“I feel that it is unethical for me to continue as a civil servant in the government when the fundamental building blocks of our diverse democracy are being compromised in an unprecedented manner.” These were the words of former IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil in his resignation letter, marking the end of his career in the Indian Administrative Service.

Since stepping away from bureaucracy, Senthil has been into public service, first as a civil rights activist and now as a full-time politician with the Congress party. Elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur constituency, he has taken on a crucial role within the party and its revival. Tasked with leading Congress’s election war rooms across the country, Senthil has been at the forefront of devising strategies to counter the right-wing politics of the BJP and RSS.

How has India transformed during Narendra Modi’s decade-long rule? What is the real agenda of the RSS and BJP, and how does it impact the fabric of Indian democracy? In this episode of Pakka Politics, Sasikanth Senthil sits down with Shabbir Ahmed to discuss his politics, the challenges facing the country due to Hindutva politics and the fight for its democratic future.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Tamil Nadu politics heading toward the next generation? Will the entry of an actor-turned-politician alter political equations in the state? Is it going to be Udhayanidhi vs. Vijay? These are some of the questions being debated and discussed over the past few months in Tamil Nadu. The entry of actor-turned-politician Vijay, with a massive young fan following, has posed new challenges for well-established parties like the DMK, AIADMK, and others.

Mano Thangaraj began his career as a student activist and has been actively involved in political movements in Kanniyakumari. He once held the post of district panchayat chairman as an independent and gradually rose through the ranks of the DMK. Currently, he is the MLA from the Padmanabhapuram constituency, a two-time minister, and serves as the DMK district secretary for the Kanniyakumari West region.

In this episode of Pakka Politics, Shabbir Ahmed engages in a conversation with Mano Thangaraj about student activism, communal politics in Kanniyakumari, and Vijay’s entry into politics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.