Many conversations and

infinite cups of coffee…

VIDEOS

The Manthan Hall of Fame

“LOCAL SELF GOVERNANCE: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS” :- BUGGANA RAJENDRANATH

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Local Self Governance: Through the Looking Glass The Talk The vision of a vibrant democracy at the grassroots level, through local bodies that are genuinely self-governing, has so far proved...

“HUMAN RIGHTS IN AN ERA OF TURBULENT CAPITALISM: OPTIONS IN INDIA” :- JAYATI GHOSH

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Human Rights in an Era of Turbulent Capitalism: Options in India The Talk The recent functioning of global capitalism has led to extreme inequalities and the concentration of wealth and...

 “PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST” :- SANJAY SUBRAHMANYAN

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Portrait of the Artist The Talk Join us for an evening with Sanjay Subrahmanyan as he holds forth on his memoir, On That Note. Written in collaboration with novelist and...

“NEHRU’S VISION AND INDIA” :- ADITYA MUKHERJEE

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Nehru’s Vision and India The Talk Jawaharlal Nehru is among the most debated leaders of our freedom struggle by the current powers that be. Why is this so? The talk...

“DATA: CHALLENGES & PERSPECTIVES” :- S. CHAKRAVARTHY

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Data: Challenges & Perspectives The Talk Digitisation is transforming lives, with significant sectors shifting online. While this progress is welcome, it also brings serious cyber threats. Governments, businesses, and individuals...

“OUR SOCIETY AND WORLD RELIGIONS” :- TRILOCHAN SASTRY

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Our Society and World Religions The Talk Wars based on religion have become common. Rapid social transformations—driven by mass migration, fragmented family structures, closer interactions between diverse communities, economic instability,...

“ THE ORIGINS OF INDIAN ENVIRONMENTALISM” :- RAMACHANDRA GUHA

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The Origins of Indian Environmentalism The Book - Speaking With Nature In his new book, Ramachandra Guha challenges the idea that countries like India lack environmental awareness. By exploring the...

“ IT’S QUIET BUT CAN YOU HEAR IT? A DIALOGUE ON “ ARTIVISM ” ” :- UMA MAGAL

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It’s Quiet but can you hear it? A dialogue on “Artivism” The Talk The intersections of art and activism. What can a film do? We recognise peak events like electoral...

“INDIA’S UNEQUAL ECONOMY AND MAJORITARIAN POLITY” :- PARAKALA PRABHAKAR

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India’s Unequal Economy & Majoritarian Polity The Talk The political economy gradually unfolding in India today is one in which the dominance of the rich in the economic domain and...

“THE POLITICS & ECONOMICS OF BUDGET 2024” :- HIMANSHU

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The Politics & Economics of Budget 2024 The Talk There was much speculation about how the Union Budget for 2024-25, the first of the third term of the coalition of...

“MIRZA GHALIB IN INDIA’S LONG 19TH CENTURY: THE POET IN HIS LABYRINTH” :- RAZA MIR

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Mirza Ghalib in India’s Long 19th Century: The Poet in his Labyrinth The Talk Mirza Ghalib was born in Mughal India, and died in colonial India. We remember him as...

“THE CASE FOR OPTIMISM” :- AAKAR PATEL

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The Case for Optimism The Talk Hindutva's vision for India has sparked significant discourse, necessitating a thoughtful response for both development and society. South Asia’s weak development is in one...

“JUST A MERCENARY ?” :- DUVVURI SUBBARAO

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Just A Mercenary? The Talk At the start of his career as sub-collector of Parvathipuram in 1974, Subbarao learnt – the hard way - that tribal development requires more than...

“AMBEDKAR MEETS GANDHI: A COMPLEX ENCOUNTER” :- ASHOK GOPAL

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Ambedkar meets Gandhi : A Complex Encounter The Talk Ashok Gopal talks about the dynamics between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi . "Ambedkar versus Gandhi" is a commonly held...

