The Pivot by Globely News

Narendra Modi's Dark Vision of a New India

As India's election results are set to be announced, host Arif Rafiq speaks with Rana Ayyub, an investigative journalist, and Audrey Truschke, a professor of South Asian history, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a "New India" and the danger it poses to Muslims and other minorities, free speech, and academic inquiry in India.
This episode takes a deep dive into the question of who runs India today.

Ayyub provides insights into the ideas, people, and networks that propelled Modi to power—including his right-hand man Amit Shah and the shadowy extremist group, the RSS. Truschke addresses the RSS's war against history—both in producing an imaginary view of the past featuring "Muslim" villains and "Hindu" victims as well in suppressing scholarship on India's history.

 
Ayyub and Truschke also assess how five years of BJP rule has impacted India and what another five years of it mean for India. And both guests detail the personal threats they've faced as a result of speaking out against India's growing intolerance. 

Read more

Can Imran Khan Build a New Pakistan?

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has pledged to build a "New Pakistan." In a time of austerity, he must somehow fuel economic growth and human development, with meager resources. Is he up to the task?
Host Arif Rafiq speaks with Mosharraf Zaidi, a columnist with Pakistan's daily The News, and Salman Masood, the Pakistan correspondent for The New York Times.
Read more

The Rise of White Nationalism and Transnational Islamophobia

In the wake of the New Zealand massacres, host Arif Rafiq speaks with The Intercept's Murtaza Hussain and Type Media Center's Eli Clifton on rising white nationalism and cooperation between transnational Islamophobic networks, including Hindu extremists and hardline supporters of Israel.
Read more