Best The Art of Personal Mythmaking Podcasts (2024)

1
The Great Indian Poverty—and Inequality—Debate 55:52

3d ago55:52

55:52

As India heads to the polls, a new chapter is being written in a very old debate about poverty and inequality in India. This debate has been stirred up by the release of new data from a government-sponsored consumption survey, which some have argued shows a massive decline in poverty in India. Others believe that this data are not so unequivocal an…

1
Previewing India's 2024 General Election 49:46

10d ago49:46

49:46

In just a few days, India’s eighteenth general elections will get underway with voting in the first phase kicking off on April 19. Between April 19 and June 1, India will have seven separate polling days culminating in a final counting of votes on June 4. Every single pre-election survey to date shows the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allianc…

1
Is India Ready to Launch? 53:11

17d ago53:11

53:11

On March 11, the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization conducted the maiden test of its Agni-V MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle) missile. MIRV capability is a complex technology and there are only a handful of countries that have developed it. The test represents a breakthrough for India’s missile program but …

1
Decoding the Indian Economy 38:21

24d ago38:21

38:21

It seems wherever you turn these days, there are stories about India’s status as the fastest growing major economy in the world. Its growth rates remain the envy of both the developed—and the developing—world. But what is really happening under the hood? What are the opportunities for India in a world riven by conflict and technological disruptions…

1
Savarkar, In His Own Words 50:02

1M ago50:02

50:02

In today’s India, there are few historical figures whose writing and thinking help explain the current ideological zeitgeist more than Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Despite this newfound attention, Savarkar is often viewed in black and white—as a staunch Hindu nationalist who devoted his life to expounding the virtues of conservative, Hindu majority ru…

1
The Citizenship Amendment Act's Next Chapter 59:08

1M ago59:08

59:08

A few weeks ago, the Indian government formally notified the rules implementing the controversial 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA. The law provides persecuted religious minorities hailing from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan an expedited pathway to Indian citizenship, provided they belong to the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Parsi,…

1
Eating India, One State at a Time 1:06:38

1M ago1:06:38

1:06:38

Zac O’Yeah is a Swedish novelist, rock musician, and author of the Majestic Trilogy—a trio of detective stories set in his adopted home of Bengaluru. And if that were not enough, he’s also the author of the brand-new book, The Great Indian Food Trip: Around a Subcontinent à la Carte. In the book, O’Yeah catalogues his travels crisscrossing India on…

1
Dalits in the New Millennium 41:02

2M ago41:02

41:02

Over the last several decades, there have been monumental changes in the social, economic, and political lives of Dalits, who have historically been one of the most oppressed groups in all of South Asia. A new volume edited by three leading scholars of India—Dalits in the New Millennium—examines these changes, interrogates their impacts on Dalit li…

1
The End of the Electoral Bond Era 48:05

2M ago48:05

48:05

Two weeks ago, a five-judge bench of India’s Supreme Court ruled that electoral bonds—a controversial instrument of political giving introduced by the Narendra Modi government—violated the Constitution and would immediately cease operating. Under the court’s ruling, the State Bank of India will immediately stop issuing bonds; the Election Commissio…

1
A Fresh Look at India’s Neighborhood First Policy 51:59

2M ago51:59

51:59

With general elections just months away, it is the era of the ten-year retrospective—a chance for India watchers to reflect on what has changed over the past decade under the Narendra Modi government—and what has not. One area especially deserving of scrutiny is India’s relations with the neighborhood. The Modi government came to power with an eye …

1
Pakistan's Political Earthquake 40:44

2M ago40:44

40:44

Last Thursday, voters in Pakistan went to the polls in the country’s first general elections since the July 2018 election that brought former prime minister Imran Khan to power. In 2022, Khan was ousted in an unprecedented no confidence vote and now finds himself behind bars. In the months before the election, Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehre…

1
Separating Fact From Fiction 41:51

3M ago41:51

41:51

From the Obama “birther” movement in the United States to the fringe politicians who believe congestion pricing in London is part of an international “socialist plot,” it is no exaggeration to say that conspiracy theories have become part of the standard political playbook the world over. But when it comes to outlandish conspiracy theories, India s…

1
India and the Emerging Chip Race 56:05

3M ago56:05

56:05

It seems like you cannot open a newspaper, listen to a foreign policy podcast, or open Twitter/X without somebody somewhere sounding off on the emerging geopolitical battle over semiconductors. Semiconductors, which we colloquially refer to as chips, have quickly moved from the periphery to center-stage of global high politics. To discuss this high…

