In Perspective

The Swaddle

'In Perspective' is The Swaddle's flagship podcast series, where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Producer: Aditi Patel Editors: Aditi Patel and Neha Tewari Original Interview Edits: Anahita Sachdev Cover Art: Hitesh Sonar Creative Director: Shrishti Malhotra Executive Producer: Karla Bookman

  1. A New Dalit Womanhood in Colonial India, Education and Women’s Domestic Work, and More With Dr. Shailaja Paik

    30.07.2023

    A New Dalit Womanhood in Colonial India, Education and Women’s Domestic Work, and More With Dr. Shailaja Paik

    In this episode historian Dr. Shailaja Paik discusses the factors that have impacted Dalit women's access to and quality of education in India over time. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.  Notes:  00:00:40:00- Why do mainstream feminists and dalit men believe that dalit women are more ‘liberated’ than high caste women? What are the problems with this though pattern? 00:04:55:12- What is ‘Dalit femininity’ and ‘oppressed sexuality,’ and how do we  interrogate and understand these two? 00:07:20:00- How was ‘a new Dalit womanhood’ forged in Colonial India? What role did social reformers like Jyotirao Phule and Dr B.R Ambedkar play in it? 00:16:04:00- What kind of culture did upper-caste Marathi elite constitute in 20th century Maharashtra? How did it reinforce inequality in ‘high’ and ‘low’ communities and culture? 00:21:47:00- How did women’s education in India change their views about themselves? 00:27:47:00- How did Dalit women have power relationships in the wider society, and how do these relationships have a bearing on  the access and quality of education? 00:33:18:00- How was the access and quality of education in formal institutions received by Dalit girls? 00:37:23:00- What was the prevailing view about access for Dali women? 00:40:00:00- What direction does academic research, especially Indian historical research, need to take to tell stories and to unearth research?

    43 min
  2. Sati in Colonial India, Feminist Utopias, and More With Lata Mani

    23.07.2023

    Sati in Colonial India, Feminist Utopias, and More With Lata Mani

    In this episode,  historian, writer and filmmaker Lata Mani discusses colonial debates on sati, feminist discourse online, and why we need to engage with spiritual thought critically. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.  Notes:  00:00:40:00- Can progressive aspects of religious faith and practices be used to advocate for the cause of social justice? 00:09:49:00- Why is it important to engage with religion in a  critical way? 00:15:24:00- Why do you think it's important to engage with religion? What value does it have to discourse in our country ? 00:21:49:00- What were the factors at play when it came to social reform related to women in colonial India? How much of a role did women's welfare play, and how much agency did they have?  00: 27:25:00- How do different feminist discourses converge?  00:33:00:00-  What are ways to embody a feminism that is an oppositional force? What are the ways in which we can implement this in the way we practice feminist politics?  00:35:51:00-- What role does suffering play in the imagination and creation of solidarity? How do we ensure the autonomy of dignity from suffering?

    41 min
  3. Piro’s Resistance Literature, the Colonial Attack on Dais, and More With Dr. Anshu Malhotra

    16.07.2023

    Piro’s Resistance Literature, the Colonial Attack on Dais, and More With Dr. Anshu Malhotra

    In this episode, historian Dr. Anshu Malhotra discusses reformist bazaar literature, the attack against the native 'dai' and the writings of the Sufi poetess Piro, in colonial Punjab. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.  Notes:  00:00:40:00- How did the rise of print media lead to new forms of ‘bazaar’ literature in colonial Punjab, and how did this become a common yet complex site for social reform? 00:01:49:00- Who was ‘Piro,’ and what made her writing in life an act of resistance against the arbitrary hierarchy of gender, caste and religion? 00:05:50:00- Why was there a Colonial attack on ‘dais’ in nineteenth century Punjab? How did ‘scientific’ midwifery become a marker of middle-class status? 00:07:23:12-  How did Lala Lajpat Rai’s writings discuss the fundamental reasons for women’s oppression? Did his writings impact the notions of womanhood in India? 00:26:07:00- How did Sikh reformers try to shape the idea of the 'new woman'? Did this differ from popular notions of womanhood supported by Hindu reformers?

