Bharatvaarta

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  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Bharatvaarta podcast is a commentary on politics, policy and culture focused on India. The podcast brings together people from different walks of life who have varied and interesting perspectives on what's happening around us.

  1. OCT 30

    Why the West Misunderstands Indians and Hindus | Vishal Ganesan- Researcher

    For over a century, the West has viewed Hindus through its own lens — first as mystics, now as misunderstood outsiders. In this conversation, Vishal Ganesan, founder of Frontier Dharma and Hindoo History, joins Roshan Cariappa to unpack how old prejudices have evolved into modern bias — and why Hindus still struggle to define their story in global discourse. The discussion covers the roots of anti-Indian stereotypes, diaspora identity, Western political framing, and the civilizational confidence needed to reclaim the narrative. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – 01:00 |Introduction & Context 01:00 – 06:00 | Racism Against Indians in America 06:00 – 13:00 | Historical Roots of Hindu Bias 13:00 – 20:00 | Indian Immigration & Assimilation 20:00 – 26:00 | Diaspora Identity Crisis 26:00 – 32:00 | Left & Right Converge on Anti-Hindu Bias 32:00 – 38:00 | Academia & Media Narratives 38:00 – 45:00 | The Role of Social Media 45:00 – 55:00 | American Exceptionalism & Hindu Values 55:00 – 1:05:00 | Representation & Power in the West 1:05:00 – 1:15:00 | Reclaiming the Narrative 1:15:00 – 1:25:00 | Faith, Philosophy & Pluralism 1:25:00 – 1:35:00 | Media Distortion & Selective Activism 1:35:00 – 1:45:00 | The Future of Hindu Identity Abroad 1:45:00 – 1:56:15 | Closing Reflections & Takeaways ⸻ 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week.  📢 Follow us on X: https://x.com/bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bharatvaarta/?hl=en 👤 Guest – Vishal Ganesan 📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/vjgtweets https://x.com/HindooHistory 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vjgtweets/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/hindoohistory/?hl=en 👤 Host – Roshan Cariappa 📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/RoshanCariappa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carygottheblues/?hl=en

    1h 56m

  2. OCT 25

    How Raja Marthanda Varma Defeated the Dutch | Raghu & Pushpa Palat – God’s Own Empire

    ⚔️ The King Who Defeated the Dutch – Raghu & Pushpa Palat on Raja Marthanda Varma and Travancore’s Forgotten Legacy 👑 Raja Marthanda Varma was the only Indian ruler to defeat a European power — ending the Dutch ambitions to colonize India. Yet, his story rarely finds space in Indian textbooks. In this insightful conversation, authors Raghu and Pushpa Palat join Roshan Cariappa to rediscover the Travancore king who reshaped Kerala’s destiny — a man who built one of India’s most prosperous states, and then surrendered it all to God. This episode unpacks the life of a ruler who combined courage, strategy, and devotion — and left behind a civilizational example of leadership grounded in humility. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – Why Marthanda Varma Still Matters (And Why We Forgot Him) 05:00 – From Hunted Prince to Reformer King of Travancore 09:00 – Faith and Statecraft – Building a Kingdom with Devotion 14:00 – The Battle of Colachel – India’s Victory Over the Dutch ⚔️ 19:00 – Prosperity and Reform – Trade, Pepper & Modern Governance 25:00 – The Surrender to Padmanabhaswamy – A King Who Became a Servant 32:00 – Legacy & Memory – Why Kerala’s Greatest Story Must Be Retold ⸻ 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you thoughtful conversations on India’s politics, policy, and culture every week. 📚 About the Guests Raghu & Pushpa Palat are authors and historians who bring India’s forgotten stories to light. Their acclaimed book, God’s Own Empire: The Story of Travancore and the Kings Who Built It, tells the extraordinary life of Raja Marthanda Varma — the king who defeated the Dutch and offered his kingdom to Lord Padmanabhaswamy. 📖 Buy their book: https://www.amazon.in/Gods-Own-Empire-Extraordinary-Travancore/dp/0143471589 📸 Follow Raghu & Pushpa Palat: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/raghupalat/ https://www.instagram.com/palatpushpa/ https://www.instagram.com/palatbooks/ Twitter/X – https://x.com/raghupalat https://x.com/pushpapalat ⸻ 📢 Follow Bharatvaarta: Twitter/X – https://twitter.com/Bharatvaarta Instagram – https://instagram.com/Bharatvaarta 👤 Follow the Host – Roshan Cariappa: Twitter/X – https://x.com/RoshanCariappa Instagram – https://instagram.com/carygottheblues

    38 min

  3. OCT 16

    Aurangzeb, Whitewashing & India’s Forgotten Truths | Saurabh Lohogaonkar – Author

    Aurangzeb, History & the Politics of Memory – Saurabh Lohogaonkar on India’s Distorted Past ⚔️📖 Aurangzeb remains one of the most polarizing figures in Indian history — remembered as both an emperor and a tyrant, a ruler and a destroyer. But what happens when centuries later, his legacy is rewritten to fit modern political comfort? In this thought-provoking conversation, Saurabh Lohogaonkar joins host Roshan Cariappa to unpack how India’s history has been selectively sanitized — how tyrants became “administrators,” persecution was reframed as “policy,” and why the truth about Aurangzeb still makes us uneasy today. Lohogaonkar argues that whitewashing history doesn’t heal wounds — it deepens them. He explores how religious orthodoxy replaced pluralism, how the Deccan wars drained the empire, and how post-independence academia rebranded a dark chapter of history as a misunderstood reign. This episode is not about hate — it’s about honesty, memory, and reclaiming clarity from centuries of distortion. ⸻ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – The Distorted Narrative: How History Whitewashed Aurangzeb 07:20 – Aurangzeb vs Akbar: Two Visions of Empire 14:15 – Faith, Power & Persecution: Religion as State Policy 23:00 – The Deccan Wars: Shivaji, Resistance & Civilizational Shift 33:45 – The Fall of an Empire: Greed, Exhaustion & Regret 47:10 – Modern Whitewashing: Academia, Textbooks & Denial 58:30 – The Lessons: Truth, Memory & India’s Civilizational Clarity ⸻ 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week. 📢 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/Bharatvaarta 👤 Follow the Host – Roshan Cariappa 📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/RoshanCariappa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carygottheblues/

    1h 11m

  4. OCT 11

    Why Muslims Still Feel Separate | Prof. Salvatore Babones – Political Sociologist

    India’s democracy continues to puzzle the West — thriving amid diversity, faith, and chaos, yet repeatedly misjudged by global indices and foreign intellectuals. In this wide-ranging conversation, Prof. Salvatore Babones joins host Roshan Cariappa to unpack the bias behind Western democracy rankings, the cultural roots of India’s political resilience, and why dharma, not rights, is at the heart of the Indian way. Babones explains why India’s model of democracy isn’t an imitation of the West but an expression of its 5,000-year-old civilizational ethos — a system built on duty, pluralism, and self-restraint. From press freedom myths to the Muslim question and Hindu civil society, this episode explores how India can redefine democracy for the world on its own terms. 00:00 – Intro & Hook: Why India Ranks Below Gaza 01:15 – What is Dharma Democracy? Duty over Rights 03:20 – India’s Liberal Democracy & Western Misreadings 10:40 – Press Freedom & Media Bias Explained 19:00 – How Western Rankings Distort India’s Image 21:15 – Dharma, Duty & the Indian Idea of Citizenship 23:00 – Yogi Adityanath: The Untranslatable Indian Leader 26:30 – Hindu Civil Society: Temples, Pluralism & Democracy 31:45 – Faith & Inclusion: The Muslim Question 36:40 – Partition’s Hangover & Identity Politics 41:30 – Intellectuals, Migration & the Elite Disconnect 47:00 – Race, Discrimination & Lessons from America 52:10 – Can Dharma Include Islam? Paths to Belonging 57:00 – The Future of Dharma Democracy 01:03:25 – Party Modernization: BJP vs Congress 01:09:15 – If You Could Meet One Leader… (Rajendra Prasad) 01:11:10 – Closing Remarks & Sign-Off 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week. 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6tqY8tbgQ6nGb4ZQwjX6NH 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/bharatvaarta/id1636240449 📢 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/Bharatvaarta 👤 Follow the Host – Roshan Cariappa 📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/RoshanCariappa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carygottheblues/ Chapters

