What is the mood in the streets of India on August 14, 1947? If you expected cheering crowds and processions of jubilation on the eve of Independence, here’s the sobering truth: not everyone is celebrating. For some princely states, accession to the Indian Union is not a natural choice. Punjab, Sind and Bengal, cloven by Partition, witness scenes of horrific violence and the displacement of millions. The birth of our nation, as the facts reveal, is not without its share of labour pangs. 

In the season finale of The India Project with Josy Joseph, we observe the awakening of India as an unstoppable idea whose time has come. With memorable sound-bites from the leaders of a newly free nation, we end Season 1 on a note of nostalgic introspection.

Thank you for joining us on the journey so far. Stay tuned for Season 2 of The India Project. 

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Confluence Media for the letters in this episode:

Letter from CP Ramaswami Iyer replying to Indore’s invitation to be the Prime minister performed by Narayan Krishnaswamy
Letter from Mir Osman Ali, Nizam of Hyderabad, performed by Ranvijay Pratap Singh
Letter from Hamidullah Khan, Nawab of Bhopal, to Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, performed by Kafeel Jafri

Credits: 
Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi and Velu Shankar 

Audio excerpts:
YouTube | MyGov India: Sucheta Kripalani, Indian freedom fighter and later first woman chief minister of an Indian state, leads the singing of Saare Jahan Se Achcha 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLTLgWzpxOY&t=25s

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: First President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad's Constituent Assembly speech on Aug 14, 1947
https://youtu.be/owDZcbIuZ1A 

YouTube | Akashvani AIR: Bande Mataram :The Song that Became a Mantra
https://youtu.be/uPtXdJOWUsQ?t=131

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 - First House Adjournment by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in Constituent Assembly
https://youtu.be/65YKKEXOZYI

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: The Moment of Freedom at midnight on August 15, 1947
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjIpHDR2CFc

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 - Hansa Mehta's Constituent Assembly Speech on August 15, 1947
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFC6_5yqM-U

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 - Jawaharlal Nehru takes oath as Prime Minister of India
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF-2S6Q6Dxk

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 - Lord Mountbatten takes oath as Governor General of India
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o_3_5wE0NE

YouTube | Films Division: India Wins Freedom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vepQwxc0ekk

YouTube | PIB India: Mahatma Gandhi’s Discourse on Ahimsa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEixJd2CPY

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 - Dr. Rajendra Prasad's Constituent Assembly Speech | Hindi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z-nbysVUJk

YouTube | MyGov India: President Dr Rajendra Prasad administers the pledge to members of the Constituent Assembly, August 15, 1947
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juEhZGccukg

The India Project With Josy Joseph And Seetal - Birth Of The Nation (EP 7) 27th June 2023

It's a full house this week. We're talking about wrestlers from the 80s and 90s that deserve more credit.

4Corners Podcast #321 Underrated Wrestlers of the 80s and 90s

Mirza Ghalib, one of Urdu’s greatest poets, masterfully wove metaphysical reflections into his verse, questioning the nature of reality, existence, and perception. On the occasion of his 156th death anniversary, we revisit his poetry through a selection of verses from Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota: The World of Ghalib, a six-part series presented by Amit Basole, a poetry aficionado and faculty in economics at Azim Premji University.

Ghalib’s poetry often challenges our understanding of the visible and the hidden, suggesting that what appears before us may, in fact, conceal a deeper truth. One of his celebrated verses plays with paradoxes, exploring the idea that ultimate reality is hidden in plain sight. Through close readings, this episode unpacks such layered meanings, drawing connections to philosophical traditions and his poetic predecessors.

We also examine Ghalib’s playful yet profound manipulation of language, which reflects on existence and divinity with deceptive simplicity. Whether through paradox, wordplay, or existential musings, Ghalib’s poetry remains an endless source of interpretation and wonder—an invitation to look beyond the obvious and glimpse the hidden truths of the universe.

