Described in the oldest texts of the Rigveda, Saraswati surpassed in majesty and might all other rivers. Pure in her course from the mountains to the ocean, she descended with a roar down the slope, her fierce current gurgling through its canyon course, containing ~powerful floods inside her. She was the “perfect mother, unsurpassed river, supreme goddess” (Sindhumata). She finds repeated mentions in Brahamanas and the Mahabharata, in the Puranas and the Smritis. Saraswati intrigued philosophers and poets for generations. Over thousands of years, as no such river flowed in the physical form ..read more

SPEAKER: Professor Pechilis is a Historian of Religions and serves as Chair of the College of Liberal Arts History department, where she teaches courses in global history, the history of Asian religions in the U.S., historical research methods and gender and history. Recent work includes reflections on the body in Indian traditions, theorizing the relationship between bhakti and Tantra, and ethnographic study of women and their perceptions and experience of work. She is the Author of the influential book, 'The Embodiment of Bhakti'. #indianhistory  #bhakti #bhaktimovement #historyofindia ..read more

SPEAKER: Disha Ahluwalia is an archeologist currently pursuing a PhD at MSU Baroda. She has worked as a field archaeologist for a decade including at sites like Binjor, Sinauli and Rakhigarhi. EXPLORE MORE: Find out about upcoming sessions and learn how you can join them live and become a part of the conversation - https://www.argumentativeindians.com Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com DISCLAIMER: We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subs ..read more

SPEAKERS: Amb. Kishan S Rana Ambassador Kishan S. Rana is Professor Emeritus, and a Senior Fellow at DiploFoundation. He was Ambassador and High Commissioner for Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Kenya, Mauritius, and Germany; and consul general in San Francisco. He served on staff of PM Indira Gandhi (1981-82). Author of the forthcoming book - Churchill, and India: Manipulation Or Betrayal? Dr. Sanjoy Bhattacharya 'Sanjoy Bhattacharya is a historian of South Asia in 19th and 20th centuries, and also works on national, international and global health policy analysis. He is current Head of the School ..read more

A #policy  of No First Use (NFU) of nuclear weapons has long characterised India’s #security  doctrine. Official declarations of that policy can be dated back to at least 1994, when the Government of India delivered a non-paper to #pakistan  that included, among other things, an agreement on no first use of the nuclear capability. The country’s formal #nuclear  doctrine from January 2003 includes a no first use pledge, albeit with caveats. The #Indian #diplomats  have often advanced the country’s commitment not to use #nuclearweapons  first as a proof of the count ..read more

Gender is essential in understanding #ancientindia  and its utopic claims. While some believe that women had more power and voice in the #ancientera, many also argue that strict caste divisions and patriarchal political structures confined women and led to abuse. To understand the trajectory of gender norms in our nation, and to explore if we've regressed or progressed in terms of gender-based emancipation, it's important to understand what role women played in ancient India, and if they had more autonomy in that era than they do today. Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com DISC ..read more

SYNOPSIS: The Mahābhārata, originally known as the Jaya Samhita and later as the Bharata Samhita, has been engulfed in a plethora of debates with respect to its nature, age, authorship, and, historicity. The text can be classified as a Smriti, an Itihasa as well as Kavya, consisting of 18 Parvas and over 100,000 verses at present. The puissant stories centered around the internecine battle of Kurukshetra have enraptured the masses over the centuries and have instigated a course of active interpretation and deliberation, especially about the historical occurrence of these events. The text talk ..read more

SPEAKER: Prof. Stephen Dale is an Emeritus Professor of South Asian and Islamic History at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio USA. He has written books on Kerala (Islamic Society on the South Asian Frontier, The Mappilas of Malabar, 1498-1922 , Babur (The Garden of the Eight Paradises, Babur and the Culture of Empire in Centra Asia, Afghanistan and India, 1483-1530, ,The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals, The Orange Trees of Marrakesh, Ibn Khaldun and the Science of Man Babur, Timurid Prince and Mughal Emperor.  He first came to India on a Fulbright Teaching g ..read more

SYNOPSIS: Much attention has been paid to the ongoing tug-of-war between India and #China. The friction in the ties between the two competing Asian giants became more evident with the #Dokhlam stand-off, advent of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the military confrontation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since last year. The persistent Chinese incursions in India’s north – east is also a point of concern. While India is able to resist China’s advances to a degree, it struggles to keep China entirely at bay. India’s international ambitions make it a natural competitor to China in the ..read more

There is a widely-held view that places of learning should remain ‘free of politics’ and hence academics should stay politically neutral. Usually neutrality implies academic silence in political debates, which can sometimes have immense social, economic, environmental and public health consequences. The advocates of this neutrality argue that it’s the best course to ensure no section of students is alienated and their education is not compromised.    But can places of learning remain ‘free of politics’ when what they teach is itself determined by political instead of academic conside ..read more