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A Gandhi Jayanti Special: Do Hunger Strikes Still Work? Aameen Amitoj on Student Resistance

On Gandhi Jayanti, host Nandini (Pause with Nandini / NRI Affairs), speaks with Aameen Amitoj of the All India Students Association about whether Gandhian methods like satyagraha, civil disobedience, and fasting still work under today’s near-absolute state power.

The episode, partnered with Hindus for Human Rights Australia, is framed by the July Jantar Mantar student hunger strike protesting a leaked medical entrance exam, where protesters carried the Constitution and images of Gandhi, Ambedkar, Savitribai Phule, and Bhagat Singh; India’s education minister resigned on 25 July.

Aameen recounts his motivations, family reaction, the physical reality of fasting, and how the strike shifted from trying to move government to moving people, amplified by social media.

He discusses holding Gandhi and Ambedkar together by humanising historical figures, reflects on organising after the protest amid repression, and says Gandhi’s key legacy is stopping communal violence through moral force despite flaws.

00:00 Hunger, Gandhian Legacy, and Student Activism

02:50 The Guest: Aameen Amitoj

07:55 Strategy: Moving People

11:12 Social Media & The Movement

13:43 Reclaiming History

17:43 Aftermath: From Moment to Movement

23:22 What Gandhi Means Today

Thank you for listening! Watch all episodes of Pause with Nandini on https://youtube.com/c/NRIAffairs

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Pause with Nandini | Journalist Chinki Sinha on Bihar Politics, Prashant Kishor's Rise & Women in Power

Journalist Chinki Sinha joins Nandini for a candid, on-the-ground conversation about Bihar's shifting political landscape — from Prashant Kishor's stunning Bankipur by-election win to the generational awakening led by Gen Z, and what it all means for women in Indian politics.

In this episode:

• What Prashant Kishor's Bankipur win really signals — and what it doesn't
• The role of caste, class, and upper-caste anger in Bihar's evolving politics
• Gen Z protests, a new culture of accountability, and speaking truth to power
• Women as vote banks vs. women as leaders — the gap that still exists
• Three things Prashant Kishor must do to turn one win into lasting change

Chapters:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:44 Prashant Kishor's Bankipur Win
• 9:15 Gen Z Protests & Political Awakening
• 17:03 Women in Bihar Politics
• 25:11 Closing Reflections — What's the Plan?

Pause with Nandini is a podcast at the intersection of politics, society, and the stories that matter.

Thank you for listening! Watch all episodes of Pause with Nandini on https://youtube.com/c/NRIAffairs

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Dance Like a Goddess: Mahesh Dattani & Saba Zaidi Abdi on Theatre, Politics, and Diaspora in Australia

This episode features playwright-director Mahesh Dattani and Sydney-based creative powerhouse Saba Zaidi Abdi discussing Dattani’s new play Dance Like a Goddess, premiering in Sydney this August.

They reflect on their creative journeys: Dattani’s path to theatre through movement and “rasa,” and Abdi’s decades of work across theatre, television, and film, including collaborations with Satyajit Ray and Shyam Benegal, before turning to why theatre’s live, “perishable” nature matters.

The conversation explores how art is inherently political, addressing majoritarianism, the appropriation of religion for political gain, caste, and the suppression of dissenting voices, themes central to Dance Like a Goddess and why it is being staged in Australia.

They also discuss diaspora audiences, the pull of Bollywood entertainment, and the need for thought-provoking theatre and training through workshops on acting, craft, and scriptwriting.

Workshop and event details are shared, including an actors workshop, a Macquarie University master class/Q&A on 17 July, and performances on 1–2 August at The Playhouse at NIDA.

00:00 GMT20260710-044017_Recording_avo_640x360
00:27 Guest introductions
16:41 Finding your artistic voice
20:56 Art & politics
29:12 Dance Like a Goddess: the play
32:35 Theater, religion & culture
36:23 Workshops & training
46:53 Show dates & cast shoutouts

Thank you for listening! Watch all episodes of Pause with Nandini on https://youtube.com/c/NRIAffairs