As was characteristic of 2020, even its recap is three months late. Chandu, Pramod, and Bela talk about their feelings about last year, and recap some major and some not so major events that happened

Material Analysis the Podcast

Episode 30 - Retrospective

In this episode, Chandu and Dhileep discuss the medical emergency of the second wave of the covid pandemic hitting India, and the political-economic causes of the same

Note: When this episode was recorded, events have evolved a bit since then in US policy, for one the US has now indicated it will support waivers on IP protection.

Episode 31 - The Second Wave

In this episode, Chandu and Bela discuss the proposed population control bill from the Indian state of UP, what it is like as a policy, the history of population control, and its politics.

Episode 32 - Malthus

In this episode, Chandu, Bela, and Pramod historicise the concept of sedition and laws made on it, the fundamentally antisocialist nature of these laws, the history of various colonial laws on sedition, and post independence history of these Black Laws. The primary focus among them is the history, nature, and analysis of the UAPA.

The music in this is from Ennio Morricone and Joan Baez's The ballad of Sacco and Vanzetti, a song about two Italian Anarchists who faced mistrial and were executed in the USA facing a prejudiced legal system.

We also would like to inform our audience that due to the new RBI mandates on regular payments on portals, Material Analysis has lost the majority of its patrons. Existing patrons are requested to renew manually their subscription in their patreon account as its likely their automated payments have been rejected. For others, if you like our work and would like more such material, please consider supporting us in our patreon. Thanks!

Episode 33 - Sedition

In this episode, Chandu, Jasmine, and Pramod, analysts extraordinaire, trash on the concept of political and media centrism in India.

Episode 1 - Balance

In this episode, Pramod and Chandu attack and turn on its head the prevalent ideology which calls workers parasites and explain why welfare is good.

Episode 2 - Parasites

In this episode, Pramod and Chandu, along with guest panelist Suchitra Vijayan of the Polis Project, critique the idea and substance of exit polls in Indian elections.

Episode 3 - Exit Polls

In this episode, Chandu and Jasmine, along with new regular panelist Dhileep, discuss the aftermath of the election results and why it makes sense to resist reactionaries at their apparent triumph.

Music: https://icons8.com/music/author/anchors-and-seagulls

Episode 4 - Why Bother?

In this episode, Chandu and Pramod, along with new regular panelist Bela, discuss the Bengal Doctors' Strike, and clarify misconceptions in the progressive sphere about it, also discussing the politics of strikes in general, differences between strikes and protests, and details from the ground in West Bengal.

Episode 5 - Which Side Are You On?

In this episode, Chandu and Bela, along with new regular panelist Pinky, discuss and analyse the phenomenon of poor bashing prevalent in Indian media, societal, and political discourse

Episode 6 - Biriyani and Liquor

In this episode (part 1 of 2), Bela, Chandu, Pinky, and Pramod take up the important yet contentious issue of how does the Indian progressive analyse and deal with India's dominant religious society.

Episode 7 - Gentoo Society Part 1

In this episode (part 2 of 2), Bela, Chandu, Pinky, and Pramod continue the analysis from the last episode of India's dominant religious society, and focus on the seemingly unsolvable issues of disharmony and rapprochement

Episode 8 - Gentoo Society Part 2

In this episode Chandu, Bela, Jasmine, Dhileep, and Pinky explore the landscape of the politics of representation in India, its optics, limitations, and structural consequences.

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Episode 9 - #Represent

In this episode, first, Pramod and Chandu give a short primer on the history of the Assam colonial state and the roots of the language conflict. Then (from 24 min onward), they along with Jasmine interview Gautam Bhatia, Indian constitutional lawyer about the NRC, and discuss the role of the Indian judiciary.

Music: Haradhon Rongmon, a song which was composed by Hemango Biswas and Bhupen Hazarika to appeal for peace in the 60s in a violence torn Assam

Episode 10 - National Register of Citizens (NRC)

In this episode, first Chandu, Bela, Pinky, and Dhileep quickly discuss the implications of the "abrogation" of Article 370. 

