prempanicker.bsky.social

The Long Frame: Stories that outlast Time: Ft Ed Kashi & Julie Winokur YouTube video by From The Marginlands

Photojournalist Ed Kashi and documentary filmmaker Julie Winokur have crafted visual narratives on ageing, migration, poisoned neighborhoods, rising seas. Here, they discuss long-form storytelling: how time becomes a collaborator, and why bearing witness matters

youtu.be/DfaGnptzvdg?...

The theatre of forgetting In India’s theatre of patriotism, yesterday’s enemies are today’s business partners. And we are expected to forget our lines.

In India’s theatre of patriotism, yesterday’s enemies are today’s business partners. And we are all actors in a drama whose script we haven't seen. My post, on the shape-shifting nature of India’s “enemies”:

Questions to authority Two nights ago I attended the launch of [In]Complete Justice?, S Muralidhar’s book of essays about the state of India’s Supreme Court, which turns 75 this year. The hall at India Intern…

rahulbhatia.com/2025/08/29/q...

"Crossroads" - Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Doyle Bramhall II, Robert Rundolph (Live 2008) YouTube video by CrowVideoTV3

Skimming through a playlist and got stuck on this, now playing on loop (You really need a DAC to get the most out of this). Clapton, John Mayer, Doyle Bramhall II on guitar. Abe Laboriel Jr on drums. Robert Randolph on steel guitar, Sheryl Crow to round it off. Enjoy

youtu.be/DqeT7QCmhjY?...

Over the past few days, I’ve learned of three fine reporters/editors building their own publications because Indian newsrooms have turned conservative.

Times are hard now, but there are people quietly building for the future. Every newsletter done right is a potential institution. Defiance adds up.

Special | What Explains the Union Government’s U-Turn on Online Money Gaming? Industry officials were taken by surprise when the government pushed through a Bill banning online money gaming. But what had led to its boom in the first place, and what has it meant for ordinary Ind...

Excellent reporting by M Rajshekhar, who goes behind the headline-making ban on online gaming and comes up with a tale of politics, and lobbying, and vast amounts of money. Read:

The star who would be king How Vijay’s political gamble could redraw Tamil Nadu’s electoral map

The proximate cause for the chat was an analysis I did in the wake of film star Vijay's entry into TN politics. Why? Cos a source in TN said "I wish Delhi media would bother to understand our politics before doing their hot takes." So, here it is: prempanicker.substack.com/p/the-star-w...

A conversation with @rahulbhatia.bsky.social just now reminded me that I have this account, which I had forgotten all about. Time to get back, I think.

You cannot be serious? Outside of the infamous 36 seconds on the opening day of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to say a word about the situation in Manipur. This, despite more stories coming out every day a...

The latest news from the chamber of horrors we are turning our country into:

https://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2023/07/26/you-cannot-be-serious/

The “INDIA” gambit And so, over the last two days in Bangalore, the nascent opposition alliance firmed up its intent and roster and gave itself a name: INDIA. There is some confusion about the parentage of the acronym, ...

A piece I wrote on the political moves and countermoves that played out in Bangalore and Delhi over the past couple of days:

https://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2023/07/19/the-india-gambit/

The captaincy conundrum A day after Ajit Agarkar was picked to fill the vacancy caused by the exit of chief national selector Chetan Sharma (on which more in this post), the selectors under his leadership met to pick a team ...

The rejigged BCCI selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar, made interesting choices for the team to play five T20s against the Windies. My post, pointing at what for me is the most interesting of those choices: the captain.

https://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2023/07/06/the-captaincy-conundrum/

Hi Kris. Not sure I am from the "cricket corner" of the birdbrain site, since I do very little cricket, but yeah, nice to be here for when that other thing becomes totally unusable.

The Banana Republic of Cricket in India https://twitter.com/Yoda4ever/status/1675975191518904320 That little dog is me trying to catch up with my deadlines and to free up space to do the things I have been meaning to -- like regularly updat...

The piece published this morning was written on June 29, and needed an update. So here, a follow-up post:

https://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2023/07/04/the-banana-republic-of-cricket-in-india/

No questions, no answers: How the BCCI’s institutional omerta is normalized Questions are pointless unless they are met with answers. In the case of the BCCI, responses are scarce—and whatever answers do surface are sourced to anonymous “senior Board officials”.

The recent World Test Championship, the selection for the Windies tour, and the ODI WC schedule threw up dozens of questions. To no purpose, because no one will answer. My piece:

https://themorningcontext.com/chaos/no-questions-no-answers-how-the-bccis-institutional-omerta-is-normalized

Marginlands: Indian Landscapes on the Brink - Bangalore International Centre An Environmentalist’s Journey RSVP here

Kind attention Bangalore people: On Monday June 12, the wonderfully eloquent Arati Kumar-Rao is at BIC, doing a show and tell around her new book Marginlands. Details here:

https://bangaloreinternationalcentre.org/event/marginlands-indian-landscapes-on-the-brink/

Tangled webs ON the 4th of this month, the Home Minister appealed to the people of Manipur to maintain peace, and to civil society organizations to help restore normalcy. The appeal was made on Twitter. Amidst his...

And a follow-up post on my blog -- about the BJP's political scenario, the wrestlers' protest, and the exit of a media personality:

https://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2023/06/06/tangled-webs/

Am game any time, except that I am traveling between June 13-20, to Chennai on some work. Other than that, whatever you guys decide.

Problem is likely to be that there will be a signing after the event, plus between Arati and I, we will end up knowing a lot of people who attend, all of whom will want time. Might be difficult to disengage and do our own thing.

Agree, though, that it is time to do a BlueSky meetup. +

In the akhara of Indian politics, India’s wrestlers are the losers Five months since the wrestlers started their protest and 20 months of Prime Minister Narendra Modi knowing about the sexual abuse, we are nowhere close to a solution.

In this morning's edition of The Morning Context, I have a piece out on the ongoing wrestlers' protests, and the wider issues surrounding the central event. Link here, thoughts much appreciated):

https://themorningcontext.com/chaos/in-the-akhara-of-indian-politics-indias-wrestlers-are-the-losers

Hey, Nakul, thanks for the invite.

(Caught up in some stuff, but hope to be regularly on here by later this week)

A baby step into this new world. Fingers crossed it proves to be more friendly, and less toxic, than the blue bird.