1
144: MEMOIRIST: Celia McBride on her un-becoming journey 1:15:28

3M ago1:15:28

1:15:28

It’s episode #144 and I’m chatting with Celia McBride, a Canadian multi-disciplinary artist originally from the Yukon, now living in Port Hope. As a playwright, Celia’s work was developed by numerous theatre companies in Canada (infinitheatre, Nightwood, Factory), and produced internationally by Red Kettle Theatre (Ireland) and Looking Glass Theatr…

1
Governing India's Digital Revolution 50:39

3M ago50:39

50:39

This week, Grand Tamasha kicks off its eleventh season with a special return guest to the podcast. The Third Way: India’s Revolutionary Approach to Data Governance is an important new book by the lawyer-scholar-and-author Rahul Matthan. Rahul is a partner at the law firm Trilegal, where he heads their technology practice. Over the past several year…

1
Grand Tamasha Unveils the Best Books of 2023 22:48

4M ago22:48

22:48

Back in 2019, we started the Grand Tamasha podcast on a whim. India’s 2019 general elections were around the corner, and we sensed that there might be a (temporary) marketplace for a weekly audio podcast focused on Indian politics and policy for diehards hoping to keep up with the campaign action. Nearly five years later, the podcast has become a w…

1
The Indian Supreme Court in the Modi Era 44:08

5M ago44:08

44:08

Over the past decade, India has witnessed significant conflict within—and around—several democratic institutions meant to act as a check on executive power. One of the most important theatres of conflict has been the judiciary—more specifically, the Supreme Court. A new book by the legal scholar Gautam Bhatia, Unsealed Covers: A Decade of the Const…

1
What the 2023 State Elections Tell Us About 2024 50:20

5M ago50:20

50:20

On December 3, votes were finally tallied in four Indian states which went for elections this past month—the last test parties and candidates will face before the general elections in April-May of next year. After much anticipation, Counting Day left very little to the imagination. In a big setback for the Congress Party and the opposition alliance…

1
Tackling India’s Air Pollution Crisis 42:06

5M ago42:06

42:06

Anyone who has even casually glanced at the news over the past several weeks would be hard pressed to miss the plethora of headlines about north India’s air pollution crisis. Every year as late Fall rolls around, air pollution across north India—including in the nation’s capital of Delhi—climbs to levels that make life almost unlivable for hundreds…

1
The Downfall of India's Princely States 55:30

5M ago55:30

55:30

One of the most remarkable episodes in modern Indian history is the story of how the leaders of over 550 sovereign princely states were convinced that they should give up their independence to become a part of a free India. This monumental task of accession was carried out over weeks, not months or years. But accession was just the first step in an…

1
Demystifying the Indian Supreme Court 51:06

6M ago51:06

51:06

In recent years, there has a growing concern that the Supreme Court of India is not firing on all cylinders. Critics have argued that the court functions in an opaque manner, exhibits excessive deference to the executive, is sluggish in concluding cases, and is hampered by an excessive reliance on super-lawyers who can get their cases heard for exo…

1
The India-Canada Conundrum 51:04

6M ago51:04

51:04

It’s been six weeks since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to the floor of Parliament to announce that Canadian security agencies had evidence of credible allegations that Indian authorities had a hand in the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil in June 2023. Nijjar was a well-known activist in Sikh diasp…

1
India’s Pivot in the Middle East 53:52

6M ago53:52

53:52

As the fighting between Israel and Hamas intensifies, the world is bracing for the widening of a conflict that has the potential to escalate quickly and bring in outside powers from the region and beyond. India’s position in the aftermath of the horrific Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th—and the subsequent Israeli military response—has been no…

1
What the Women's Reservation Bill Means for Women 41:24

6M ago41:24

41:24

In September, India’s parliament passed a long-anticipated piece of legislation, known as the Women’s Reservation Bill. The bill—which sailed through both houses of Parliament within days of being introduced— reserves one-third of seats in the national parliament and the various state assemblies for women—formalizing a quota that has long existed a…

1
What the Solar Revolution Means for India and the World 36:15

6M ago36:15

36:15

One of the major themes of India’s G20 presidency, which concludes later this year, has been the advancement of an ambitious green transition for the 21st century. If the world’s hopes of accelerating a clean, sustainable, just, affordable, and inclusive energy transition are to come to fruition, ensuring the spread of solar power—especially to the…

