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Kashmiris, Tibetans, islanders, ancient feuds between Hindus and Buddhists, and the politics of war. Abhishek Majumdar in his new book, Abhishek Majumdar, Collected Plays, goes into spaces that are often unvisited, and within those spaces, he arrives with and offers more questions than easy answers.

With acute humanity, and unmitigated curiosity, Abhishek explores themes both diverse and interconnected; the environment, violence and non violence, the passage of time, morality and oppression, the individual and the collective.
He is a playwright, essayist, scenographer, and director who works in India and internationally. His work has been produced and commissioned in leading theaters of the world including Royal Court Theatre London, Prithvi Theatre Mumbai, Ranga Shankara Bangalore, Deutsch Shauspielhaus Hamburg, Ruhrfest Recklinghausen, Théâtre du Soleil Paris, National Theatre London, San Francisco Opera, PEN World Voices, Internacionale Dramaturgie Festival Buenos Aires, San Francisco Opera, and PlayCo New York amongst others.

He is a recipient of multiple awards including the META Award for Best Play and Best Script, International Theatremakers Award New York, The Shankar Nag Rangakarmi Award Bangalore, the Toto Funds the Arts Award, Segal Center Award for Civic Engagement in the Arts, B.V.Karanth Fellowship of Ninasam, Best Director in London Movie Awards, Best Director 8 and Half Film Festival (Rome) Awards, Best Scenographer Sofia International Film Festival amongst others. He works in Theater, Film, and Opera in different languages and cultures.

His book of essays, Theater Across Borders was published by Bloomsbury International as part of the Theatermakers series and he has been published, performed, and translated in Hindi, English, French, German, Czech, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Kashmiri, and Spanish.

He is the Artistic Director of Nalanda Arts Studio Bangalore and creative producer at New Voices Arts Project based in Bangalore. His plays are published by Bloomsbury International.

Apart from theater, he has published in the areas of mathematics, environmental economics, and chemistry.

Currently he is directing an Ambedkarite Opera with Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch Mumbai and Nalanda Arts Studio Bangalore, co-commissioned by NYUAD arts center. He is also directing Solo Vazio, a physical theater piece with Julieta Dobbin in Brazil. He is writing a new play for on the trade of war debris , for the Collaborative, Dublin, Working on a new novel " Radiodurans" and working on the next part of the Tibet Trilogy for Tibet Theatre , Dharmashala and Germany.

Abhishek Majumdar Collected Plays is available here:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/abhishek-majumdar-collected-plays-9781350423688/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Majumdar-Collected-Plays/dp/178682258X

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On the heels of Dalit History Month, we at NRI Affairs, wanted to begin a conversation on caste that looks at this social evil from the lens of the caste and generationally privileged, one that accepts that caste discrimination exists, that we continue to benefit from it, and explores ways to take greater collective and individual accountability.

We share our own journeys of learning about caste with the hope that it opens dialogue on the need for a clear-eyed acknowledgement of our legacies of discrimination, uncomfortable as it may be, with the hope that we can then choose positive change.

The premise of this conversation is that there is now enough literature and material available for the caste privileged to educate ourselves on the systemic discrimination and cruelty of the caste system, and it is incumbent upon each of us to work towards the annihilation of caste, in whichever way we can.

We acknowledge the mental labour and the often uncompensated heavy lifting that Dalit and Bahujan voices are often called upon to do, in the guise of platforming, which by and large requires very little introspection or personal accountability on the part of the savarna spaces that invite them in.

Finally, our hope is that through a series of such conversations and engagement, both within privileged spaces, and with the empowered inclusion of the deliberately marginalised, we arrive at a collective framework - more a living document- that gives us the language, the actionable insights, and the centering of intrinsic human dignity of all, towards a caste free and equitable society.

Joining us on the panel are:
Author and activist, Rheea Mukherjee, student and anti-caste activist, Avyaya Singh, and scholar on diversity and cultural economics, Mudit Vyas.

Select reading recommendations:
Annihilation of Caste, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Kavya Phule and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar, Savitribai Phule
I could not be Hindu, The story of a Dalit in the RSS, Bhanwar Meghwanshi
Dalits and the Democratic Revolution, Gail Omvedt
Brahmins and Non Brahmins, MSS Pandian
Buffalo Nationalism: A Critique of Spiritual Fascism, Kancha IIaiah
The Mahatma and the ism, E.M.S. Namboodiripad
Joothan, Om Prakash Valmiki
Murdahiya, Dr. Tulsi Ram
(Some recommendations from the Itihas Project)

Other resources:
Ambedkarite Buddhist Publishers https://navayan.com/publications.php
Round Table India, For an informed Ambedkar Age https://www.roundtableindia.co.in/

