What's your ism?

From Mandela to Mamdani, and from Trump to Malema, this is a global story of resistance, betrayal, and unfinished revolutions.In Episode 47 of What’s Your Ism?, journalist Nic Dawes speaks with Sudipto Mondal about the promises of liberation, the politics of redistribution, and whether the Left can still imagine a future beyond fear.Become a subscriber - Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click hereProducer: Bhuvan Malik, Editor: Jaseem Ali, Production Assistance: Prajwal Bhatt, Shone Satheesh, Aarav Gupta

Who are the real hands behind India’s clean cities? Sudipto reflects on the civic workers we rarely see, Dalit and migrant labourers who segregate waste, drive garbage trucks, and often live without rights or recognition. This episode follows the money, the power, and the politics behind urban sanitation. Anchored in his conversation with Du Saraswathi, and framed by Shailaja Paik’s work on caste and morality.Become a subscriber - Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click hereProduced by Bhuvan Malik and Edited by Jaseem Ali

 What happens when movements don’t speak to each other? In Episode 45 of What’s Your Ism?, Sudipto Mondal is joined by Du Saraswathi — who has spent decades bridging Ambedkarism, Marxism, and feminism. A conversation about caste, cleaning, theatre, and what it takes to be seen in a world that looks away.Become a subscriber - Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click here

In this Reflections episode, we return to Dandakaranya — a region where governments change, but the war stays the same. From banned militias reborn in uniform, to Maoist martyrdom that costs young Adivasi lives, this episode unpacks the contradictions inside the State, the rebels, and civil society. Featuring the voices of Prof. G Haragopal and Degree Prasad Chauhan, with reflections on who speaks for peace — and who keeps dying in its name.Like Sudipto’s Ism show? Support him: https://rzp.io/rzp/tnm-wyi Or become a subscriber: https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription 

In this episode of What’s Your Ism?, human rights activist Degree Prasad Chauhan discusses how Adivasi identities have been appropriated by Maoist movements. He delves into the symbolic use of figures like Hidma, highlighting the lack of genuine representation and decision-making power for Adivasis within these movements. Chauhan also critiques civil society's role in sidelining Adivasi voices, emphasizing the need for authentic leadership and inclusion in dialogues about their own futures.Become a subscriber - Click here.Contribute to our reporting fund. Click here. To check out our other shows, Click here To not miss any updates, join TNM's WhatsApp Channel! Click here

“They say the Maoists are gone. But who will stop the mining?”In Episode 42 of What’s Your Ism?, Prof G. Haragopal—veteran human rights defender and peace negotiator—speaks to Sudipto Mondal about structural violence, broken promises, and why civil society must still try—even when peace seems impossible.Like Sudipto’s Ism show? Support him: https://rzp.io/rzp/tnm-wyi Or become a subscriber: https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription 

What’s Your Ism? Reflections – Episode 3 In this third episode, Sudipto Mondal reflects on his conversation with Dr. Raees Muhammad — formerly Ravichandran Bathran, scholar, activist, and founder of Dalit Camera. The discussion moves beyond religion and resistance, into a quieter but more powerful space — the toilet. From Raees’s reflections on ritual purity and his conversion to Islam, to Slavoj Žižek’s classification of toilets as ideological structures, and Milan Kundera’s theological riddle about God and shit, Sudipto asks: how does a civilisation that denies its own shit justify its obsession with purity? This is not about provocation — it’s about confronting what caste tries hardest to hide.Like Sudipto’s Ism show? Support him: https://rzp.io/rzp/tnm-wyi Or become a subscriber: https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription 

In this episode of What’s Your Ism?, Sudipto Mondal sits down with Dr. Raees Muhammad—formerly Ravichandran Bathran—the founder of Dalit Camera. A pioneer in grassroots video journalism, Raees speaks candidly about his departure from Hinduism, his conversion to Islam, and how casteism pushed him to reshape his identity and politics.From his early days as a student activist in EFLU to founding Dalit Camera as a counter-media platform, Raees reflects on the violence, erasure, and faith that shaped his journey. This is a story of dissent, survival, and resistance from the margins.

In this episode of What’s Your Ism? Reflections, Sudipto Mondal re-opens his conversation with Anand Neelakantan by focusing on a striking excerpt from Asura—where Ravana, in victory, still yearns for caste validation. This leads to a deeper reflection on who the Shudras really are and what status they occupied in Indo-Aryan society. A philosophical and political unpacking of what Ambedkar understood that Ravana could not.