“AN ODYSSEY WITH FILMS” :- L RAVICHANDER

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An Odyssey with Films About the talk Bollywood’s narrative weaves bright and dark tales, shaping myths and shattering dreams. It births stars and obscures talent amidst staggering numbers, thrilling spectacles,...

Pakistan’s Dubious Elections: What’s up Next? | Pervez Hoodbhoy

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Pakistan’s Dubious Elections: What’s up Next ? Pakistan’s 2024 nationwide elections have led to unexpected consequences marked by increasing discord and conflict. Who won, who lost, and why has this...

“INDIA- A HISTORY THROUGH WOMEN, SPORT, AND CITIZENSHIP” :- SOHINI CHATTOPADHYAY

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India- A history through Women, Sport, and Citizenship About the talk In India, women received the vote with Independence. Yet, a line runs through our citizenship: In the private sphere...

“INDIA’S COVID TRAGEDY” :- A CONVERSATION WITH HARSH MANDER & AMIR ULLAH KHAN 

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Vijay Nambisan Lecture: ‘India’s Covid Tragedy’ About the book The official figure of close to 500,000 deaths during the two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in India are widely believed...

“REIMAGINING INDIA’S ECONOMIC FUTURE” :- A CONVERSATION WITH RAGHURAM RAJAN AND ROHIT LAMBA

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Reimagining India’s Economic Future About the talk Is India growing rapidly today and on the cusp of transforming the lives of its people? Is global manufacturing rushing to India and...

“ SECOND AJAY GANDHI MEMORIAL LECTURE- WOKENESS OF CASTE AND THE CULTURE OF UNTOUCHABILITY” :- SURAJ YENGDE

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The 2nd Ajay Gandhi Memorial Lecture: Wokeness of Caste and the Culture of Untouchability What has managed to universalize these emotional responses is the intermediary role the internet has taken...

“BLACK x BROWN LOVE CAN HELP CHANGE THE WORLD” :- JONAH BATAMNUZE

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Black x Brown Love Can Help Change The World About the talk The world is now witnessing numerous cases of violent conflicts and, even worse, genocides in real-time, because of...

“ RETHINKING TRADITION AND MODERNITY: REFLECTIONS ON ROMANTIC ANTI-CAPITALISM” :- VIREN MURTHY

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Rethinking Tradition and Modernity: Reflections on Romantic Anti-Capitalism We often think of our societies and world as moving forward to greater levels of technology mobilized by capitalism. And yet, since...

“ MEMOIRS OF HYDERABAD’S FORGOTTON HERO ABID HASAN SAFRANI ” :-  CONVERSATION WITH ISMAT MEHDI & MOHAN GURUSWAMY

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Memoirs of Hyderabad’s Forgotten Hero Abid Hasan Safrani Abid Hasan Safrani, a close associate of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, was a quiet revolutionary from Hyderabad who kept himself out of...

“ CASTE PRIDE ” :- MANOJ MITTA

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Caste Pride Caste Pride is a radically new history of caste, based on previously unseen legislative and judicial records going back over two centuries. It traces battles for equality that...

“ DATA AND DISCONTENTS ” :- HIMANSHU

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Data and its Discontents: An independent statistical system is as vital for democracy as a free press or an independent judiciary. The Indian statistical system had an enviable reputation of...

“ MANIPUR’S VIOLENCE AND THE ‘INSTITUTIONALISED RIOT SYSTEM’: THE LIMITS OF AN INTEGRATIONIST AND MAJORITARIAN AGENDA ” :- KHAM KHAN SUAN HAUSING

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Manipur’s violence and the ‘institutionalised riot system’: The limits of an integrationist and majoritarian agenda The talk will examine the causes and nature of violence that has erupted in Manipur...

“BREAKING BARRIERS”:- K. MADHAVA RAO IN CONVERSATION WITH M. R. VIKRAM

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Breaking Barriers: K. Madhava Rao in conversation with M.R. Vikram Breaking Barriers: The Story of A Dalit Chief Secretary are the memoirs of Kaki Madhava Rao who joined the Indian...