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Each year Australia marks National Reconciliation Week between 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. The first date marks the May 27 referendum in 1967, which saw more than 90 per cent of voters support the inclusion of all Indigenous Australians in the census.
In the first National Reconciliation Week since the failure of last October's Voice to parliament referendum, Reconciliation Australia is urging supporters to continue to fight for "justice and rights" for Indigenous Australians.
In the context of the larger questions of restorative justice, a voice for those deliberately marginalised, and the question of representation of the Indian Diaspora in Australia, we spoke to Mudit Vyas, a recent research graduate from the Monash School of Media, Film & Journalism (MFJ).
He studies cultural and creative industries. His thesis in Diversity washing of privilege in cultural economics - An Indian-Australian ideological scrutiny examines critical questions of the caste and cultural privileges within the Indian Diaspora and whether the same power structures that exist in India are being maintained in Australia, and all internal differences in access and caste dynamics subsumed under the garb of diversity inclusion.
We examine who is being platformed, who isn’t, and what are some of the ways in which the actual ideals and aims of diversity outreaches in Australia can be realised.

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As elections are underway in India, this is an important conversation. Human rights, hate speech, caste dynamics, the silencing of dissent and the idea of government working with civil society for the greater good - we cover a lot of ground in this truly special conversation with the inimitable Meenakshi Ganguly. Wise, experienced, and a true humanist, she is truly a force for good in this world.

Meenakshi Ganguly is also the Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, overseeing the work in a number of countries in the region. She served as correspondent for Time Magazine, worked with the Press Trust of India and published in the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Scroll, Wire, Dhaka Tribune, and The Kathmandu Post, among others.Ganguly has a Masters in Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics.

Tune in and do let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Megha Singh's journey as an entrepreneur will possibly resonate with many people who have had to restart or reimagine careers, balance passion with purpose, and create opportunities for themselves.

She says the working title of her autobiography could be Love. Money. God. and in this freewheeling conversation, Megha speaks with refreshing candour about her relationship with all three, and more.

Today Megha helps entrepreneurs get started and on their way to their first $100,000. For those who may feel inspired or just curious, you can reach her at:
Website: https://www.b-inc.asia/
Business IG: https://www.instagram.com/bincbymegha/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bincbymegha/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bincbymegha
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megha.singh.165/

The NGO that she speaks of in her conversation is called the Swayam Foundation. Interested folks who want to know more or support their initiatives can contact her father, Mr. Bijay Kumar at bijaykumar.ms@gmail.com.

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Ravijeet Dang is a techie with a difference. A believer in creating social impact through technology and community engagement, as the Managing Director of Iotasol, he is passionate about mentoring the next generation of technology leaders.

In this episode we explore an uncommon journey that led him from India, to Europe, Singapore and now to Australia. We talk passion and purpose, continual learning and the path to fulfilment.

We also get a peek into the exciting possibilities ahead with AI and how technology can potentially solve for some of the most pressing challenging of our times.

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Was the Delhi Sultanate a barbaric and bloodthirsty line of rulers who imposed Islam in the Indian subcontinent by the force of their sword? Were there Muslim rulers in the South of India? How so we separate fact from fiction in understanding our complex and multi-dimensional past?

Syed Ubaidur Rahman, a New Delhi-based author and columnist answers all of this and more, as we take a walk down the not too distant past. Syed has written extensively on medieval and modern Indian history and his latest book is ‘Peaceful Expansion of Islam in India.’

Other recent publications include 'Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India: Bahmani Empire, Madurai, Bijapur, Golconda & Mysore Sultanates' (2022), 'Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters' (2021), and 'Ulema's Role in India's Freedom Movement with Focus on Reshmi Rumal Tehrik' (2019).

He has written opeds for leading Indian and foreign newspapers including The Hindustan Times, Economic Times, Sify, NewsClick, Arab News, Quint etc.

Join us as we discover hidden facets of our collective history, that informs so much of our rich cultural diversity and heritage.

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For countless Bengalis, Anjan Dutt is an emotion. From Bela Bose to Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbo Na, Mary Ann to Bhalobasha, his songs captured a particular zeitgeist of 90's Kolkata. For a generation coming of age at the time, in his music, they found an unforgettable voice for their heartbreaks and hopes, their aches and aspirations.

Anjan Dutt is also an award winning actor and filmmaker. From Mrinal Sen's Chalachitro, (for which he won the best newcomer actor award at the Venice Film Festival), and Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Ghihojudddha, and then directing films such as Bow Barracks Forever, The Bong Connection, and Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona, he has had a varied and interesting career in film.

A man who wears his success lightly, with humour and humility, Anjan Dutt is a reminder of a gentler, more inclusive time.

In this episode, he takes us through his early years, his unexpected success, his many interests, and what makes Kolkata his eternal muse.

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