In the second episode of Season 4, we had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Samrat Choudhary, a prominent journalist and author from Shillong, India. Samrat is known for his insightful work, including editing the anthology "Insider Outsider" on the divide in India’s Northeast, which received positive reviews. His literary accomplishments also include his…

Welcome to the highly-anticipated Season 4 of The Chicken-Neck Podcast, where we kick off with a riveting exploration into the covert history of one of India's most influential separatist organizations – the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). In our first episode, we are joined by senior journalist and Chevening Fellow, Mr. Rajeev Bhattacharya…

In the final episode of Season 3 of our podcast, we are joined by Dr. Arupjytoi Saikia, a professor of history at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. Prof. Saikia is the author of - Forests and Ecological History of Assam, 1826-2000 (OUP, 2011), A Century of Protests: Peasant Politics in Assam since 1900 (Rutledge, 2014), and The Unquiet …

We would like to start by thanking the International Institute for Asian Studies (Leiden, Netherlands) and Mr. Benjamin Linder for helping us with the recording of this podcast episode. In this 8th episode, we are joined by Dr. Aditya Kiran Kakati, who is a Visiting Scholar, at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and an Affiliate Research Fellow, at …

In this thought-provoking episode, we dive deep into the complex socio-political landscape that impacts Manipur - an Indian State, with the renowned scholar, author, and anthropologist, Ms. Rami Desai. With her expertise in ethnic identity, tribal issues, and insurgency, Ms. Desai offers invaluable insights into the recent and ongoing Manipur viole…

Join us in this compelling episode as we delve deep into the pressing issue of floods in Assam and their catastrophic impact on the captivating island of Majuli. Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world, is at the brink of being lost forever due to a combination of flooding and erosion, exacerbated by inadequate policy measures. Our gu…

In our 5th episode of Season 3, we explore the rich and diverse dance cultures of the Northeast region of India, and how they intersect with concepts of sacrality, sociality, and the State. We are joined by Dr. Debanjali Biswas, who is an early career researcher in Performance Studies and Social Anthropology. She writes to critically engage with so…

Welcome to fourth episode of The Chicken-Neck Podcast, where we take a closer look at the role of media in the world of sports. In this episode, we sit down with Mr. Nilanjan Dutta, who has had a long and illustrious career as the Director of Media and spokesperson for the All India Football Federation. We begin our conversation by discussing the c…

Welcome to the 3rd episode of Season 3 of The Chicken-Neck Podcast. Today we're joined by Mr. Utpal Borpujari, who is an National award winning filmmaker and critic having been awarded the National Film Award twice in both roles. In this episode, we talk to him about his journey from being a journalist to donning the hat of filmmaking. He has been …

This episode features Team Chicken Neck in conversation with Dr. Rajib Sutradhar, who currently works as an Assistant Professor of Economics at the School of Social Sciences, Christ University Bangalore. Dr. Sutradhar has written extensively on several economic aspects relating to Assam over the years, especially on cold storages, food prices, supp…

Dr. Samyak Ghosh a Ph.D. from Columbia University, is a cultural historian of premodern South Asia. His geographical area of research includes the present-day northeast of India, Indo-Tibetan borderlands, and the Eastern Himalayan Region. He was awarded the Kumkum Chatterjee Memorial Award in Indian History and the Junior Research Fellowship by the…

In our 11th episode of Season 2, we are joined by Mr. Debajit Das, an advocate at Gauhati High Court. He has been a front-runner of environmental litigation in Northeast India. In this episode, we spoke to Mr. Das on the importance of judicial intervention in environmental issues, in light of the Dehing-Patkai Illegal Coal Mining case as well as th…

In our 10th ep. of Season 2, we are joined by Dr. Jelle J.P. Wouters, who is an author and a social anthropologist, currently teaches at Department of Social Sciences at Royal Thimphu College, Bhutan. Previously he taught at Sikkim Central University and was a visiting faculty at Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany. Over the years, he ha…

In our 9th episode, we are joined by Mr. Pradyut Bordoloi, an Indian Politician from the state of Assam, currently serving as a Member of Parliament for Nowgong constituency. He served as an MLA of Margherita for three consecutive terms in 2001, 2006 & 2011. In this episode, we briefly discuss his journey as a politician - wherein he has held signi…

In our 8th episode, we are joined by Mr. Karma Paljor, who is an award-winning Indian journalist and entrepreneur who co-founded Atvi Infotainment, a content creation company, in 2018. The business verticals include EastMojo.com, a digital news website that reports extensively on northeast India to bring out the lesser-known stories of life in this…

In our 7th episode, we are joined by Ms. Tora Agarwala, a journalist with The Indian Express. Ms. Agarwala has been covering and writing on various issues concerning the Northeast for years. In this episode, we talk to her about various aspects of modern-day journalism, her own experiences of covering for a national media house, the various interes…

In our 6th episode, we are joined by Mr. Mrinal Talukdar, a revered senior journalist, award-winning documentary filmmaker, author, and a farmer at heart. In this episode, we briefly discuss his journey as a journalist as well as his passion for writing on the contemporary social history of Assam. We discuss his work, some of which addresses signif…