“EXPLAINING THE RISE OF (RIGHT-WING) POPULISM IN INDIA, RUSSIA, BRAZIL AND TURKEY” :-  CONVERSATION WITH DEEPANSHU MOHAN & ABHINAV PADMANABHAN

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Explaining the rise of (Right-wing) Populism in India, Russia, Brazil and Turkey Waves of populist movements have been on the rise globally since the global financial crisis of 2008. The...

“LAND GUNS CASTE WOMAN: THE MEMOIR OF A LAPSED REVOLUTIONARY ” :- GITA RAMASWAMY

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’ Land Guns Caste Woman: The Memoir of a Lapsed Revolutionary’ About the book 1980s. Ibrahimpatnam, Telangana, South India. Landless dalits are caught between a Reddy and a hard place....

“RECLAIMING OUR REPUBLIC” :- YOGENDRA YADAV

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Reclaiming our Republic We are witnessing nothing short of a systematic dismantling of our republic. Is there a way out? What is the role and responsibility of political parties? And...

“GENERATIVE AI REVOLUTION: WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR REALITY WHEN AI CAN SPIN MANY SYNTHETIC REALITIES?” :- SUBBARAO KAMBHAMPATI

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Generative AI Revolution: What Happens to our Reality When AI Can Spin Many Synthetic Realities? We are entering the brave new world of the so-called Generative AI, where AI systems...

“THE CHALLENGE OF CONTEMPORARY HISTORY ”:- RAMACHANDRA GUHA

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The Challenge of Contemporary History To coincide with the publication of the third, revised, edition of India after Gandhi, Ramachandra Guha will speak on the challenges confronting a historian documenting...

“INDIA AS A LINGUISTIC CIVILISATION ” :- GANESH DEVY

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India as A Linguistic Civilisation The talk ‘India as a Linguistic Civilisation’ will attempt to trace the many origins of Indian languages, their diverse historical trajectories and their contemporary inequalities...

“AFTERNESS: HOME AND AWAY” :- ASHOK GANGULY IN CONVERSATION WITH RICHARD SALDANHA

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About the book: Former Hindustan Unilever chairman Ashok Ganguly invites readers to journey with him as he looks back fondly on his life. The story spans eighty years of his...

“THE PROMISED LAND: INDIA’S NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020 ” :- RAM RAMASWAMY

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The Promised Land: India's National Education Policy 2020 The NEP 2020 was a long overdue assessment of the state of education in India. Crafted by a diverse group of experts,...

“DATA AND IT’S DISCONTENTS” :- RUKMINI S

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The Promised Land: India's National Education Policy 2020 The NEP 2020 was a long overdue assessment of the state of education in India. Crafted by a diverse group of experts,...

“TOGETHER WE RISE: FROM POVERTY TO PROGRESS IN OUR VILLAGES” :- M.R. SHARAN

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Together We Rise: From Poverty to Progress in Our Villages Poverty alleviation is among the most pressing socioeconomic policy concerns today. Can the poor come together to help each other...

“THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA’S SECULAR CREDENTIALS” :- KALPANA KANNABIRAN IN CONVERSATION WITH ALOK PRASANNA KUMAR

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Constitution of India's Secular Credentials This talk will be moderated by Alok Prasanna Kumar of Vidhi While “secularism” remains present in the Preamble of the Constitution, as a principle, it...

“FIRST AJAY GANDHI MEMORIAL LECTURE – DEMOCRACY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: A NEGLECT TO BE ADDRESSED ” :- DR. PALANIVEL THIAGA RAJAN

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Join us as on 17th September for the very first Ajay gandhi Memorial Lecture, by Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan Talk - Democracy and Local Governments: A neglect to be addressed...

“ENTRENCHING IMPUNITY, PEDDLING JUSTICE FOR RAPE: A CASE FOR FEMINIST CIVIL LIBERTIES” :- VRINDA GROVER

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Entrenching Impunity, Peddling Justice for Rape: A Case for Feminist Civil Liberties Vrinda Grover Advocate, Supreme Court of India Vrinda Grover is a lawyer, researcher and human rights activist based...