That’s So Hindu interviews entrepreneurs and activists, politicians and professors, journalists, entertainers, spiritual teachers, and more on how Hinduism shapes their work and lives. All American. So Hindu.
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Episodes
EPISODE 53
Religious Freedom in Bangladesh 1971-2021: From Genocide to Today
This weeks show is the audio version of a side event HAF held at the International Religious Freedom summit, held in Washington DC last week. The focus of the panel is the 1971 Bengali Hindu Genocide and the ongoing challenges of the Hindu population in Bangladesh.
EPISODE 52
Through chanting mantra we awaken our heart to connect to the Divine heart | Jai Uttal
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Grammy-nominated musician, multi-instrumentalist, and world music pioneer Jai Uttal. They discuss Jai’s path through sacred chanting, the evolution of the Western kirtan scene over the past several decade, and the line that separates cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation.
EPISODE 51
To really focus, we have to train our minds and then practice what we’ve learned | Dandapani
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Dandapani, a former Hindu monk turned international speaker. They discuss the retreat center and botanical garden he’s founded, how we can learn to better focus our minds, Hindu practices for dealing with crisis, and the importance of employing reason on our spiritual journeys.
EPISODE 50
Pakistani terrorism doesn’t just kill Indians, it kills Americans too | Dr Michael Rubin
In this episode, a rebroadcast of a recent HAF webinar, Samir Kalra speaks with Dr Michael Rubin, from the American Enterprise Institute, on contemporary politics in Pakistan and the region, the nation’s support for terrorism, and how this affects the United States.
EPISODE 49
The study of caste has given a false foundation to Indian culture | Dr Prakash Shah
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks Dr Prakash Shah (Queen Mary, University of London). They discuss the Western conceptions of caste in India, the complexity of adding caste discrimination to law in both the UK and the US, and much more.
EPISODE 48
Homophobia in India is a homophobia of ignorance | Ankit Bhuptani
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Ankit Bhuptani, the chairman and founder of the Queer Hindu Alliance in Mumbai, India. They speak about being gay in India, the state of homophobia there, how the LGBT+ community is treated by both major political parties in India and much more.
EPISODE 47
If you don’t have Hindu representation on your college campus, create it for yourself | Shreya Mahasenan
In this episode Sheetal Shah speaks with Shreya Mahasenan, a junior at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. Shreya founded the McGill Dharma Society, when she realized there was no Hindu representation for students.
EPISODE 46
No country is perfect: We’re working towards a more perfect union in the US and so is India | State Rep. Padma Kuppa (D-MI)
In this episode Taniel Koushakjian speaks with Michigan state representative (and former HAF board member) Padma Kuppa. They discuss Rep. Kuppa’s journey from being an engineer to the first Indian American elected to the Michigan legislature, her passion for environmental advocacy, and her newly introduced legislation recognizing Diwali, Vaisakhi, Lunar New Year, and Eid in Michigan.
EPISODE 45
Hinduphobia is real and here’s how to recognize it | Parth Parihar
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Parth Parihar. Parth is a member of the Board of Trustees of Hindu Students Council and a PhD candidate in economics at Princeton University. Earlier this spring he organized, along with Dr Indu Vishwanathan, a conference on Hinduphobia at Rutgers University, which brought together a wide range of speakers on the topic.
EPISODE 44
Hindus have a responsibility to modernize chanting for their own families | Shivali Bhammer
In this episode Sheetal Shah chats with Shivali Bhammer, the youngest recording artist to be signed by Sony BMG for bhajans and one of the Top 25 Under 25 South Asian music artists.