1
The Hidden History of Conservative Economics in Post-1947 India 45:21

7M ago45:21

45:21

Toward a Free Economy: Swatantra and Opposition Politics in Democratic India is a new book on the Swatantra Party, a leading opposition party that emerged after Indian independence to contest the entrenched dominance of the Congress Party. The leaders of Swatantra imagined a conservative alternative to the left-of-center Congress, one that embraced…

1
An Unconventional History of 20th Century South Asia 48:52

7M ago48:52

48:52

Shadows at Noon: The South Asian Twentieth Century is a sweeping new book by the historian Joya Chatterji. The book tells the subcontinent's story from the British Raj through independence and partition to the forging of the modern nations of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This is no ordinary history, however. Of course, there is plenty of politi…

1
What the Personal Data Protection Act Means for India 47:04

7M ago47:04

47:04

This August, India’s parliament passed a landmark piece of legislation, known as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The new act provides a framework for the protection of users’ personal data and the privacy of individuals. The passage of this bill marks the culmination of a decade-long effort to frame a data privacy law—an effort that has h…

1
India's G20 Triumph 44:42

7M ago44:42

44:42

On Saturday, September 9, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised observers by announcing on Day One of the G20 summit in New Delhi that all 20 member nations had achieved consensus on the New Delhi G20 Summit Leaders Declaration. The announcement capped nine months of frenzied activity which involved thousands of meetings, consultations, and…

1
Ro Khanna on the U.S.-India Partnership 31:04

8M ago31:04

31:04

Ro Khanna is a Member of the United States Congress who has represented California's 17th congressional district since 2017. He also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and recently led a bipartisan delegation to India that coincided with India’s Independence Day. During their visit, the eight-member delega…

1
The Next Chapter in U.S.-India Defense Ties 38:58

8M ago38:58

38:58

After a long summer break, we are excited to be back with the tenth season of Grand Tamasha. To kick off our brand-new season, this week Milan sits down with the U.S. government’s point person on the U.S.-India defense relationship to discuss the next chapter in U.S.-India defense ties. Lindsey Ford is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for …

1
Rescuing the Indian Statistical System 39:25

10M ago39:25

39:25

Programming Note: This is the very last episode of Season Nine of Grand Tamasha. As is our usual, we are going to take July and August off to recharge our batteries. We will be back in September with our tenth season of podcasts, and we’re excited about the conversations we have planned for the Fall. Some of our listeners may recall way back in Feb…

1
A Realistic and Resilient U.S.-India Partnership 35:25

10M ago35:25

35:25

Last week on the show, Milan sat down with the Carnegie Endowment’s Ashley J. Tellis to discuss his much talked about Foreign Affairs essay titled, “America’s Bad Bet on India.” In that piece, Ashley argues that if U.S. policymakers are expecting India to come to America’s aid in the event of a military conflict with China, they would be well advis…

1
Reexamining America’s Bet on India 48:42

10M ago48:42

48:42

In a few days, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Washington, D.C. to begin a historic state visit that is expected to further cement ties between the United States and India. Over the past two decades, this relationship has gone from awkward resentment during the Cold War to full-throated embrace after the year 2000. But a new essa…

1
Exploring Caste in America 39:34

11M ago39:34

39:34

Later this summer, California could be first American state to ban discrimination on the basis of caste. California’s move, and the moves by universities, cities, and towns across the country, to raise issues of caste discrimination has generated a massive controversy that is roiling the Indian American community in the United States. One reporter,…

1
Unleashing India’s Animal Spirits 43:16

11M ago43:16

43:16

Leaders come and go, but institutions stay forever. This is the central takeaway of a new book by Subhashish Bhadra, Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back. Subhashish is an economist whose career has straddled both the policy and corporate worlds. He has worked at a leading global management consulting firm, a venture capital…

1
The Democratic Dynamism of India's Slums 49:48

11M ago49:48

49:48

If you’ve spent any time reading books, watching movies about—or traveling to—India—chances are you’ve come across the depiction of an urban slum somewhere along the way. In most of these popular portrayals, slums are dens of inequity and deprivation. Citizens appear to be trapped in a vortex of poverty, bad governance, and corruption. In these sto…

1
What’s Happening to India’s Rohingya Refugees? 37:39

11M ago37:39

37:39

The Rohingya people have suffered decades of persecution in Myanmar, most recently in 2017 when the country’s security forces launched a major crackdown on the minority group—causing more than a million Rohingya to flee the country. While the vast majority of Rohingya sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, India has been home to tens of thousands…

