South Central

In this episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by author and activist Meena Kandasamy and TNM's senior editor Ragamalika Karthikeyan. Leena delves into Kerala’s actor assault case, highlighting judicial delays and systemic issues. Dhanya discusses how the visuals of the sexual assault were illegally accessed by court employees and no criminal proceedings are being done on them.The survivor has meanwhile written to the President for help. Raga says, “I think it's process as punishment for the survivor. Everything that is happening, whether it is the courts, how the judges are reacting, how the people are reacting, all of this is patriarchy in action. It should shock us that this is a person who does have access to more resources. And yet, this is what she's facing.”Pooja adds, “At the end of the day, they’re fighting multiple battles to ensure they aren’t further traumatized or shamed, while still living with the stigma that comes with it.”As the conversation shifts to Rahul Gandhi’s role in the India Bloc, with Meena emphasizing the need for Congress to fully commit to its progressive stance. She says, “Hindutva-lite won’t defeat Hindutva Agmark. Rahul Gandhi’s stance against crony capitalism and support for the caste census show he’s taking bold steps, but the Congress must reinvent itself.”The discussion then turns to Tamil Nadu politics, where a book launch featuring Vijay and VCK’s Aadhav Arjuna has become a flashpoint for speculation about political alignments. Meena comments, “If Vijay makes statements against the DMK while sitting next to an ally, it’s immediately perceived as agreement, even without public contradiction.”Dive into South Central for an engaging and insightful discussion—you won’t want to miss it!Once a month, we will invite one TNM subscriber to the show. Write to us on what you would like to speak about to southcentral@thenewsminute.comSend your thoughts, suggestions and criticism as well.Become a subscriber- Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click hereAudio Timecodes 00:00:00:00 - Introductions 00:01:42:00 - Announcements00:03:00:00- Headlines00:13:32:00 - Kerala Actor Assault Case 00:37:32:00 -INDIA Bloc: Rahul or Mamata?01:03:02:05 - TN Political Flashpoint01:17:38:02 - RecommendationsCheck out the recommendations and references form this episode.Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by weather blogger Srikanth (@ChennaiRains) and political consultant Tara Krishnaswamy.Srikanth highlights the gaps in India’s weather prediction infrastructure, “We should aim for radar coverage within 200 kilometers everywhere in the country, but large parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and the Western Ghats still don’t have enough coverage. Critical areas like Bengaluru, for instance, lack a dedicated radar system, which affects timely warnings.”The conversation shifts to the legal challenges faced by fact-checker Mohammed Zubair. Dhanya remarks, “Personally, people can like Zubair, dislike him, agree with some of his tweets, or think he is a political stooge of some party or the other. But a state's power is being used against an individual.”Pooja notes, “But the fact that a fact-checker is booked again and again shows how those in power are so averse to anybody correcting their misinformation.”Leena observes, “Having a Muslim name in this country means that whatever you do can turn into an offense. With a Hindu name, life becomes a bit easier. And that’s the unfortunate truth of our times.”Tara adds, “It is not just, ‘If you have a Muslim name, we’re going to come after you.’ It is, ‘We will make an example of you because we need to instill fear in others.’ It goes against their narrative to allow anyone to rise up against them.”Finally, the discussion moves to Pawan Kalyan’s evolving political identity. Pooja notes, “Pawan Kalyan’s ability to adapt and stay relevant is undeniable, but his shift from federalist rhetoric to aligning with hardline narratives raises important questions about his endgame.”Once a month, we will invite one TNM subscriber to the show. Write to us on what you would like to speak about to southcentral@thenewsminute.comSend your thoughts, suggestions and criticism as well.Become a subscriber- Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click hereAudio Timecodes 00:00:00:00 - Introductions 00:02:52:00 - Announcements00:04:08:00- Headlines00:14:50:00 - Cyclone Fengal 00:40:05:00 -Zubair case00:58:45:02 - Pawan Kalyan’s politics01:25:30:00 - RecommendationsCheck out the recommendations and references form this episode.Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to South Central, a brand-new TNM podcast that delves into the stories shaping southern India.In the third episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Raghunath are joined by journalist M. Rajshekhar and writer Nadika Nadja.On Adani’s alleged bribery case, Rajshekhar explains, “This is the first time we’ve seen evidence of money flowing back to politicians in exchange for favors.” Dhanya questions, “Why does every political party avoid confronting Adani?”The conversation then moves to actor Siddique’s controversial bail in a sexual assault case. Pooja remarks, "There’s so much focus on the victim, how they spoke to the alleged perpetrator or whether they were smiling, that the real issue gets overlooked." Leena reflects on how this judgment impacts women in the film industry, questioning the challenges they face in coming forward with complaints.Finally, Nadika and the hosts discuss the movie industry’s push to delay reviews. Nadika observes, “Cinema is art, but it’s also a consumer product. If you want audiences to watch, you have to allow them the space to critique it.”All this and more—tune in to South Central for an insightful conversation!Once a month, we will invite one TNM subscriber to the show. Write to us on what you would like to speak about to southcentral@thenewsminute.comSend your thoughts, suggestions and criticism as well.Become a subscriber- Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click hereAudio Timecodes 00:00:00:00 - Introductions 00:01:50:00 - Announcements00:03:00:01- Headlines00:12:34:02 - Adani Indictment 00:35:22:04 -Actor Siddique bail 00:53:45:08 - Pushback against movie reviews 01:12:47:01 - RecommendationsCheck out the recommendations and references form this episode.Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by Frontline’s Senior Associate Editor RK Radhakrishnan and lawyer Nikhil Narendran.On actor Nayanthara’s stand against Dhanush, Dhanya observes, “I think it’s very uncharacteristic for a female actor to take on someone like Dhanush, who is so embedded in the system.”Adding to the discussion, Nikhil notes, “It seems unnecessary to create a controversy, or perhaps Dhanush acted unfairly towards Nayanthara. I don’t think she’ll face much trouble because the footage was shot on a mobile phone, and courts often view such cases favorably under the doctrine of de minimis.” Nikhil, an expert on IP law explains why Dhanush is on a weak wicket. Highlighting male dominance in the film industry, RK remarks, “Despite the spirited struggle in Kerala, it remains confined to the state and hasn’t influenced other regions. Exploitation, catcalling, and even passing off lewd acts as humor on sets or at audio release functions continue unchecked.”The discussion then shifts to former BJP leader Sandeep Varier’s surprising move to the Congress. Leena comments, “In Kerala, politics was once so ideology-driven… but that seems to be fading now.”All this and more—tune in to South Central for an insightful conversation!Once a month, we will invite one TNM subscriber to the show. Write to us on what you would like to speak about to southcentral@thenewsminute.comSend your thoughts, suggestions and criticism as well.Become a subscriber- Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click hereAudio timecodes00:00:00:00 - Introductions 00:00:43:00 - Announcements00:02:29:10 - Headlines00:24:59:02 - Nayanthara vs Dhanush00:41:35:04 -Sandeep Varier joins Congress00:57:40:08 - Kasthuri Shankar arrest01:06:03:01 - RecommendationsCheck out the recommendations and references form this episode.Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to South Central, a brand-new TNM podcast that delves into the stories shaping southern India.In the first episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by Prof. of Law Anup Surendranath and Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri.Discussing former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud’s comment that he turned to god during the Ayodhya case, Abhinandan says, “Religiosity is something that progressives or liberals mock at their own peril because not everybody who is religious or invokes religion is a bad person.”Anup was critical of the ‘Chandrachud project’, as he called it, “He was, in a very strange sense, prostrate – very reluctant to hold the state accountable on the sharpest questions.”As the conversation shifts to Tamil actor Vijay’s entry into politics, Dhanya remarks, “He has actually come in when he’s at his peak, and he’s clearly made that a talking point.” Pooja adds, “There is no structure to the party. There’s one superstar on top, and after that, what happens?” Leena comments, “Other than Vijay, who do we know in the party?”All this and more—tune in!Once a month, we will invite one TNM subscriber to the show. Write to us on what you would like to speak about to southcentral@thenewsminute.comSend your thoughts, suggestions and criticism as well.Become a subscriber- Click here.To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click hereAudio timecodes00:00:00:00 - Introductions 00:02:42:00 - Announcements00:03:07:01 - Headlines00:29:44:02 - Communal Officers00:40:37:03 - CJI Chandrachud 01:02:54:01 - Vijay's TVK 01:16:06:02 - RecommendationsCheck out the recommendations and references form this episode.Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.