In October, the government of Pakistan announced that it would expel all undocumented foreigners, including 1.7 million Afghans—one of the country’s largest immigrant communities. This includes those who were born in, brought up, married, had children, and then they raised their families, all within in Pakistan. Many of them had fled from the Taliban and are terrified of heading back to the Taliban government. In the past month, we've seen heartbreaking scenes where Afghan students bid farewell to their Pakistani classmates with heartfelt hugs, and at the border, long lines of trucks were lade ..read more

We sit with Indian-American musician, music producer, and songwriter Sid Sriram, who is currently one of the most popular playback singers in India and has recently released his English-language studio album, 'Sidharth'. Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://brownhistory.substack.com/ Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768 ..read more

In India, Christians account for about 2% to 3% of the population. However, in the state of Kerala, Christians make up a remarkable 18% to 19% of the total population. And among them, Syrian Christians play a significant role, representing almost half of Kerala's Christian population. Although the Syrian Christians of Kerala are a minority, they are also a caste-, race-, and class-privileged minority that have historically benefited from their privileged position within society. And if the Syrian Christians are the dominant community, then it is also necessary to look at the subordinated commu ..read more

The Rohingya are widely recognized as one of the most persecuted and vulnerable communities in the world. They are a people that much of the world keeps forgetting. For centuries, they called Burma/Myanmar their home, but being victims of persecution as a result of ethnic cleansing and genocide, they were forced to flee to neighbouring countries. and now, over a million Rohingyas endure life in cramped refugee camps in Bangladesh. Excluded as illegal migrants by both Myanmar and Bangladesh, they face unimaginable hardships, including unemployment, mental and sexual abuse, and the denial of bas ..read more

Asha Puthli is a living legend. A musical pioneer, fashion icon, Studio 54 star, feminist, actor, environmentalist, and friends with everyone from Andy Warhol to Mikhail Gorbachev. She is cited by the New York Times as having been an inspiration to Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder. As an actor she's worked with greats that include Merchant Ivory, Louise Malle, and the Italian Director Bruno Corbucci. And she continues to stay as relevant as ever. A remix of her immensely influential 1975 track Space Talk was recently released on the music label @naya.beat and she is about to record her 11th st ..read more

When we think of Goa, we usually think of beach parties, vacation, or that movie Dil Chahta Hai, but Goa was once the headquarters of the Portuguese empire in the East for 450 years. They were the first colonial powers in the subcontinent and the last ones to leave. The Portuguese brought a different face of Christianity and they used it to impose their rule over Goa. They planned for Goa to be the "Rome" of the East, and that involved violence, torture, and erasure. We sit with Ângela Barreto Xavier, author of 'Religion and Empire in Portuguese India' and discuss the transformation of Goa dur ..read more

In 2006, just after Hurrincan Katrina, hundreds of Indian workers were lured to the United States with false promises of a green card and forced to work under grueling working conditions at a shipyard in Mississippi. It would become one of the largest human trafficking schemes in U.S. history. When one of those workers called labor organizer Saket Soni for help, it set off an epic chain of events that led him to engineering their escape from the work camp and set them off on a path to citizenship. We sit with Saket Soni, author of 'The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigr ..read more

We sit with award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee, known for his roles in films like Satya, Gangs of Wasseypur, Aligarh, and the most recent, Gulmohar, as well as leading the running hit series, The Family Man. Support, shop and subscribe to our newsletter   ..read more

We sit with 6 time Emmy-nominated film and television composer, Siddhartha Khosla, lead singer of critically acclaimed band, Goldspot, and the man behind musical scores of hit shows like This Is Us and Only Murders in the Building, and his most recent film, Gulmohar.  Support, shop and subscribe to our newsletter ..read more

In 1948, when Israel declared itself as an independent state, it quickly sought for international recognition from other countries, including from a newly independent India. Nehru, who was Prime Minister then, was hesitant. Even Albert Einstein personally wrote to Nehru, requesting India’s support but Nehru declined. Instead, India allied itself with the Palestinians, and when 33 nations at the United Nation voted in favour of an Israel, India was one of the 13 countries that voted against. However, today, India has become Israel's biggest and most dependable purchaser of weapons. What happene ..read more