1
The Congress Comeback in Karnataka 46:08

12M ago46:08

46:08

On May 13, the Congress Party notched a major election win—a decisive single-party majority in the southern state of Karnataka—earning the highest vote share of any party in the state since 1989. For the Congress, which is starved of election victories, this result could not have come at a better time as the country gears up for national elections …

1
Opening the Black Box of India’s Internal Security State 58:06

12M ago58:06

58:06

Since Independence, the Indian state has grappled with a variety of internal security challenges—insurgencies, terrorist attacks, caste and communal violence, riots, and electoral violence. Their toll has claimed more lives than all of India's five external wars combined. Despite this, we know surprisingly little about the institutions of the state…

1
Demography, Democracy, and India’s Destiny? 45:12

12M ago45:12

45:12

At long last, we come to that time in every Grand Tamasha season where Milan stops to round up the last news on Indian politics and policy with two longtime friends of the podcast—Sadanand Dhume of the American Enterprise Institute and the Wall Street Journal and Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution. This week on the show, the trio discuss thre…

1
The Mythmaking of Nehru’s India 46:08

1y ago46:08

46:08

Nonalignment, secularism, socialism, democracy, high modernism—these are all ideas that students of India have long associated with India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. These elements have been so embedded in the Indian psyche that we regularly speak of a “Nehruvian consensus” without thinking twice. A new book by the scholar Taylor C. Sh…

1
Ramachandra Guha Revisits India After Gandhi 51:46

1y ago51:46

51:46

Find a list of the defining books about India published in the last 75 years and there’s one book that will show up on list after list after list—Ramachandra Guha’s magisterial India After Gandhi. For years, historians approached India as if history more or less ended with the partition of the subcontinent and the achievement of India’s independenc…

1
Is India’s Moment a Mirage? 46:26

1y ago46:26

46:26

India Is Broken: A People Betrayed, Independence to Today is a big new book on India by the economist Ashoka Mody. Mody is an economic historian at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs and a longtime official at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. His new book provides readers with an unvarnished look at India’s tw…

1
The Aftermath of the Adani Affair 44:26

1y ago44:26

44:26

Few stories have captured more headlines in India this year than the saga of Gautam Adani. Adani is CEO of the Adani Group and a regular fixture on the Forbes list of Global Billionaires. He was at one point the third richest man in the world. In January, Adani and his companies were accused of stock manipulation by New York-based investment firm H…

1
How Bureaucracy Can Work for the Poor 40:33

1y ago40:33

40:33

Over the decades, India has developed a reputation for having a strong society but a weak state. This bureaucratic, lumbering behemoth has especially struggled to deliver basic public goods like health, education, water, and sanitation. But a new book by the University of Oxford political scientist Akshay Mangla, Making Bureaucracy Work: Norms, Edu…

1
The Untold Global Backstory of India's Nuclear Program 40:17

1y ago40:17

40:17

India's nuclear program is often conceived as an inward-looking endeavor of secretive technocrats. But a new book by the scholar Jayita Sarkar, Ploughshares and Swords: India's Nuclear Program in the Global Cold War, challenges the conventional wisdom, narrating a global story of India's nuclear program during its first forty years. It is a story a…

1
The Long and Winding Road of U.S.-India Relations 42:58

1y ago42:58

42:58

Thirty years ago, Seema Sirohi first moved to Washington as a journalist charged with covering India’s relationship with the United States. At the time, Washington saw India as a problem—rather than a useful part of its foreign policy solution—to big, complex global challenges. Today, the situation could not be more different: the United States and…

1
Age of Vice: When Art Meets Life 42:46

1y ago42:46

42:46

Age of Vice is the blockbuster new novel by the author Deepti Kapoor. It’s a love story, wrapped inside a tale of capitalism run amok, wrapped inside a violent story of gangland politics. In nearly 600 pages, it transports readers from the badlands of eastern Uttar Pradesh to the five-star hotels and fabulous bungalows of New Delhi. To call this bo…

1
143: HEALING: Victoria Albina on somatics, nerditry and healing 1:05:44

1y ago1:05:44

1:05:44

It’s episode #143 and I’m chatting with Victoria Albina, Nurse Practitioner with a Master’s Degree in Public Health. This was such a great conversation! Victoria is intelligent, deep, knowledgeable and wise. We talked about how to identify when you’re defaulting to perfectionism and people-pleasing, what the term ‘somatics’ means to her, what tippi…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

The Art Of Personal Mythmaking Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide