BIC TALKS

In the second episode of Being a Present Parent, our speakers Tena and Gauri reflect on the trends, surprises and lessons learnt from a year of circles and workshops on topics such as sex and post-partum, trauma and vocabulary, birth and autonomy, and medical science's approach to obstetrics and gynaecology while they share personal stories and insights. The Series: Parenting can be one of those challenges in life that never has any right answers. How do you enable another person to live up to their full potential in a healthy way while being mindful of their individuality and personality as well as taking care of yourself? Some have called it the ultimate crash course in adulting. A large number of us have come to understand equity, equality and feminism later in life and are finding ways to live them now, including in the way we speak and work with our children. What does feminist parenting look like? We seek answers in this three-part podcast series of BIC Talks. In this mini-series, we have Educator and Head of CSR, DXC India, Gauri Bhure Roy, and Tena Pick, Social Impact Consultant and Founder of Project Kal, taking us through the journey of feminist parenting. Gauri and Tena are co-founders of the feminist parenting collective, Parenthesis India. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Parenting can be one of those challenges in life that never has any right answers. How do you enable another person to live up to their full potential in a healthy way while being mindful of their individuality and personality as well as taking care of yourself? Some have called it the ultimate crash course in adulting. A large number of us have come to understand equity, equality and feminism later in life and are finding ways to live them now, including in the way we speak and work with our children. What does feminist parenting look like? We seek answers in this three-part podcast series of BIC Talks. In this mini-series, we have Educator and Head of CSR, DXC India, Gauri Bhure Roy, and Tena Pick, Social Impact Consultant and Founder of Project Kal, taking us through the journey of feminist parenting. Gauri and Tena are co-founders of the feminist parenting collective, Parenthesis India. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

The book “Memories in the Service of the Hindu Nation: The Afterlife of the Partition” by anthropologist Dr. Pranav Kohli presents the findings of an extensive ethnographic study conducted over fourteen months, focusing on survivors of the Partition from west Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province. The research was conducted in Delhi and its surroundings between 2017 and 2018. The author explores the connection between the global rise of far-right nationalism, the process of globalization, and the memories of victimhood. Specifically, the book delves into Hindu nationalism in India, shedding light on the tragic consequences that can arise from a history of trauma. The central question posed by the book and this conversation with Pranav Kohli and writer, researcher and lawyer Prannv Dhawan is: "What does it mean to remember the Partition in the time of fascism?" Kohli and Dhawan discuss the experiences of displacement and everyday violence resulting from the political policies of Partition, drawing relevance to the current global context of forced displacement across national borders. Through an analysis of trauma reincription in Partition memories and its correlation to the justifications of contemporary Hindu nationalist violence, Kohli elucidates the cycles of violence and the ways in which Hindu nationalism shapes the narratives of Hindu Partition survivors. By examining the deployment of memory to reinforce notions of national belonging and exclusion, Kohli contributes to the understanding of the increasing xenophobia in multicultural democracies. The book addresses the perplexing phenomenon of how "mob" violence can be attributed to outsiders without individuals recalling or acknowledging their own acts of violence.  In this episode of BIC Talks Dhawan speaks to Kohli about his analysis, linking memory, sacrifice, and theodicy, offering a novel conceptual lens to connect the Partition of India in 1947 with contemporary homegrown Hindu fascism and provides thought-provoking ground work to anthropologists studying religion, nationalism, and memory, as well as researchers focusing on modern Indian cultural politics. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

The Shaolin monks of the legendary monastery in China are famous for their skills in Kung Fu. However, Shaolin Kung Fu isn’t just a martial art but a specific way of life and conduct that can be applied effectively in any professional or personal context. The real secret of the Shaolin monks’ success isn’t their physical abilities. Rather it is their way of thinking that makes them invincible. Business mentor Bernhard Moestl, who learned from the Shaolin monks and is today an instructor reveals for the first time the Shaolin principle of ‘mind power’. This talk was part of Bangalore Literature Festival 2022 Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Delving into the intricate world of storytelling, author and historian Anirudh Kanisetti and author Vikram Chandra explore the fundamental questions that intrigue both readers and writers alike: How are stories told? How do they come to be? And where do these wisps of memory and words find the kernels to sprout from? Drawing upon his own journey and experiences, Vikram shares insights into his literary beginnings and the unique methods he employs in his writing. This episode of BIC Talks unveils the rich tapestry of storytelling, providing a glimpse into the creative process and the possible sources that inspire authors to weave narratives that resonate with readers. Adapted from a session held at the Bangalore Literature Festival 2022, this dialogue offers a thought-provoking exploration of the art of storytelling, appealing to both literature enthusiasts and aspiring writers seeking to unravel the mysteries behind the birth of tales. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