Amit Basole explains three Ghalib poems in this bonus episode. If you enjoyed these excerpts, you’ll find more to love as you explore the series on Radio Azim Premji University.

Credits

Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Gorveck Thokchom, Kishor Mandal, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar


Ghalib Explained: 3 Poems On Reality and Existence

Playit.pk

Koi Umeed Bar Nahin Aati. Usatd Rahat Fateh Ali Khan-Mirza Ghalib

Jagjit Singh - Aah Ko Chahiye ( Mirza Ghalib )

Koi Umeed Bar Nahin Aati Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Ghazal Mirza Ghalib Sufi Qawwali

Koi Umeed Bar Nahin Aati Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Ghazal Mirza Ghalib

Presenting the debut song (cover) of “Dil-e-Nadaan” by Mustafa Mansoor. 

In this enthralling ghazal by the famous Persian and Urdu poet, Mirza Ghalib, he poetically and metaphorically asks the eternal, fundamental questions of life. These couplets do not denote any inquisition, but astonishment instead, for the wonderful things existing in this world. This famous Ghazal is a fine example of Ghalib’s acumen of crafting poetic expressions of realities around.

Do like and subscribe me on:

Instagram: Mustafa_kha9
https://instagram.com/mustafa_kha9?igshid=1gor7sp67hwg4


Vocalist: Mustafa Mansoor
Lyrics: Mirza Ghalib
Composed By: Mustafa Mansoor
Music Production: Rechording Lab
Video Directed By: Usman Akber
Special Thanks To: Zain Rasheed & Ammad Pervez
Cast: 
Mustafa Mansoor
Rija Adnan
Zain-ul-Abideen

Lyrics & Translation:

Dil-e-naadaan tujhe huaa kya hai ?
innocent heart, what happened to you

Aakhir is dard kee dawa kya hai
What is the cure for this pain, after all?


Ham hain mushtaaq aur woh bezaar
I am anxious and eager, he is cold and displeased

Ya ilaahee ! Yeh maajra kya hai ?
Oh God, what is this mystery?

Jab ki tujh bin naheen koyi maujood
If there is no one except you in my world

Fir ye hangaama, 'ei khuda ! Kya hai 
Then why this ruckus, what is this world, O God?

Dil-e-Nadaan!

Main bhi muh me zabaan rakhataa hun
I too have a tongue in my mouth (I too have an opinion)

Kaash puchho ki mudda kyaa hai
If only I was I asked my intention (mudda' is a distorted form of the actual Urdu word 'mudua' which means ' intention', 'will' or 'objective')


Shikan-e-zulf-e-ambari kyon hai
Why do these fragrant curls exist? (referring to a woman's tresses)

Nigah-e-chashm-e-surma sa kya hai
What is the meaning of the glance of your eyes lined with kohl?

Dil-e-Nadaan tujhe hua kia hai ?


Jaan tum par nisaar karta hoon
I am willing to sacrifice my life for you

Main naheen jaanata duaa kya hai
I do not know what else is prayer?


Maine maanaa ki kuchh nahi "Ghalib"
I agree that 'Ghalib' is 'nothing',

Muft haath aaye, to buraa kyaa hai
But what harm does it do, if you get him for 'nothing'?

Dil-e-Nadaan tujhe hua kia hai ?

Hamko unse wafa ki hai ummeed
I hope for faith from one

Jo naheen jaante wafa kya hai
Who doesn't know what it means to be faithful

DIL-E-NADAAN - MUSTAFA MANSOOR | TRIBUTE TO MIRZA GHALIB |

You are listening to Radio Azim Premji University, our campus radio station. Azim Premji University was founded in 2010 with the vision to contribute to the realisation of a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. On our channel, you can tune in to a variety of engrossing shows on themes ranging from democracy and culture, science and mathematics, and more. You can also experience a slice of campus life. If you are a seeking student, an arts aficionado, curious about science, or just passionate about India, subscribe and start listening.

Credits:
Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar