In this episode of InterLinked, hosted by Geetaali Malhotra, we delve into the complex world of Khap Panchayats-traditional caste councils rooted in North Indian society. Joined by Ms. Prachy Hooda, Lecturer at the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University, we examine the shifting dynamics of these institutions at the intersection of law, gender, and governance. From legal judgments and ADR debates to gender politics and the optics of empowerment, this conversation unpacks the socio-political forces that continue to shape Khap power in modern India.
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22:36
From Shelter to Struggle: The Human Cost of Demolitions- Conversation with Nirmal Gorana
In this episode of Vichaar (Azaad Awaaz), in conversation with renowned human rights activist Mr. Nirmal Gorana, delves into the expanding phenomenon of bulldozer justice in India and its devastating effects on marginalized communities. Mr. Gorana, convener of the National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour and key figure in the Mazdoor Awas Sangharsh Samiti, shares critical insights into how forced evictions displace informal workers, violate constitutional rights, and worsen socio-economic disparities. Drawing from landmark judgments and on-ground experiences, he exposes the systemic failures in policy implementation and the increasing use of state machinery to suppress dissent. He also emphasizes the urgent need for collective resistance, legal awareness, and active civic engagement to uphold the rights of the displaced.
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56:50
Listening to the Margins: Urban Lives Beyond the Master Plan
In this episode of InterLinked, we delve into the hidden geographies of urban life — the communities, crafts, and labor often overlooked in mainstream narratives of development. Shivali Yadav is in conversation with Namesh Killemsetty, a researcher whose work bridges urban studies, policy analysis, and community-led action.Together, they unpack the ethical and practical questions surrounding the representation of slum dwellers and artisan collectives in academic research and policy spaces. The discussion moves from the struggles of eviction and the complexities of humane resettlement, to the role of feminist ethnography in making research more accountable to the people it seeks to represent.Drawing from his fieldwork in slum communities and craft clusters, Namesh shares how a participatory, bottom-up approach can reshape both policymaking and urban imagination. The episode also reflects on how city planning, especially under the guise of ‘beautification,’ often hides the very people whose labor sustains it.Tune in for a conversation that challenges the way we think about cities — and whose stories get to shape them.
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30:41
Work Unseen: Rethinking the Informal Economy
In this podcast, hosted by Geetaali Malhotra,we dive into the complex realities of informal labor in a rapidly changing world. Our guest, Ms. Ashika Thomas, Junior Research and Evaluation Officer at NSPCC discusses on how policies, technology, and urban planning shape the lives of those often left out of formal systems ,be it gig workers ,street vendors or unbanked entrepreneurs. As economies recover and evolve, we ask whether informality should be formalized, reimagined, or protected and what a fair future of work truly looks like.
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45:22
Art, Caste, and Placemaking Conversation with Team Azaad Awaaz
In this series, the team has a discussion with Aatika Singh, a PhD candidate in the Department of Art and History at Stanford, explores the intersection of art, politics, and marginalization. Aatika shares how her journey from studying law to engaging with art and activism shaped her understanding of public spaces and the struggles of Dalit students. Her experiences in Kolkata and Delhi revealed the role of placemaking in challenging discrimination and reclaiming accessible spaces for marginalized communities. Through this conversation, we examine how Dalit artisans navigate their identities and histories through artistic expression, using their craft as a means of storytelling and resistance.
Espousing the philosophy of how contemporary economic theories look at socio-economic problems in a variety of ways, the Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES) through its research and activities aims to focus more on exploring the diversity of the scholarship on economics. At CNES, students and young researchers are not only exposed to the basic foundations of economic reasoning and thought but are exposed to the inter-disciplinary application of the discipline of economics in fields of political science, psychology, history and legal studies.
UK