South Central 48: Kerala hijab row, Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka fight over Google centre

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Anisha Sheth are joined by journalists Shahina KK and Indulekha Aravind, and TNM’s executive editor Sudipto Mondal. 

The panel discusses the hijab controversy in Kerala, which started when a student from an Ernakulam school was prevented from attending school in a hijab. Shahina says one shouldn’t connect the question of the essential practice of religion with the hijab.

“The question is how society looks at this piece of cloth. It is part of a Muslim girl’s life and practice. So it does not necessarily have much to do with religion, since many women who practice the religion do not wear it. But the issue has become a huge point of debate across the country,” she says. 

Noting that the school didn’t deal with the issue with empathy, she adds, “The most important aspect is a child’s education, and nobody can deny that right, no matter the things that may come in the way of it.”

Anisha adds that there is also the reality of the majority religion, and which religion the state is biased towards. “In Karnataka, it was contested before the court on why children wearing other religious symbols like a cross or sacred threads are allowed, while only Muslim girls are targeted,” Dhanya says.

The panel then discusses the newly announced Google Data Centre in Visakhapatnam, whether it is viable for the state, and the row between Karnataka and Andhra ministers over it. 

Indulekha says, “This spat goes back to last year when the TDP came into power. Karnataka has announced plans to reserve jobs for locals in the private sector. Nara Lokesh immediately said that people are most welcome to move to Andhra for work and investments. Since then, the two ministers have been taking digs at each other’s states. Karnataka is far ahead of Andhra in terms of investments, of course.”

Anisha says the barbs between Priyank Kharge and Nara Lokesh have been interesting. Dhanya adds that the concessions that Andhra Pradesh gave to companies for the data centre, especially in the IT sectors, are quite massive. “What Kharge is also saying is that AP cannot afford it,” she says.

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Audio Timecodes 

00:00:00 - Introduction 

00:01:04 - Diwali Offer

00:01:52 - RSF Press Freedom Nomination

00:05:05 - Headlines 

00:19:00 - Kerala hijab row  

00:58:10 - Karnataka-Andhra Spat

01:15:27- Recommendations

References

Rowing with the right-wing?: New Atheism in Kerala faces questions over Islam critique

Caught between Islamic laws and Islamophobia: Being an ex-Muslim in Kerala

The plan is Hindu Rashtra, my lords, the hijab is a smokescreen

TNM investigation: How Hindutva group mobilised saffron-clad students at Udupi college

WTF Is: Inside Nikhil Kamath’s networks, narratives and new ambitions

Recommendations 

Indulekha Aravind 

The Ballad of Wallis Island

Sudipto Mondal

The Ba***ds of Bollywood

Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives

Anisha Sheth

Persepolis

Dhanya Rajendran

BRAHMIN AND NON-BRAHMIN

Truth Pill

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Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali, written by Sukanya Shaji. 

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