In our 5th episode of Season 2, we are joined by Ms. Pratnashree Basu, an Associate Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, Kolkata, with the Strategic Studies and Maritime Initiative. Ms. Basu is an expert on "Maritime Geopolitics: Indo-Pacific & South China Sea". In this episode, we speak to Ms. Basu on aspects of maritime governance and policy d…

In our fourth episode of Season 2, we are joined by Dr. Manabendra Saharia, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology. Prof. Saharia is an expert on Flood Forecasting, Land Surface Modelling, Radar and Satellite Precipitation, Statistics, and Machine Learning, Human Computation. In this epis…

In our third episode of Season 2, we are joined by Prof. (Dr.) Binayak Dutta, an Assistant Professor of History at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, Meghalaya. In this episode, we speak to Dr. Dutta about the various aspects of India's Partition in the Northeastern part. The discussion encompasses not only the historical aspect of par…

In our third episode of Season 2, we are joined by Prof. (Dr.) Binayak Dutta, an Assistant Professor of History at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, Meghalaya. In this episode, we speak to Dr. Dutta about the various aspects of India's Partition in the Northeastern part. The discussion encompasses not only the historical aspect of par…

In our second episode of Season 2, we are joined by Dr. Pushpita Das, who is a Research Fellow and Coordinator of the Internal Security Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. At IDSA she has been studying India’s approach towards the management of its international borders. She has been co-op…

In the first episode of Season 2, we are joined by Mr. Nilutpal Gohain, an author by passion and a Civil Servant by profession. Mr. Gohain's debut historical fiction "The Legend of Lachit Borphukan" covers intriguing stories surrounding the legendary hero and the Ahom Kingdom. In this episode, we look into the life and the role played by Lachit Bor…

In our 2nd episode of "TCN-YOUTH COLLOQUY", we are joined by Dr. Rituparna Patgiri, who works as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. She is also one of the co-founders of Doing Sociology, an independent, women-led academic blog dedicated to promoting sociological content. In this episode, …

The next step in our endeavour to bring the most intriguing stories from this side of the chicken neck is "TCN-Exclusive". The idea is to speak to people on topics or ideas that hold significance in the present context. These episodes will strive to provide a solution based approach which means we'll not only highlight the issues but the possible s…

In our 12th episode, we talk to Prarthana Hazarika, a Sports Journalist who has been working in the sports media industry for two decades. She has been an active member of the AIPS (World Sports Press Association) and is an ABC (Australia Broadcasting Corporation) certified Sports Media Trainer. Apart from widely covering International sports event…

In our 11th episode, we are joined by Mr. Sushanta Talukdar, a distinguished journalist from Assam, who has a wide experience of covering Northeast for decades. Mr. Talukdar has worked extensively with several national dailies including his long association with The Hindu and continues to write in prominent publications. He is also the recipient of…

In our 10th episode, we are joined by Ms. Hasina Kharbhih, an internationally acclaimed human rights defender and social entrepreneur from Meghalaya, who has been working to provide sustainable livelihood in a safe environment for women and children through her organisation, "Impulse NGO Network". What started out as a mission in her home state of …

In our 1st episode of "TCN-Youth Colloquy", we have Unmilan Kalita and Arpan Bayan. Both engage in a conversation on ‘Cultural Appropriation in the North-East India'. This region of India is the land of a multitude of different races of people, indigenous tribes and communities with a rich variety of languages and cultures. The interaction of nativ…

In our 9th episode, we are joined by Prof. Smitana Saikia, who is a political scientist and professor at the Azim Premji University, has completed her Ph.D. from the King's College London. Her research areas include Identity Politics in India, Federalism and State Formation, Borderland Studies, Conflict and Peace Studies, Democracy and Elections. I…

In our 8th episode, we are joined by Ms. Hekani Jakhalu, a US educated lawyer turned social entrepreneur from Nagaland. Ms. Jakhalu is the founder of "YouthNet", a non-profit organization that seeks to empower the younger generation by imparting knowledge and life skills, and make them become self-directing and responsible citizens of the society. …

In our 7th Episode, we are joined by Mr. Himangshu Baruah, an entrepreneur from Assam. Mr. Baruah is the Founder and CEO of Finder Bridge Tourism, a destination based management organisation in Northeast India. His startup has received several awards including being selected for the Ashoka Changemaker X Summit, 2017 held in Philippines. We talk to …

We were thrilled to be guests on the amazing High Theory podcast! Host Saronik Basu interviewed us about -- what else -- the word "Diaspora" and how we approach it. Music used in promotional material: ‘The Beginning or the End’ by Nicholas Mackin. High Theory takes on difficult ideas from the academy with irreverence. http://hightheory.net/podcast/…

In our sixth episode, we are joined by Monalisa Barua Mehta, an Arjuna Awardee and a National table tennis champion from Assam. She currently works With Oil India Ltd as a Senior Manager, HR & Admin and is associated with Table Tennis in various Administrative responsibilities. We talk to her about a variety of issues ranging from youth participati…

