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Nous Podcast

A collection of 95 posts

Whose Freedom Struggle Was It?

Whose Freedom Struggle Was It?

Drawing on an in-depth conversation between historian Prof. Shamsul Islam and Bushra Khanum, this essay revisits the history of Partition, Muslim opposition to it, and the forgotten voices of India’s freedom struggle to ask who truly owns the republic’s history.

After the Barricades

After the Barricades

An inside look at India's student uprising: how genuine public fury forced a political reckoning, and why behind-the-scenes compromises couldn't extinguish the real movement.

It Was Never About the Cow

It Was Never About the Cow

Drawing on an in-depth conversation between award-winning journalist Kunal Purohit and Bushra Khanum, this essay examines how festivals, media narratives, and political messaging intersect to reshape public discourse, communal relations, and democratic life in contemporary India.

The Silent Disenfranchisement: Citizenship, Democracy, and Constitutional Rights in Contemporary India

The Silent Disenfranchisement: Citizenship, Democracy, and Constitutional Rights in Contemporary India

Drawing on a wide-ranging conversation between senior journalist Raju Parulekar and Bushra Khanum, this essay examines citizenship, electoral trust, constitutional democracy, institutional accountability, and the evolving challenges confronting India's democratic republic.

The Architecture of Authority: Law, Politics, and the Pursuit of Justice in Constitutional Democracies

The Architecture of Authority: Law, Politics, and the Pursuit of Justice in Constitutional Democracies

Drawing on an insightful conversation with legal scholar Dr. Nizamuddin Ahmad Siddiqui, this essay explores how law, politics, and authority intersect in constitutional democracies, examining judicial interpretation, constitutional morality, public opinion, and the evolving pursuit of justice.

The Hidden Architecture of Indian Political Movements: From Anna Hazare to the Age of Digital Illusions

The Hidden Architecture of Indian Political Movements: From Anna Hazare to the Age of Digital Illusions

In this insightful conversation, senior journalist Raju Parulekar joins Bushra Khanum to examine the hidden dynamics of Indian political movements, democratic institutions, media narratives, and the evolving relationship between grassroots politics and the digital public sphere.

Democracy Beyond Elections: Why Muslims Must Reclaim Political Agency

Democracy Beyond Elections: Why Muslims Must Reclaim Political Agency

From Vote Banks to Stakeholders: Rethinking Muslim Politics Through Local Power, Civic Bargaining, and Democratic Participation

After the Saffron Surge: What the BJP's Bengal Victory Means for Muslims and the Future of Secular Politics

After the Saffron Surge: What the BJP's Bengal Victory Means for Muslims and the Future of Secular Politics

The BJP's rise in West Bengal marks a profound shift in identity, representation, and the state's secular political imagination.

The Architect of Future Laws: Adv. Talha Abdul Rahman on Legal Education, Citizenship, and the Crisis of Justice in India

The Architect of Future Laws: Adv. Talha Abdul Rahman on Legal Education, Citizenship, and the Crisis of Justice in India

From Faizabad to Oxford and the Supreme Court of India, Adv. Talha Abdul Rahman reflects on what it means to practice law, defend constitutional values, and reimagine justice in an unequal society.

The Crisis of the Nation-State: Capitalism, Empire, and the Future of Democracy

The Crisis of the Nation-State: Capitalism, Empire, and the Future of Democracy

Drawing from an in-depth conversation on nous featuring author and global thinker Rana Dasgupta, this article examines the historical construction of the nation-state, its deep entanglement with capitalism and empire, and the growing crisis confronting modern political order in the 21st century.

The Bengal Resistance: SIR, Targeted Voter Deletions, and the Battle for Citizenship

The Bengal Resistance: SIR, Targeted Voter Deletions, and the Battle for Citizenship

As millions faced scrutiny, deletions, and bureaucratic uncertainty under the SIR process, Bengal’s record voter turnout became more than an election statistic—it became a referendum on citizenship, dignity, and democratic belonging.

Reconstructing Faith in the Age of Modernity: The Evolution of Ilm al-Kalam in the Indian Subcontinent

Reconstructing Faith in the Age of Modernity: The Evolution of Ilm al-Kalam in the Indian Subcontinent

Drawing on a conversation with Dr. Waris Mazahri, this article traces the evolution of Modern Ilm al-Kalam in South Asia, examining how thinkers from Shah Waliullah to Muhammad Iqbal engaged the challenges of modernity, science, and secular thought.

The Invisible Purge: How Targeted Voter Deletions Threaten the Foundations of Indian Democracy

The Invisible Purge: How Targeted Voter Deletions Threaten the Foundations of Indian Democracy

As millions face deletion from electoral rolls, questions around citizenship, constitutional rights, and democratic integrity are becoming impossible to ignore. This article examines the politics, implications, and institutional crisis surrounding India’s voter revision process.