An ethnographic study of Indian democracy that shows how agrarian life creates values of citizenship and active engagement that are essential for the cultivation of democracy, Cultivating Democracy provides a compelling ethnographic analysis of the relationship between formal political institutions and everyday citizenship in rural India. Dr. Mukulika Banerjee draws on deep engagement with the people and social life in two West Bengal villages between 1998 and 2013 to show how the micro-politics of their day-to-day life builds active engagement with the macro-politics of the state. Her sensitive analysis focuses on several "events" in the life of the villages shows how India's agrarian rural society helps create practices and conceptual space for citizens to be effective participants in India's great democratic exercises. In this episode of  BIC Talks, Dr. Banerjee, social anthropologist, scholar and author engages in a coversation with scholar and economist Dr. Vijayendra Rao on the various facets of a functioning democracy and lessons the urban set ups can learn from rural governance. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Journalism has been the beacon that illuminates the truth amidst the shadows of ignorance. How true does this adage hold in a post-truth world. Writer and columnist, Bachi Karkaria, moderates a captivating panel discussion featuring authors and journalists - P Sainath, Sashi Kumar, and Barkha Dutt.  This BIC Talks conversation revolves around the evolving nature of human interest stories, the importance of grassroots reportage, and their collective reflections on their noble profession, which strives to hold a mirror up to society. However, the question looms: Has this mirror transformed into a sycophant, exposing irreparable cracks? Is the entire enterprise teetering on the verge of failure? This episode is adapted from a session at the Bangalore Literature Festival 2022. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Historian Shekhar Pathak; ecologist, and author Ullas Karanth and historian and author Mahesh Rangarajan converge in this episode of BIC Talks to explore the path towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly world. With their extensive knowledge in environmental history, wildlife conservation, and cultural perspectives, they engage in a dialogue encompassing crucial topics such as environmental challenges, wildlife preservation, historical contexts, cultural impacts, and sustainable development. This conversation sprinked with information, analyses, anecdotes, past and current studies and on ground realities promises to be a rich and enlightening exchange of ideas, aiming to inspire actionable solutions for a future that prioritizes ecological balance and the well-being of our planet. This episode was adapted from a session at Bangalore Literature Festival 2022. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Renowned author and Sahitya Akademi awardee Damodar Mauzo engages in a conversation with author and playwright Vivek Shanbhag discuss Mauzo's collection of 14 stories titled "Teresa's Man and Other Stories from Goa." These tales provide a profound glimpse into the world of Goan-Konkani literature, a realm shaped by both remarkable achievements and challenges. Konkani, considered the "oldest of modern Indo-Aryan tongues," has faced various obstacles throughout its history. It has encountered persistent pressure from dominant regional languages like Marathi and Kannada, and it endured violent suppression during the Inquisition years in Goa from 1560 to 1812. The language struggled for survival amidst waves of diaspora and underwent a fervent postcolonial agitation. Eventually, in 1992, Konkani gained official recognition as a language under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Within "Teresa's Man," Mauzo skillfully captures the essence of Goa and its Konkani-speaking population. These stories, translated from Konkani to English by Xavier Cota, offer a blend of local flavour and universal themes that evoke a range of emotions and ideas. In this episode, adapted from a session at Bangalore Literature Festival 2022, Mauzo and Shanbhag delve into the inspirations, characters, and themes that shape the collection. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

What is a language and how do they make us who we are? Is an eternal question philosophers have grappled with over eras. Linguistics scholars seek to determine what is unique and universal about the language we use, how it is acquired and the ways it changes over time. They consider language as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon that stretches across the range of what is human. Over the past few decades we are faced with the language of the digital era that has rapidly changed the constitution of everyday interaction of humankind and steered evolution in all its aspects. In this episode of BIC Talks, journalist, film maker and media entrepreneur Sashi Kumar speaks about Language and its ever changing face. This episode is adapted from a Bangalore Literature Festival 2022 session. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.