Beyond the Taj: The Story of India's Minorities

Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC)

Beyond the Taj is a podcast series by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) that serves as a storytelling medium exploring the rich history, culture, and identity of Indian Muslims—both within India and across the global diaspora. Through in-depth conversations, expert analyses, and personal narratives, the podcast sheds light on the lived experiences of the community, its contributions to India’s past and present, and the challenges it faces today.

Episodes

  1. 17 HR AGO

    The Stories and Scars of the 2002 Gujarat Pogrom, ft. Zara Chowdhary

    The 2002 Gujarat Pogrom is not history. The violence and terror inflicted on thousands of Gujarati Muslims lingers with those who survived it decades after. With both empathy and courage, author Zara Chowdhary speaks about her family's experience in surviving the Gujarat pogrom, the experience of telling the stories of the victims, and the writing of her memoir, The Lucky Ones.

    44 min

  2. 30 JAN

    Building Hindu-Muslim Unity in the Diaspora ft. Ria Chakrabarty

    Hindu-Muslim unity isn’t just found in India - it’s a concept that diaspora communities continue to work towards and reimagine abroad. In this special episode of Beyond the Taj, Safa Ahmed of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and Ria Chakrabarty of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) engage in an honest conversation about their experiences with both division and solidarity in the Indian American diaspora, and discuss how Hindus and Muslims can combat the supremacist forces that seek to drive these communities apart.

    48 min

  3. 12 JAN

    Lessons from Sikh-Muslim Solidarity in the Diaspora ft. Arjun Singh Sethi

    In this episode, we sit down with activist and scholar Professor Arjun Singh Sethi to explore the long history of solidarity between Muslim and Sikh communities in the diaspora. From the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when both communities were targeted by state surveillance and bigotry, to more recent coalition-building efforts aimed at opposing Hindu supremacy and transnational repression, this conversation traces how shared vulnerability gives rise to collective resistance.

    27 min

  4. 24/12/2025

    Mughals & the Mythmaking of Hindu Nationalism ft. Dr. Audrey Truschke

    Today’s India is awash in fiction about the Mughals—imagined atrocities, distorted narratives, and politically weaponized history. In this episode, historian Dr. Audrey Truschke joins us to unpack the biggest myths about the Mughal Empire, and examine why Hindu nationalist groups are so determined to rewrite this history.

    26 min

  5. 26/11/2025

    Who Gets to Be Indian? ft. Ram Puniyani

    In this pilot episode of Beyond the Taj, Safa Ahmed sits down with Indian author and historian Ram Puniyani to explore the evolution of Indian secularism, from its roots in the freedom struggle to its codification after Independence, and how this pluralistic imagining of national identity is currently under attack by the Hindu far right.

    47 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

Beyond the Taj is a podcast series by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) that serves as a storytelling medium exploring the rich history, culture, and identity of Indian Muslims—both within India and across the global diaspora. Through in-depth conversations, expert analyses, and personal narratives, the podcast sheds light on the lived experiences of the community, its contributions to India’s past and present, and the challenges it faces today.

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