Indian Ocean podcast by Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung's South Asia office provides you with news, analysis and commentary from South Asia. The podcast brings together people committed to social and ecological justice and democratic participation.
Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung is a political foundation that stands within the tradition of the workers' and women's movements, as well as anti-fascism and anti-racism.
Five Years On: What the Taliban Took From Afghan Women
Five years after the Taliban's return to power, Asma Kakar, a former BBC Afghanistan journalist and now heading the Afghan Journalists in Exile programme at the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung South Asia, speaks about what has changed for women and girls in Afghanistan: banned salons, forced marriage, a healthcare system in collapse, and the quiet, everyday forms of resistance that persist.
Asma also works for the Women for Women (https://womenforwomenpodcast.com/) podcast and has written on this same subject in a recent article for RLS (https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/55082/five-years-since-the-return-of-the-taliban).
6 Mar 2026
Bitter Leaves: Women Workers in Sri Lanka’s Tea Plantations
Ahead of International Women’s Day, we speak with Menaha Kandasamy of the Ceylon Workers Red Flag Union in Sri Lanka.
Tea from Sri Lanka reaches cups around the world. But the workers behind it—most of them women—continue to face low wages, unsafe conditions, and the long shadow of a colonial plantation system.
In this episode, Menaha discusses the workers’ tribunal on plantation labour, the challenges of organizing in the estates, and why international solidarity still matters.
Listen to the conversation.
24 Nov 2025
Multipolar Asia and the Future of Nepal’s Left
Dr. Khagendra Prasai and Tauqueer Ali Sabri analyze Nepal's geopolitical position amidst the global shift towards multipolarity, examining the implications for South Asian left movements in this interview.
8 Sept 2025
Land, Dignity, and Justice: Single Women’s Struggles in Uttarakhand – A Conversation with Renu Thakur
Vinod Koshti interviews Renu Thakur about single women's struggles for land rights, dignity, and justice in rural Uttarakhand.
27 Jun 2025
Bottom-Up Capitalism, Agricultural Labour and Agrarian Crisis in Bangladesh with Prof. M. M. Akash
Professor M. M. Akash discusses agrarian capitalism in Bangladesh with host Vinod Koshti, examining rural life, agricultural labor, and class structures in this interview.
1 Jun 2025
Heinz Bierbaum on Left Politics in a Shifting World Order
Tauqueer Ali Sabri interviews Dr. Heinz Bierbaum about the global Left's response to urgent challenges like far-right populism, migration, and climate justice in a rapidly shifting world order.
16 Apr 2025
Reframing Fraternity: Caste, Economy, and the Constitution
On Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, we return to his warnings and radical proposals — not just about democracy, but about the deep-rooted economic and social structures that keep it from working.
In this episode of the Indian Ocean podcast, Tauqueer Ali Sabri, project manager at RLS South Asia, speaks to Professor Sukhdeo Thorat about caste, race, women, economic discrimination, and why Ambedkar’s vision of fraternity — drawn from Buddhism, not the French Revolution — remains so relevant today.
4 Apr 2025
Bonded by Debt: Labor Rights Violations in India’s Sugar Industry
India’s sugar industry relies on the hard labor of informal workers, many of whom face exploitative conditions, withheld wages, and even debt bondage. In this episode, Rajiv Kumar, program manager at RLS South Asia, speaks with Sudhir Katiyar from the Centre for Labour Research and Action about the challenges faced by sugarcane harvesting workers, the shortcomings of existing labor laws, and the potential of the Mathadi Act to bring much-needed protections. They also discuss the role of multinational corporations and how global supply chain laws—like Germany’s Due Diligence Act—can help hold companies accountable.
20 Mar 2025
Reality of Gig and Platform Work in India: A Conversation with Professor Babu Mathew
The gig economy is booming in India, but at what cost? While platforms promise flexibility, millions of workers struggle with low wages, lack of social security, and algorithmic control.
In this episode of Indian Ocean, we speak with labor law expert Babu Mathew about the challenges gig workers face and the fight for fair wages, social protections, and collective bargaining rights.
#GigEconomy #PlatformWork #IndianOceanPodcast #WorkersRights #PrecariousWork
6 Mar 2025
Die Linke's Success in Berlin: A Beacon for Progressive Politics
In this episode, we sit down with Maximilian Schirmer of Die Linke to discuss the party’s remarkable success in Berlin. How did they mobilize voters, especially young people, and bring the question of class back into mainstream politics? What lessons can progressive movements worldwide learn from their campaign? We dive into the strategies behind their victory, the challenges of countering the far-right, and the role of international solidarity in strengthening the left.
Maximilian Schirmer is the Berlin State Chairman of Die Linke and Deputy Chairman of Germany’s Left Party
7 Feb 2025
Revolutionary Potential of Student Politics in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has a long history of student-led movements shaping its political landscape. In this episode, renowned economist and academic Anu Muhammad discusses the historical role of student activism in Bangladesh and its impact on recent political upheavals, including the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. In conversation with Vinod Koshti, he reflects on the power of student movements and their role in shaping the country’s future.
Disclaimer: Views are personal and not necessarily those of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
24 Dec 2024
Why COP must go on
In this episode, we talk to Sandeep Chachra on the importance of COP. We break down what took place at COP29 held in Baku, Azerbaijan and what to expect from COP30 which will take place in Brazil in 2025.
Sandeep Chachra is the executive director of ActionAid Association and managing editor of the journalAgrarian South.
Disclaimer: Views are personal and not necessarily those of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
27 Sept 2024
No Marxism in Sri Lanka? Unpacking the Presidential Elections from a Left point of view
In this episode, we talk toSwasthika Arulingam about the Presidential elections in Sri Lanka that took place on 21 September 2024.
For the first time, a left-leaning candidate was voted into the most powerful position in the country.
Swasthika is a human rights lawyer and activist known for her commitment to women's and girl's rights. She was actively involved in the Aragalaya mass movement that led to the overthrow of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's government in 2022.
Disclaimer: Views are personal and not necessarily those of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
Who has been a guest on Indian Ocean (English)
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dr Khagendra Prasai
Tauqueer Ali Sabri
Renu Thakur
Prof M M Akash
Dr Heinz Bierbaum
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 9 / 100
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