South Central Ep 9 | Communal Violence Trend in Coastal & North Karnataka, Revanth vs KTR

In episode nine, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by TNM’s senior journalist Anisha Sheth and journalist Yunus Lasania. This week, we discuss why communal violence went down in coastal Karnataka in 2024. 

On the changing trends of communal violence in Karnataka, Pooja highlights, “These incidents don’t happen in isolation. They happen for a reason, and that reason is to convert the region first to think in a certain way and then get electoral benefits out of it. They are part of a long-term strategy to polarize communities, first culturally and then politically, as seen in the coastal belt.” 

Anisha explains how violence has declined in coastal Karnataka but risen in northern districts, “Ideologically, nobody has had a change of heart. But they're no longer participating in violence. There is also the realization that communities like the Billawas have always been sidelined and considered unimportant, never given important positions in leadership. This transformation of primary identities into a broader Hindutva identity is its biggest achievement.” 

In Telangana, it’s Congress CM Revanth Reddy vs BRS’ KTR. Yunus says, “Revanth Reddy, being a first-time chief minister, has to assert himself and show that he’s sticking to his promises. His focus on KTR is strategic, aiming to keep the BRS tied up in controversies while asserting his leadership.” 

Leena adds, “There’s always cases and images being tarnished of your political opponent once they are out of power. It’s not tough for governments to bring out such cases, drag them into the mud, and permanently harm their reputation, ensuring their political mileage is lost.”

Tune in for sharp insights, riveting debates, and a delicious twist—Yunus shares his top biryani picks!

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Audio Timecodes 

00:00:00:00 - Introductions

00:02:08:00 - Announcements

00:03:14:00 - Headlines

00:14:28:00 - Karnataka Communal Violence Trends

00:52:41:00 - Formula E Case Against KTR

01:09:29:00 - Recommendations

Check out the recommendations and references form this episode.

Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali.

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