

Grand Tamasha
Hindustan Times - HT Smartcast
Each week, Milan Vaishnav and his guests from around the world break down the latest developments in Indian politics, economics, foreign policy, society, and culture for a global audience. Grand Tamasha is a co-production of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Hindustan Times. And you are listening to Season 6.
This is a Hindustan Times production, brought to you by HT Smartcast.
This is a Hindustan Times production, brought to you by HT Smartcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 10, 2021 • 41min
The Rural Roots of Citizenship and Democracy in India
Mukulika Banerjee, “Elections as Communitas,” Social Research, Spring 2011.
Mukulika Banerjee, “A small ‘feastie’ in a Republic’s anniversary,” Indian Express, January 26, 2020.
Pradeep K. Chhibber and Amit Ahuja, “Why the Poor Vote in India: 'If I Don't Vote, I Am Dead to the State,’” Studies in International Comparative Development, 2012.
Christophe Jaffrelot, “Narendra Modi and India's New Political System,” Grand Tamasha, October 5, 2021.

Nov 2, 2021 • 46min
How the Pulwama Case was Cracked
“Rahul Pandita on Kashmir: ‘You can leave Kashmir but Kashmir never leaves you,’” Grand Tamasha, August 29, 2021.
Adrian Levy, “Inside the Secret World of South Asia's Spies,” Grand Tamasha, October 26, 2021.
Rahul Pandita, “Kashmir’s New Insurgency,” Open Magazine, October 22, 2021.
Rahul Pandita, “The Usual Suspects,” Open Magazine, September 10, 2021.

Oct 26, 2021 • 39min
Inside the Secret World of South Asia's Spies
“What the Taliban Takeover Means for India,” Grand Tamasha, September 14, 2021.
Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark, The Siege: The Attack on the Taj (Penguin, 2013).
Aqil Shah, “How Will the Taliban Deal With Other Islamic Extremist Groups?” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, August 31, 2021.

Oct 19, 2021 • 42min
Joanna Slater on the Pivotal Stories She Covered in India for the Washington Post
“Niha Masih on Reporting on India’s COVID-19 Crisis,” Grand Tamasha, June 15, 2021.
Joanna Slater and Niha Masih, “The spyware is sold to governments to fight terrorism. In India, it was used to hack journalists and others,” Washington Post, July 19, 2021.
Joanna Slater and Shams Irfan, “Inside a Delhi hospital, oxygen runs fatally short as covid cases mount,” Washington Post, April 24, 2021.
Niha Masih and Joanna Slater, “They were accused of plotting to overthrow the Modi government. The evidence was planted, a new report says,” Washington Post, February 10, 2021.
Joanna Slater, “A young Indian couple married for love. Then the bride’s father hired assassins,” Washington Post, August 19, 2019.
Joanna Slater, “In Modi’s move on Kashmir, a road map for his ‘new India,’” Washington Post, August 15, 2019.
Joanna Slater, “In the world’s biggest election, India’s Narendra Modi pushes fear over hope,” Washington Post, April 11, 2019.

Oct 13, 2021 • 33min
How India Can Get to Net Zero Emissions
Chloe Farand, “Indian lawmaker submits private bill to achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” Climate Home News, March 18, 2021.
Jayant Sinha, “India's search for greener pastures should end in a climate change law,” Economic Times, March 10, 2021
Jayant Sinha et al., Getting to the Green Frontier, Observer Research Foundation, 2020.
Jayant Sinha and Anshu Bhardwaj, “The many paths to a greener future,” Business Standard, July 22, 2021

Oct 5, 2021 • 43min
Narendra Modi and India's New Political System
Christophe Jaffrelot and Pratinav Anil, India’s First Dictatorship: The Emergency, 1975-77 (Oxford University Press, 2021).
Angana P. Chatterji, Thomas Blom Hansen, and Christophe Jaffrelot, eds., Majoritarian State: How Hindu Nationalism is Changing India (Oxford University Press, 2019).
“Christophe Jaffrelot on India’s First Dictatorship,” Grand Tamasha, April 13, 2021.

Sep 29, 2021 • 39min
The Looming Cloud of Sanctions Over U.S.-India Relations
Sameer Lalwani, “What India can do to avoid US sanctions over Russia,” Hindustan Times, September 22, 2021.
Sameer Lalwani, “Strategizing to Exit Afghanistan: From Risk Avoidance to Risk Management,” War on the Rocks, March 29, 2021.
Sameer Lalwani and Tyler Sagerstrom, “What the India–Russia Defence Partnership Means for US Policy,” Survival (2021).
Sameer Lalwani, Frank O’Donnell, Tyler Sagerstrom, and Akriti Vasudeva, “The Influence of Arms: Explaining the Durability of India–Russia Alignment,” Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, January 15, 2021.
Sameer Lalwani, “America Can’t Ignore the Next Indo-Pakistani Crisis,” War on the Rocks, February 26, 2021.
Ashley J. Tellis, “The Biden-Modi Summit and the Future of U.S.-India Relations,” Grand Tamasha, September 21, 2021.

Sep 22, 2021 • 30min
The Biden-Modi Summit and the Future of U.S.-India Relations
Evan S. Medeiros and Ashley J. Tellis, “Regime Change Is Not an Option in China,” Foreign Affairs, July 8, 2021.
Ashley J. Tellis, “Well Begun Is Half Done? Managing U.S.-India Relations,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, April 27, 2021.
Ashley J. Tellis interview with Karan Thapar, “Taliban Win Big Setback for India but India’s Importance for US Has Sharply Increased,”The Wire, September 7, 2021.

Sep 15, 2021 • 37min
What the Taliban Takeover Means for India
Avinash Paliwal, “A strategic shock for the subcontinent,” Hindustan Times, August 25, 2021.Stephanie Findlay and Amy Kazmin, “Taliban cabinet shows west has little leverage over Afghanistan’s new rulers,” Financial Times, September 8, 2021.Devirupa Mitra, “India's New Visa Policy for Afghans Is in Limbo, Leaving Thousands Tense,” The Wire, September 7, 2021.Amy Kazmin, “Taliban mount charm offensive to win Afghans’ trust,” Financial Times, September 3, 2021.

Jul 7, 2021 • 47min
Kanti Bajpai on Why China and India Are Not Friends
Grand Tamasha, “Darshana Baruah on the Indian Ocean Imperative,” April 6, 2021
Grand Tamasha, “Ananth Krishnan on What China’s Rise Means for India,” October 20, 2020
Grand Tamasha, “Ashley J. Tellis on India’s China Conundrum,” September 22, 2020
“Off the Cuff with Kanti Bajpai,” ThePrint
Kanti Bajpai, “Why does China consistently beat India on soft power?” Indian Express, June 23, 2021