The main part of the episode which follows (with Pramod replacing Dhileep)is about nationalism, its critique, how it manifests and is used in Indian society. The episode discusses the criminalisation of dissent and the steady shift of the Overton Window in Indian society with the evolution of Indian nationalism. It also addresses the memetic and cultural aspects of nationalism, and the role of new media and social media.

This episode will be followed by a second part which will have an interview with a constitutional lawyer on the issue of Article 370.

Episode 11 - Kalparashtra

In this episode, Chandu interviews Prasanna S, a Delhi based lawyer who has been following the ongoing issue of the "abrogation" of Article 370. They discuss the legal history of the article in all its complexity, and end with how the developments effect the very basis of Indian constitutional rule.

Episode 12 - Kalparashtra Part 2

In this episode, Pinky, Chandu, Pramod, and Bela deviate from their usual analysis and talk about books they hate, books that made them think, and books they love. They of course cannot resist critically analysing these books.

Music from Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, an orchestral work inspired by the Arabian Nights. Artwork is a painting called The Bookworm

Episode 13 - Books so Lit!

In this episode, Chandu and Pramod discuss the recent fracas about Newton and Einstein, and the state of science and pseudo science in India in general

Music: Nasadiya Sukta from Bharat Ek Khoj

Episode 14 - Vedic Science

In this episode Dhileep, Pramod, Bela, and Chandu go into the details of the science, politics, and activism of climate change.

Episode 15 - Climate Change

In this episode, Chandu, Pinky, Bela, and Pramod dissect four oft used (incorrectly) phrases in progressive circles.

Episode 16 - Words Mean Things

In this episode, Bela, Pramod, and Chandu discuss the Supreme Court's historic judgement on the Ayodhya title dispute case, and its grave social and political implications.

Music: Kumar Gandharva singing Kabir's Sunta Hai Guru Gyani

Episode 17 - Black Priesthood

In this episode, Dhileep, Chandu, Pramod, and Bela discuss and analyse mental health and its relationship with society.

Episode 18 - Mental Health

In this final track for 2019, and a welcome for 2020, Chandu, Pramod, Bela, and Dhileep talk about their feelings about the podcast since it started on May 1, and make concluding statements for the year

Episode 20 - Happy New Year

In this episode, Pramod is interrogated by Chandu, Shiuli, and Dhileep as he is on ground zero during the ongoing anti Muslim pogrom in Delhi

Music: "tora juddho kore korbi ki ta bol?" from Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne

Episode 22 - Danga

In this episode, Pramod, Bela, Chandu, Shiuli, and Dhileep talk about the asinine and baffling month long mismanagement of the pandemic, and the political conundrum therein

Happy May Day

Episode 24 - Blackpill

Bonus episode for May Day

In this episode, Bela, Chandu, and Pinky talk about the cultural and artistic depiction of pandemics and plagues in various ages and societies

Music: Danse Macabre
Painting: 'Self-Portrait After The Spanish Flu' by Edvard Munch

Episode 25 - Don't Fear the Reaper

In this episode, Pramod, Bela, and Chandu discuss the cyclone Amphan and the response to it

Amphan relief contacts and details: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BmyPazZDnhSXLQ-UzCnLlDPuRUwDmaAE9wetAApV8sY

Material Anaysis the Podcast

Episode 26 - Amphan

In this episode, Dhileep and Chandu discuss police brutality, abolition and justice, in context of police violence from Tamil Nadu to the United States

Episode 27 - Police Brutality

After taking a month long break the pod is back. In this episode, Pinky, Bela, Pramod, and Chandu deviate from their usual political analysis and talk about something they rather like, food! They discuss some history, some culture, some politics of food, food in new/social media, the history and the battles of authenticity on it. Biriyani is discussed in some detail.

Music: Bhojohori Manna by Manna Dey, Pratham Kadam Phool

Episode 28 - Food

In this episode, Bela, Pinky, Dhileep, and Chandu discuss the political production and reproduction of hatred and how to think about it systematically.

Episode 29 - Hatred

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