The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma

Ep 431: Ghazala Wahab and the Hindi Heartland

Nov 17, 2025
Ghazala Wahab, a journalist and editor of Force magazine, delves into the complexities of the Hindi heartland, a region richer in diversity than the USA. She shares her journey as a Muslim woman navigating social media's rough terrain and reflects on the erosion of decency in public discourse. The conversation explores the evolution of language, the political implications of caste, and the future of warfare in a digital age. Ghazala predicts scenarios for 2040, hoping for coexistence but warning against deepening divides.
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INSIGHT

Scale And Complexity Of The Hindi Heartland

  • The Hindi Heartland contains over 600 million people and more linguistic diversity than Europe.
  • Understanding it requires embracing complexity rather than simplistic stereotypes.
ANECDOTE

Doxxing By A Neighbor And Its Toll

  • Ghazala describes a neighbour who doxxed and trolled her over tweets during Operation Sindhu, causing real fear for her safety.
  • She filed a formal complaint but notes the system did little, highlighting erosion of decency.
INSIGHT

Boundary Strategy For Social Media

  • Ghazala kept Twitter for political engagement and Facebook/Instagram for personal use, but platforms overlapped and privacy blurred.
  • She adopted a 'post and move on' strategy: post, don't read replies, and avoid engagement.
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