    1h 12m

  5. OCT 7

    H-1B Visas, Cyber Coolie Myth & India’s Tech Destiny | Mohandas Pai – Infosys Veteran & Investor

    India’s technology story is at a crossroads — from America’s visa games and rising protectionism, to India’s own challenges with innovation, policy, and capital. In this hard-hitting conversation, veteran investor and public intellectual Mohandas Pai joins us to decode what it all means for India’s future. Pai explains why America’s tech dominance rests on Indian talent, why shutting doors will only hurt the US, and how India must shift from being the world’s “IT back office” to building deep-tech companies at scale. We discuss the brain drain myth, the real capital bottlenecks, and why India’s policies often stifle rather than support entrepreneurs. Along the way, he pulls no punches — calling out “cyber coolie” stereotypes, broken tax and justice systems, and the culture of harassment that keeps India from unleashing its true potential. Yet, he remains optimistic: confident that with the right reforms, India can dream big and reach a $10 trillion economy by 2035. This episode is a no-holds-barred dive into India’s place in the global tech order, and the choices that will decide whether we remain a service hub or become an innovation powerhouse. ⸻ Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Hook: America’s Tech Runs on India 01:01 – The H-1B Visa Debate: Myth vs Reality 04:20 – Indian Talent Powering US Companies 07:45 – Why “Make America Great Again” Could Backfire 10:15 – Will Indians Really Return? The Brain Drain Myth 14:00 – From “Cyber Coolies” to Global Tech Leaders 18:10 – The Tech Waves: IBM, Microsoft, Google… Now AI 24:00 – India’s Capital Problem: Subsidies vs Innovation 28:30 – Public vs Private Sector: Who Holds India Back? 32:00 – Policy Bottlenecks: RBI, Taxes & Broken Justice 37:45 – Fixing Procurement, Payments & MSME Growth 45:00 – Politics, Corruption & Civic Failures 50:40 – Closing Thoughts: Optimism & India’s $10T Dream ⸻ 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week. 📢 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/Bharatvaarta 👤 Follow the Host – Roshan Cariappa 📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/RoshanCariappa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carygottheblues/

    54 min

  6. SEP 21

    Deep State, Pakistan & India’s Next Moves | Vikram Sood – Former R&AW Chief

    India’s neighborhood and the wider world are in flux — from youth-led protests in Nepal and regime change in Bangladesh, to Pakistan’s endless games and China’s march to 2049. In this no-holds-barred conversation, former R&AW chief Vikram Sood joins us to decode what it all means for India’s security, sovereignty, and future. Sood explains why Pakistan’s army is driven by an Islamist mindset, why “democracy” for the West really means obedience, and how India must think beyond neighbors to play the great game of geopolitics. We dive into the turmoil in South Asia, America’s hidden hand, China’s civilizational patience, and the real lessons from the Ukraine war. Along the way, he drops razor-sharp one-liners — including “We can’t choose our neighbors, but we can ignore them.” — that capture the essence of India’s choices in a dangerous world. This episode is a deep dive into power, perception, and survival in the 21st century. ⸻ Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Why Geopolitics Never Sleeps 01:15 – Nepal in Chaos: Gen-Z Protests and Internet Revolt 02:40 – Bangladesh Uprising & America’s Hidden Hand 08:00 – Pakistan’s Deep State & Islamist Army Mindset 15:00 – “We Can’t Choose Our Neighbors, But We Can Ignore Them” 19:00 – Balakot, Nuclear Myths & India’s Deterrence Strategy 22:30 – Democracy vs Obedience: What the West Really Wants 25:50 – Why a Good Opposition is Critical for India’s Future 37:00 – Middle East Balancing Act: Iran, Israel & India 42:00 – China’s Long Game: Power and Patience Until 2049 48:00 – Ukraine War & Why America is Losing 54:00 – India’s Path Forward & Closing Thoughts ⸻ 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week. 📢 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/Bharatvaarta 👤 Follow the Host – Roshan Cariappa 📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/RoshanCariappa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carygottheblues/