In our fifth episode, we are joined by Mr. Prodyut Bora, who is a renowned political figure from Assam, as well as a social activist, and an enterpreneur. Mr. Bora, apart from being the Founder President of the 'Liberal Democratic Party' is also a prolific writer, whose pieces have been widely published both nationally and internationally. We talk …

Akhtar Mohammed joins us to talk about his Fijian background, the history of the South Asian labor trade, Islamic finance ethics, and how that all led to his new book, Islamonomics. Intro: "Kabi Nai Drao", nvee music. Outro: "Satoshi Nakamoto", Gramatik Mid: "Tabla Solo in Vilambit Teentaal", Cassius Khan Cover Art by Nirja Desai, @kalakar on IG. C…

In our fourth episode, we talk to Prof. Aruni Kashyap who has been at the helm of portraying the region and it's underlying stories in fascinating ways which has led to his stories being a bridge for the people from around the globe in understanding the region and the tryst of its people. He is the winner of the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholars…

As Ramadan 2021 begins, writer Maz Halima joins us to discuss how to create conversations around celebrating and observing the holiday when our identities, lifestyles, or health concerns pose challenges and set us on the fringes of what is "traditional". For more resources, please check out: Imaan, the UK's leading LGBTQ Muslim Charity and Hidaya F…

In the times of new age content, we talk to one of Assam's prominent content creators. Harpal Saikia who's become a well deserved social media phenomenon shows an astute sense of humour. His friendly neighbourhood characters have seen him become a fan favourite. In this episode, we get to know the world of content creation and also delve into Harpa…

Our guest is Nathi Ngubane, South African writer & illustrator of the children's book series DUMA SAYS, which teaches kids about how to cope with and protect themselves in the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks to us about what inspired the books, how they reflect the particulars of his South Africa, his background, and more! Follow Nathi on Twitter @Nkos…

Sharmin Hossain, Political Director of Equality Labs, joins us to talk about uprooting and resisting casteism, religious intolerance, gender-based violence, and other oppressions through organizing, digital security, and (possibly), K-Pop stans. Follow Sharmin on Twitter @sharminultra. Intro: "Esho Brishti Namai", Habib Outro: "Laal Meri Pat", Abid…

Halima Begum, Chief Executive of the Runnymede Trust, joins us to mark one-year of the pandemic quarantine in the UK and how it has affected the BAME population in distinct, particular ways. Follow Halima on Twitter @Halima_Begum. Intro: "Only Way Out Is Through", Banglamotorr Outro: "Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano" in Twelve Languages Cover Art by Nirj…

In this episode we talk to Maitri Das about the impact varied art forms and social media combined can have on building consciousness about culture, history & literature in the society as a whole. Maitri along with Amalendu Kaushik is the founder of Daakor Boson, an online project that seeks to engage with the folk culture, history and literature of…

The past is often what defines our future. A lot of things are unique to the state of Assam and the North East, be it culture, houses or artifacts. In this episode we are joined by Avinibesh Sharma, founder of 'Vintage Assam' who talks about his journey of documenting and digitizing Assam's forgotten history where he uses photographs, artifacts, me…

Wardah Abbas, co-founder and editor of The Muslim Women Times zooms in from Nigeria to talk about what inspired her to start this project and why it is important for modern Muslimahs to take control of their narratives, both past and present. Follow @Wardah_abbas and @TMWT_tweets on Twitter. Intro: "As Real As They Come", Miss Undastood Outro: "Hij…

Shivam Bhatt joins us to talk about challenging Hindu fundamentalism and adapting his religious faith, values, and traditions towards contemporary social justice issues. Follow him on Twitter @elektrotal. Intro: "Dhalsim's Theme," Capcom's Street Fighter Outro: "Caught in the Divide" by Punk on Toast Cover Art by Nirja Desai, @kalakar on IG. Commen…

We examine the Punjab Farmer's Protest with a duo of interviews. First, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, British Labour MP for Slough, details his engagement and advocacy for the protest in UK Parliament and politics. Follow him on Twitter @tandhesi. Next, Gizmodo writer Dharna Noor shares the environmental implications as written in her Earther article, "W…

Manu Chander, Professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark and author of Brown Romantics: Poetry and Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century, joins us to talk about Brownness and its expressions through political & poetic forms. Read his latest piece on Brown reading at The Rambling: https://the-rambling.com/2021/02/13/ramblist-chander/ Intro: "…

We're back for Season 2! Kicking off with Warda Khokhar, nonfiction editor of the Khidr Collective Zine, a print and digital publication aimed at voicing the needs of young British Muslims. Follow Warda and the Khidr Collective on Twitter. Their latest, Issue 4 "Water," is coming soon. All previous issues are available for purchase on their website…

Because its our podcast and we wanted to have some much needed end-of-2020 fun, we recorded a fun chat about Christmas memories with two beloved guests: returning by popular demand, Maryyum's brother Ahmed, and first-timer & Aditya's BFF (one of), Sumil Desai (no relation). Topics include: Taco Bell, the war on Christmas, holiday movies, the Late L…