The Islamabad Accord: Can Diplomacy Prevent a Wider Collapse in West Asia?

The Islamabad Accord: Can Diplomacy Prevent a Wider Collapse in West Asia?

Based on a detailed podcast discussion hosted by senior journalist Bushra Khanum featuring geopolitical commentator Bobby Naqvi, this article examines the emerging US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad, the shifting balance of power in West Asia, and the fragile architecture of a changing global order.

Did Iran Outplay the US? 40 Days War Explained | Ceasefire, Oil & Power Shift

Did Iran Outplay the US? 40 Days War Explained | Ceasefire, Oil & Power Shift

As the Iran–US–Israel conflict reshapes global politics, new questions are emerging about power, resistance, and the decline of American unipolarity. This conversation explores how war, diplomacy, and economic realignments may be accelerating the birth of a multipolar world order.

Is Himanta Biswa Sarma Losing? What’s Really Happening in Assam Elections

Is Himanta Biswa Sarma Losing? What’s Really Happening in Assam Elections

As Assam heads into a decisive election, the battle extends beyond party politics. This article examines anti-incumbency, polarization, institutional trust, citizenship debates, and the deeper struggle over democracy, governance, and political representation in the state.

Defending the Margins: Conservation, Land Rights, and the Democratic Question in Assam

Defending the Margins: Conservation, Land Rights, and the Democratic Question in Assam

As Assam heads toward a crucial political moment, debates around conservation, land rights, evictions, and democracy are intensifying. This discussion examines how grassroots resistance in Bokakhat reflects wider struggles over ecology, identity, corporate power, and constitutional justice.

How the US–Israel War on Iran Could Disrupt the Global Economy | Atul Aneja

How the US–Israel War on Iran Could Disrupt the Global Economy | Atul Aneja

As Israel–Iran tensions escalate, the crisis is no longer regional but systemic. This article examines how conflict in West Asia is disrupting energy flows, supply chains, and global markets—revealing the fragile links between geopolitics and the world economy.

The shared intellectual history of Shia and Sunni movements: The case of Iran | Syed Akif Zaidi

The shared intellectual history of Shia and Sunni movements: The case of Iran | Syed Akif Zaidi

As global order grows volatile, deeper ideological fault lines surface. This article traces the intellectual lineage—from Syed Jamaluddin Afghani to Allama Iqbal—that frames resistance beyond geopolitics, as a contest over power, morality, and modernity.

Empire, War & Resistance | Vijay Prashad Explains Iran-US-Israel Crisis

Empire, War & Resistance | Vijay Prashad Explains Iran-US-Israel Crisis

Historian Vijay Prashad unpacks the Iran–Israel–US conflict beyond headlines, tracing its roots in imperial power, shifting geopolitics, and narrative warfare. The discussion explores global order, sovereignty, and asks whether such crises are exceptions—or intrinsic to modern power.

Iran is Reshaping the New World Order I Amaresh Misra

Iran is Reshaping the New World Order I Amaresh Misra

The 2026 Israel–US war on Iran marks a turning point in global geopolitics, as conflict extends beyond battlefields into energy, technology, and economic systems. This analysis examines how it is reshaping power, alliances, and a rapidly evolving world order.

Iran, Energy, and Escalation: A War Without Limits I Zaki Zaidi

Iran, Energy, and Escalation: A War Without Limits I Zaki Zaidi

This conversation examines how the Iran conflict is shifting beyond conventional war into a broader contest over energy and infrastructure. As strategic targets expand, it explores the implications for regional stability, global markets, and the evolving nature of modern warfare.

This Is Not Strategic Silence, This Is Surrender’ — Yashwant Sinha on India’s Foreign Policy

This Is Not Strategic Silence, This Is Surrender’ — Yashwant Sinha on India’s Foreign Policy

In this conversation, Yashwant Sinha joins Bushra Khanum to assess India’s foreign policy amid West Asia tensions—examining strategic silence, energy risks around the Strait of Hormuz, and whether India can act as a stabilising force in an increasingly volatile global order.

Uttam Nagar: When Tragedy Becomes a Political Weapon Against Muslims | Prof. Apoorvanand

Uttam Nagar: When Tragedy Becomes a Political Weapon Against Muslims | Prof. Apoorvanand

This podcast interrogates the Uttam Nagar violence as a test of law, governance, and social cohesion. Drawing on Professor Apoorvanand, it examines how state response, public attitudes, and institutional accountability shape communal relations and the credibility of constitutional order in India.

Is a New Global Order Emerging From This War? | Ghazala Wahab

Is a New Global Order Emerging From This War? | Ghazala Wahab

Bushra Khanum speaks with Ghazala Wahab on the geopolitical impact of the US–Israeli war on Iran, examining shifting global power dynamics, the role of regional actors like Hezbollah and Hamas, and how the conflict may reshape American influence in the Middle East and India’s strategic position.