    46 min
  4. Decolonising Data Privacy, Digital Leisure, and More With Dr. Payal Arora

    09.07.2023

    Decolonising Data Privacy, Digital Leisure, and More With Dr. Payal Arora

    In this episode, digital anthropologist, Dr. Payal Arora discusses why mobile leisure like online romance and entertainment is necessary, data policies across South Asia and why data privacy is a big concern. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Notes:  00:00:40:00- Has there been a Western bias in the evaluation of the impact of big data? 00:01:49:00- Is there a bias in framing big data as empowerment in the Global South, and what are the problems with this narrative?  00:05:50:00- How do we draw a line between doing good and the monopoly that comes with big companies helping the Global South with connectivity? How do we regulate it?  00:07:23:12- What is digital leisure? What ways can new media and the evolution of the internet enable this leisure?  00:10:34:00- How is the idea of leisure in the context of mobile internet played out for Indian youth? Can online romance, play and entertainment have a positive impact on people's life?   00:13:54:00- How has the approach to digital privacy been driven by neo liberal ideology? What will it mean to decolonise digital privacy?   00:18:19:12- Is data privacy still a big concern where there is  data surveillance by authorities?   00:22:39:12- What are some of the problems with the application of transnational data regulation policies in the contexts of the Global South?   00:26:07:00- What are the ups and downs of digital romance in India, and how does it affect the youth? Is the Indian youth aware of concepts such as data privacy? What are the downsides of romance playing out online?

    32 min
  5. Women’s Bodies In Early Indian Art, Global Stereotypes About South Asian Art, and More With Dr. Seema Bawa

    02.07.2023

    Women’s Bodies In Early Indian Art, Global Stereotypes About South Asian Art, and More With Dr. Seema Bawa

    In this episode, historian Dr. Seema Bawa talks about the common misconceptions about South Asian art, whether it is possible to read gender roles in early Indian art, and how artists view feminism differently today. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.  Notes:  00:00:48:07- What common stereotypes about South Asian art are still prevalent globally? Are they misplaced? 00:05:30:13- As opposed to the olden days when art was linked to people of elite classes, in contemporary India, are marginalized people getting space and/or recognition for their art?  00:08:39:05- How has the feminist art movement evolved in India? Should there be emphasis on the gender of the creator of a piece of art?  00:14:26:18- What kind of gender narratives do we see in early Indian art? Was there a fluidity of gender roles and desires?  00:19:37:21- In what ways has the female body been portrayed in early Indian art? And does the portrayal of female divinity offer an empowering narrative?   00:24:22:04- In what ways did colonization interact with early Indian art?  Was there a misinterpretation of our art, and what it said about India as a culture and nation?   00:28:50:13- Does art enable marginalized communities to  communicate and give us access to narratives which might otherwise have been inaccessible? Is enough recognition given to the work of marginalized communities in that formal art realm?    00:31:50:11- Why is it important to engage with art as a society?

    34 min
  6. The Devolution of Heroines in Pakistani TV Dramas, Perceptions of Urdu, and More With Dr. Amina Yaqin

    25.06.2023

    The Devolution of Heroines in Pakistani TV Dramas, Perceptions of Urdu, and More With Dr. Amina Yaqin

    In this episode, Urdu and Postcolonial Studies reader Dr. Amina Yaqin talks about Pakistani TV shows, female readership  of  Urdu novels in the 19th century, and understanding women's life narratives through autobiographies. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.  Notes:  00:01:16:22- Why is Urdu perceived as a sectarian language of Indian Muslims today? In what ways has this increased communalization of the language post Partition been documented in Indian literature?  00:18:30:10- What led to the growth of the Urdu novel in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th century? How did it enable a fusion of narrative traditions of the East and West? 00:43:41:14- Why are autobiographies largely looked at as a man’s domain? What makes it a particularly interesting genre from the perspective of women’s history and women documenting their own stories? 00:59:11:21- Today’s Pakistani dramas are hugely popular in India and many parts of the world. But in what ways has there been a shift in the portrayal of women in these dramas, from the assertive, liberal heroines of the 1980s to what you describe as “cautiously modern women” who are good wives and sisters in contemporary soap operas? 01:17:00:04- How have contemporary Urdu writers in Pakistan explored narratives of gender and sexuality in subversive ways?

    1 t 37 min
  7. How Barbie Came To India, Toru Dutt’s Travel Narratives, and More With Dr. Inderpal Grewal

    18.06.2023

    How Barbie Came To India, Toru Dutt’s Travel Narratives, and More With Dr. Inderpal Grewal

    In this episode, gender and sexuality studies scholar Dr. Inderpal Grewal discusses the first modern Indian travelogs, Pandita Ramabai's advocacy for Indian widows, and media portrayals of honor killing. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.  Notes:  00:01:01:10- What is transnational feminism? Why is taking a transnational approach to gender important to understanding it at a regional and global level?  00:07:32:03- How did notions of beauty from 19th century Britain impact Indian women’s identities?  00:14:10:11- How did Toru Dutt appropriate the European travel narrative in the 19th century, and how did travel writing like this enable Indian readers to get a sense of life and freedom outside India? 00:19:54:21- What were Pandita Ramabai and Parvatibai Athavale’s travels like, and how did they achieve the support they got for Indian widows? 00:27:36:15- How was the activism of Pandita Ramabai and Parvatibai Athavale perceived by male Indian nationalists at the time? 00:30:38:03- What do memoirs of Indian bureaucrats from the 20th century reveal about notions of masculinity in post-colonial life, and did these ideas of masculinity differ before and after Independence? 00:41:50:09- What did the introduction of Barbie in India mean for India’s transnational Indian identity? Has that identity changed in recent years? 00:49:49:21- How does Western media portray honor killing, and how does it differ from the kind of portrayals we see in India? Do racialized portrayals of honor killing impact the efforts to stop it?

    58 min
  8. How Torture Is Used to Exercise State Power, Thangjam Manorama’s Murder, and More With Dr. Jinee Lokaneeta

    11.06.2023

    How Torture Is Used to Exercise State Power, Thangjam Manorama’s Murder, and More With Dr. Jinee Lokaneeta

    In this episode, Dr. Jinee Lokaneeta discusses the absence of public debate on state torture in India, the murder of Thangjam Manorama, and the use of police violence at peaceful protests. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.  Notes:  00:00:52:12- How has physical and mental torture been used as a tool for exercising state power in India? 00:09:01:04- Why were tools like narco-analysis and lie detectors introduced? In what ways do they enable custodial torture in India?  00:18:05:15- Is there an absence of debate on torture in India? What are the theoretical framings that allow for a denial of torture despite an evidence of such high levels of custodial death in India? 00:36:21:17- Was the Thangjam Manorama case a landmark moment in the mainstream discourse around AFSPA and torture? Or did it not end up becoming the catalyst it should have been? 00:40:18:02- With regard to the role of the Supreme court, do concerns and interventions over social or equality trump political or liberty? How do aspects of political liberty get addressed even in the absence of a focus on it? 00:51:28:09- What are the roots of the normalisation of the torture of protestors in movements like the anti-CAA-NRC protests?

    58 min
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'In Perspective' is The Swaddle's flagship podcast series, where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Producer: Aditi Patel Editors: Aditi Patel and Neha Tewari Original Interview Edits: Anahita Sachdev Cover Art: Hitesh Sonar Creative Director: Shrishti Malhotra Executive Producer: Karla Bookman

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    2022 - 2023
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