Islam in the Indian subcontinent by the force of their sword? Were there Muslim rulers in the South of India? How so we separate fact from fiction in understanding our complex and multi-dimensional past?

Syed Ubaidur Rahman, a New Delhi-based author and columnist answers all of this and more, as we take a walk down the not too distant past. Syed has written extensively on medieval and modern Indian history and his latest book is ‘Peaceful Expansion of Islam in India.’

Other recent publications include 'Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India: Bahmani Empire, Madurai, Bijapur, Golconda & Mysore Sultanates' (2022), 'Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters' (2021), and 'Ulema's Role in India's Freedom Movement with Focus on Reshmi Rumal Tehrik' (2019).

He has written opeds for leading Indian and foreign newspapers including The Hindustan Times, Economic Times, Sify, NewsClick, Arab News, Quint etc.

Join us as we discover hidden facets of our collective history, that informs so much of our rich cultural diversity and heritage.

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For countless Bengalis, Anjan Dutt is an emotion. From Bela Bose to Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbo Na, Mary Ann to Bhalobasha, his songs captured a particular zeitgeist of 90's Kolkata. For a generation coming of age at the time, in his music, they found an unforgettable voice for their heartbreaks and hopes, their aches and aspirations.

Anjan Dutt is also an award winning actor and filmmaker. From Mrinal Sen's Chalachitro, (for which he won the best newcomer actor award at the Venice Film Festival), and Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Ghihojudddha, and then directing films such as Bow Barracks Forever, The Bong Connection, and Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona, he has had a varied and interesting career in film.

A man who wears his success lightly, with humour and humility, Anjan Dutt is a reminder of a gentler, more inclusive time.

In this episode, he takes us through his early years, his unexpected success, his many interests, and what makes Kolkata his eternal muse.

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It is an honour to begin the first season of NRI Affairs, Pause with Nandini, 2024, with the exceptional Pallabi Ghosh, a woman who has rescued 10,000 people from traffickers, child marriage, forced marriage, child labour, and prostitution.

Pallabi takes us through hidden passages in big city brothels, to villages in Haryana with their kidnapped brides, to far flung rural Bengal where a woman is paid 10 rupees for a full day’s work, and hungry children can be lured away by traffickers with biscuits, to the dark reality of survivors’ further victimisation by their own families, and the prevalence of survivor suicides.

This episode is a rare opportunity to go beyond sensational headlines and truly meet the human stories behind trafficking, discover how the problem thrives at the intersections of poverty, exploitation, gender violence, patriarchy, the serious gaps in law enforcement, and the quagmire of the legal system.

In all of this we also discuss societal apathy, what it takes to do the work that Pallabi has done now for over a decade, and the severe toll it takes on her own mental health.

Pallabi is also the founder of the Impact and Dialogue Foundation, through which she aims to create awareness about trafficking in all forms, provide a safe space to survivors, and deliver vocational training that sets them towards financial independence.

A very special conversation with an extraordinary warrior – watch, listen, and share.

Let us collectively create awareness and foster dialogue on an issue that affects the most vulnerable amongst us.

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Devashish Makhija often tells stories of people he doesn't belong to; of people who have been deliberately silenced or ignored by the majority, or the powerful. While he battles unimaginable odds to bring those stories to light, telling them comes with their own, often heartbreaking pitfalls.

We continue our conversation through somewhat contentious territory as we talk about wokeness, appropriation, and the use of language as both bridge and barrier.

And there is poetry. His own, which he says he doesn't write anymore. In some way that makes his reading of them even more special.

Watch, listen and do let us know your thoughts.

Devashish's photomaker: Aparna Jayakumar

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Devashish Makhija is arguably one of the most important voices in independent cinema in India today. His latest feature film Joram, produced by Zee Cinema, is set for a worldwide theatrical release on December 8, after a whirlwind global festival tour following its debut at the prestigious Rotterdam Film Festival.

In a no-holds-barred conversation, Devashish traces the genesis of his rage, the evolution of his voice as a filmmaker, the auto-censorship that is strangulating dissent today, and his profound relationship with poetry and music.

This, and a lot more, as we uncover the compulsions and contradictions that drive an all-consuming artistic pursuit, and the often tumultuous relationship between a true artist and his art.

Makhija's award-winning body of work includes feature films such as Bhonsle, (which fetched Manoj Bajpayee a national award), the much celebrated Ajji, and short films (Cycle, Cheepatakadumpa, Taandav, El'ayichi, Agli Baar (aka And then they came for me), Rahim Murge pe mat ro (aka Don't cry for Rahim LeCock), Absent, and Happy).

He is also an award winning author of adult, young adult and children's books. His latest book, We are the Dancing Forest, published by Tulika Publishers won the Honour Book Award at the Green Literature Festival. His novel, Oonga, won the 2021 Neev Book Award in the YA category. He is also the author of Forgetting, a collection of short stories, and children's books, When Ali became Bajrangbali and Why Paploo was Perplexed.

His anthology of poems 'Bewilderness' is slated for release next year.

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