The dalit voice: Interview with Meena Kandasamy In this exclusive OS audio interview, Meena Kandasamy, young dalit poet, writer and translator, reads some of her work and talks about writing as a way of refashioning herself, a way of negotiating complex issues related to caste, identity and violence. The interview was conducted in Montreal by Canada-based communications consultant and writer Veena Gokhale.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The invisible scars of Kashmir
There was no word for 'suicide' in the Kashmiri language, and the state had one of the lowest suicide rates. Now, there are 5-6 cases of attempted suicide in every hospital, according to psychiatrists at the Government Mental Health College in Srinagar. Twenty years of conflict have seen a huge rise in mental illness, but there are only 20 psychiatrists serving a population of 4 million. An audio story by Dheera Sujan for Radio Netherlands Worldwide
The State We're In-25
Zimbabwe a severe political repression
This week on The State We're In - India edition, join your host Chhavi
for a focused look at Zimbabwe -- a country which has seen years of
severe political repression, a recent cholera epidemic, and an inflation
rate measured in the millions of percent that eventually led to the
adoption of the American dollar very recently. Stay tuned to hear from
three mothers who tell us about keeping their families together, the
minister of water resources and management, and the folks who run Radio
Voice of the People.
The State We're In-24
The "moderate" Taliban
It's been nearly a decade since the Taliban were overthrown in
Afghanistan. For the first half of this week's show, we focus on the
region. Join your host Chhavi as we hear from a woman parlimentarian
what she thinks about negotiating with the "moderate" Taliban; an Indian
journalist working in Kabul; We end with an uplifting piece about a
school of happiness in Germany. Stay tuned ...
The State We're In-23
Walls and Fences
This week on The State We're In India edition, join host Chhavi as we
look at walls and fences and how they affect how people treat each
other. We visit an Israeli town bisected by a wall, the border between
Mexico and the United States of America and a wall-less prison in
Greenland. Stay tuned ...
The State We're In-22
The right to silence
India is home to some of the noisiest cities in the world. Most of the
time, we don't even notice the cacophony. This week on The State We're
In, India edition, join our host Chhavi as we talk about the right to
silence. We hear from a person who had to shift houses because of her
noisy neighbors, how noise can affect us even when we're asleep, and
finally, advice from the Noise Pollution Clearing House about what we
can do about it. Stay tuned ...
The State We're In-21
The right to refusal
This week we focus on the right to refusal. We first hear from an
unusual rejection of categorization, a woman who claims she's neither
male nor female; we then visit our very own business and glamor hub,
Mumbai, where a lawyer talks about the city's refusal to be frightened
after terrorist attacks in 2008; and finally, a bar in the Netherlands
that has called itself a church in its refusal to obey the ban on indoor
smoking. Join our host Chhavi for this global overview in The State
We're In - India edition.
The State We're In-20
The right to TV
Nearly every household in urban India has a TV and rural India is tuned
in, too. This week on The State We're In - India edition, we look at
what tv means in different parts of the world. In Zimbabwe, where the
media is state controlled, one woman has risked her life to get a
satellite dish; we hear from a pirate TV activist in Argentina who wants
free access to tv for all, and an American who wanted to 'kill' his
television. Stay tuned ...
The State We're In-19
The right to architecture and design
This week on the State We're In - India edition, we're looking at
architecture and how cities can shape us. To start with, we hear from an
Indian architect in Ahmedabad about urban renewal; then we hear from a
city in Italy that was designed, partially, by children; and finally,
and finally we move to a "human rights" prison in Australia, designed
for rehabilitation of the human spirit. Stay tuned.
The State We're In-18
The right to Ride a bicycle
Riding a bicycle can seem like a very dangerous mode of transportation,
but it's the lightest on our world. And the cheapest, by far. This week
on The State We're In - India edition we hear from a cyclists' rights
group in San Francisco called Critical Mass, an ambulance driver in
Northwestern Uganda who transports patients on his bike, and about the
competition that bicycles in China are facing from cars. Stay tuned ...
"The Mental Health Act is totally unconstitutional" – Dr Bhargavi Davar
Dr Bhargavi Davar, Director of the Centre for Advocacy and Mental Health, Pune, talks about her own experiences of mental health practices in India and discusses mental health regulations in India in this audio interview
The State We're In-17
The right to be naked Unless you're a sadhu, it's socially unacceptable to step our in your
birthday suit, right? This week on The State We're In - India edition we
look at the right to be who you are - we have views from the
International Naturist Federation, as well stories about art and
censorship, and being gay within a religion that says it's wrong.
The State We're In-16
The right to proselytize
In India, we're all born with the right to a freedom of religion.
Evangelism, in most of our states, is against the law. But many believe
they have the duty to proselytize ... we hear from a photographer in the
US who thinks it's his responsibility to tell others about his
experience, a Muslim convert in Cairo who used to be a Catholic priest,
and a stand up comedian in London who propogates atheism!
The State We're In-15
The right to divorce
Marriages are made in heaven and what "God hath joined together, let no
man put asunder", yes? This week on The State We're In, India edition,
we're looking at the right to divorce in various societies around the
world. We hear from a gay man in India who agreed to an arranged
marriage; a woman in Egypt who initiated a no-fault divorce; and then a
'collaborative divorce' lawyer in the United States.
The State We're In-14
The right to make yourself beautiful
Our culture is obsessed with fairness - a trend that's catching on in
China. Looking beautiful, whatever it means in your part of the world,
definitely seems more like a command than a right. Here's a roundup of
interesting psychological research, that proves how attractive people
start catching breaks early on, plastic surgery in Brazil, and an "ugly
club" in Italy ... all in this week's episode of The State We're In,
India edition
The State We're In-13
The right to Reproduce
The right to reproduce is a subject fraught with controversy in a time
of gender selection and infanticide. This week, we visit Jerusalem and
talk to a gynecologist about her ethical dilemma concerning IVF; we hear
from the imposition of the 1-child policy in China; and the prison
within a prison that is the Gaza strip.