    1h 4m

  7. SEP 8

    How GST 2.0 could transform Indian Middle Class | Ajay Rotti - Taxation Expert

    India’s tax system is once again at a crossroads with GST 2.0. What began as the biggest reform in independent India was riddled with compromises, complexities, and billion-rupee disputes — but what do the new changes really mean for ordinary citizens? Tax lawyer and founder of Tax Compaas, Ajay Rotti, joins us to break it all down. In this insightful conversation, Ajay explains why GST was born more political than economic, how disputes over popcorn, KitKat, and cosmetic creams exposed deep flaws in the system, and why rate rationalisation today is less a revolution than a course correction. We also dive into what GST 2.0 means for the real middle class — from grocery bills and dairy products to insurance and savings — and why simpler compliance could finally give relief to businesses and MSMEs. Ajay sheds light on how tax tribunals might speed up litigation, why expanding the tax base is essential, and how trust, not just revenue, is the true foundation of a fair tax system. Finally, we turn to the larger picture: how taxation shapes India’s growth story, the balance between states and the Centre, and why reforms must go beyond collections to building confidence in governance. Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – From Popcorn to Shampoo: Making GST Rates Simple 10:00 – Why GST Had So Many Slabs in the First Place 20:00 – Inside the GST Council: How India Decides Taxes 30:00 – One Nation, One Tax: Logistics & Compliance Gains 45:00 – Insurance, Housing & Middle Class Impact 55:00 – The Future of GST: Can We Get to One Simple Rate? ⸻ 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week. 📢 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/Bharatvaarta 👤 Follow the Host – Roshan Cariappa 📢 Twitter/X: https://x.com/RoshanCariappa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carygottheblues/

    1h 4m

  8. SEP 2

    Why India Is “Problematic” for the US | @AbhijitChavda on Trump Tariffs, India's Response, & More

    India’s foreign policy faces new challenges as the US shifts from calling us a “partner” to branding us “problematic.” What does this mean for India’s place in the world? Abhijit Chavda breaks it all down. In this explosive conversation, Abhijit Chavda breaks down how Washington’s view of India has shifted from “most important partner” to “problematic.” We examine Peter Navarro’s outburst, why tariffs are no longer trade tools but geopolitical weapons, and how the deep state often pulls strings behind elected governments. The discussion also covers Trump’s possible return and what it means for India, China’s long game of boxing us in, and the uncomfortable truth that superpowers have no friends—only interests. Abhijit explains how globalisation and the dollar are used as levers of control, why Europe is losing relevance in the emerging order, and how technology has become the new battlefield. Finally, we turn the focus back to India: why we lack long-term strategic will, why short-term politics keeps us on the defensive, and what it would take for India to start thinking in centuries, not election cycles. ⸻ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 07:48 – Why India Is Suddenly “Problematic” for the US 15:51 – From Partner to Pawn: Washington’s Mask Slips 24:02 – Tariffs as Geopolitical Weapons 32:09 – The Deep State and Its Global Games 40:08 – Trump’s Return: What It Means for India 48:06 – China’s Strategy: Boxing India In 56:06 – Superpowers Have No Friends, Only Interests 01:04:11 – Globalisation and the Dollar Trap 01:12:17 – Europe’s Decline in the New World Order 01:20:24 – Technology and India’s Crossroads 01:26:40 – Final Thoughts: Can India Think in Centuries? ⸻ 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week. 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2slDFL5jAFh8k0XK3yR2sQ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/bharatvaarta/id1510599852 📢 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/Bharatvaarta

    1h 24m
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Bharatvaarta podcast is a commentary on politics, policy and culture focused on India. The podcast brings together people from different walks of life who have varied and interesting perspectives on what's happening around us.

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