The State We're In-12
The right to Independence
Independence means different things to different people. This week we
hear from someone whose son is 'imprisoned' by his disabilities; we also
hear from a set of senior citizens who have set up an independent
village for themselves in Washington D.C.; and finally we visit the
independent principality of "Sealand.
The State We're In-11
The right to remember the past
There are many thing we erase from our individual and collective
memories. Breaking the silence can be therapeutic as well as traumatic.
This week, we visit Turkey where thousands of Kurdish activists and
politicians disappeared in the 90s; Bologne, Italy where the liberation
from fascist forces is remembered on "Liberation Day" every day; and
finally Cambodia, where there's a new musical drama about the Khmer
Rouge genocide.
The State We're In-10
The right to move for work
Our country is a melting pot and our cities attract thousands of migrant
workers daily. This week, Sonologue and Radio Netherlands Worldwide
bring you a look at the situation in China, Nigeria, and the US-Mexico
border, the most porous border in the world.
The State We're In-9
The right to reconcile
Forgiveness and reconciliation - easier said than done? This week, Radio Netherlands Worldwide and Sonologue bring you the Rwandan musician Jean Paul Sumputu, a Tutsi whose family was murdered in the 1994 genocide by his best friend, a Hutu. How do you forgive someone so close for such a betrayal? Listen here to The State We're In - India Edition
The State We're In-8
The right to music
Every life in India has a soundtrack, but does everyone have a right to
music? We visit a young trio learning from a maestro in Paraguay, meet a
bluegrass legend whose alcoholism made his hand tremble, and travel to
Kosovo where music is the bridge for an Albanian and a Serb.
The State We're In-7
The right to marry
This week we look at the right to marry - In India, we not only hear
about love marriage and arranged marriage, we also hear of forced
marriage. We hear from a lady who tries to prevent pressure marriages in
the Indian community in the UK; we also hear about polygamy in Nigeria;
and a Catholic priest who gave up that right at the tender age of 14.
The State We're In-6
The right to pets
This week, we look at whether everyone should and can have a pet. We
visit a "cuddle project" for the elderly, a US marine base in Iraq
that adopted a doggie, and China's one-dog policy.
The law on disabilities
An interview with Sanjay Jain, senior lecturer at ILS Law College, Pune, on disability rights laws in India, and the changes required to make them consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006. Jain specialises in constitutional and international law and himself is visually disabled, and has his own legal case pending in employment discrimination.
The State We're In-5
The right to drugs
When we think of "drugs", the image that generally pops into mind is of
syringes and dope fiends but there are other connotations of the word;
in this episode we visit someone in the UK who isn't allowed the drugs
he needs to survive, Zimbabwe were anti-retroviral drugs are supposedly
free and we travel to Bolivia to talk about the coca trade.
The State We're In-4
The right to sanitation
This week, we travel to different parts of the world and talk about
sanitation - yes, the toilet. We visit the flying toilets of Nigeria
(duck if you see one coming!), we talk to someone who builds toilets in
the developing world and then circle back to India.
The State We're In-3
The right to a dignified old age
Indian culture teaches us to venerate our elders and our aged. This week we look at the right to a dignified old age: we hear about a "Grey Tsunami" of American retirees moving to Mexico, Japanese villages populated by the elderly, and a state-run old-age home in Mongolia.
The State We're In-2
The rights of Indigenous people
Adivasi or tribal rights are an important and recurring issue in India. In this show, we hear from indigenous people from Hawaii, a native American tribe in Virginia, and aborigines in Australia about various aspects of their struggle.
The State We're In-1 The right to complain
Tune in to this week's edition of The State We're In-India Edition, which brings you first-person stories from around the world on human rights, human wrongs and the way we treat each other. This week's show is about the right to complain and protest as the grease that runs democracy. The State We're In is produced by Radio Netherlands Worldwide (www.tswi.org) in collaboration with Sonologue (www.sonologue.com), and brought to you by Infochange
Teach for India Find out more about a unique programme that gets India's best and brightest to dedicate two years to teaching children in public and private schools
Social responsibility in a corporate world In this episode of the InfoChange Audio Files, Chhavi Sachdev of Sonologue interviews Tanya and Pooja of Karmayog, the meta-NGO that put out India's first report on corporate social responsibility, last year. Listen on to learn more about who is doing what about their ecological footprint and what a CSR ranking really means.
Evangelist for open-source composting In this episode of the InfoChange Audio Files, Chhavi Sachdev of Sonologue interviews Poonam Bir Kasturi, who is an evangelist for open-source composting. Poonam, who founded the Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, runs a company called Daily Dump that works with local potters to create utilitarian but beautiful composting bins in Bangalore. She's taking her solution for basic waste management to everyone who will have it.
Giant steps for Muslim women
Sharifa Khanam set up a Muslim Women's Jamaat in Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, in 2003, encouraging a liberal interpretation of Shariat law, and freeing women from patriarchal bias. In this interview she talks about her long struggle for women's rights and her dream of setting up a women's mosque.
Broken voices An audio interview with Valerie Mason-John, author of a new book on dalit women in Maharashtra. These women are twice oppressed – first as women and then as dalits
Employment for the disabled: A slow change begins Basic accessibility issues keep the disabled in India from meaningful employment opportunities. An audio report
SEZs: The new battleground An audio story from Pen in Raigadh district of Maharashtra where farmers are opposing the development of a Special Economic Zone
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
Social responsibility in a corporate world
Evangelist for open-source composting
