We dedicate this episode to the year 2006 which has been a record of sorts for India! We pick the best and the worst stories of the year and keep it simple.

Business, Politics, Sports, Sensex, Aviation, Munnabhai, Saurav dada, the highs, the lows of India in 2006. Listen, enjoy and a bear hug to all you listeners for being with us! A happy new year.

Yours Internetally,

Aditya

P.S : Intro music provided by Alms for Shanti

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We are back after a long time. Aditya took a sabattical from city life and is back from God’s own country. Take a peek and get a preview of the bliss called Kerela! And Indicast will have a face lift soon! Listen to know more!

Moving on…

1992: “India is a land of farmers.” So said my history teacher in class IV.
2006: The land of farmers has turned its back on them. Since 2001, 2279 farmers have bid farewell to India in desperation. October 2006 alone saw 110 farmers joining the infamous club. Another million are considering the option seriously. No, they haven’t fled the country. They are history…

We at Indicast try to figure out the reason behind the death epidemic and more importantly what can be done to avert the crisis. There are a million unanswered questions. We’ll leave it at that. You guys decide what to make of it.

No, this is not melodrama. We are not trying to hype it up to get some brownie points from you. Listen to the podcast. Make your judgement. Tell us what you feel can be done and should be done to give our farmers a chance to lead a normal hand to mouth living. Our farmers deserve an opportunity to live. Isn’t that a fundamental right? May be not, if you are a farmer from a non descript taluka at Nashik in Marathwada earning 20 cents a day and supporting a family of four… tough luck.

Ah, last time we checked, India was a democratic country, wasn’t it?

Episode Notes:

• Do we need to go the China way by buliding Special Economic Zones?
• Indian farmers are a neglected lot and they remain so. Do they deserve a chance to live?
• If Laloo Prasad Yadav can turn around the fortune of the railways by doing his job, what on earth is Sharad Pawar doing for agriculture?
• Why is the media silent?
• Is there a solution to this utter lack of rationality?
• Will the farmers someday get what they should?
• Can we, the middle class, the common man do something about the situation and may be some day stop cribbing?
• Who the !@#$ can make the difference?

Yours Internetally,
Abhishek

P.S : Intro music provided by Alms for Shanti

Listen Online (64 kbps) :/Episode length : 20 mins

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Hope. It’s a funny word, isn’t it? it’s valium for some and marinjuna for others. It’s dope. It’s contagious. It spreads. It’s an inspiration. Mumbai is on it… because it doesn’t have a choice… because it can’t afford a nervous breakdown.

Mumbai is hurt. It is seething. We hope it is not immune. We hope some day we all will start asking questions. We hope that we, mumbaikars stop taking ourselves for granted and not just “Move on”.

Episode Notes:

• hit.
• Peace? Come again?
• Orkut knew it before it all happened, says Hindustan Times
• Numbaikars: We, like the author are not quite sure about the
  “Spirit of Mumbai”
• … But, Mumbai stays united.

Yours Internetally,
Abhishek,

P.S : No intro & concluding music

Listen Online (64 kbps) :/Episode length : 18 mins

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Today, I walked past waiting patients to the quadrangle at the heart of AIIMS, where striking doctors prepare to go hungry for another night. There were candles all around, remnants of a quiet vigil from an hour ago. Little groups of students huddled everywhere, some on benches, others stretched out on red carpets in the centre of the ground. Around them, strung up everywhere, are banners.

There’s a joke painted on one. It’s about Manmohan Singh telling George W Bush of a plan to send Indians to the moon next year. “How many,” asks Bush. “100,” Singh replies. “25 OBCs, 20 SCs, 15 STs, 5 handicapped, 5 sports personnel, 2 Kashmiri migrants, 8 politicians, 18 generals and, if possible, 2 astronauts.”

Another poster reads: “I am leaving for the US. I was disowned by my own country.”

This is what it has come to?

Episode Notes:

• “The last time I checked India was a democratic country,” says Aamir Khan
• Film Fraternity stands united with Aamir; but, Shatrughan Sinha thinks otherwise.
• Democracy is dead - Arjun Singh has no answers to Karan Thapar’s well researched questions
• Chetan Bhagat of Five Point Someone fame advises the youth to protest creatively!!!
• While the Government sleeps over the reservations issue, Smile India Foundation has shown the way!

Yours Internetally,
Abhishek,

P.S : Intro & concluding music provided by Alms for Shanti

Listen Online (64 kbps) :/Episode lenght : 18 mins

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It’s becoming a habit for us to release episodes with a “sorry for the delay” apology but this is the last time. A lot of things happened but nothing that we could talk about for 15 mins entirely with boring you people so what we have done is spent time on several topic. So here is Indicast’s episode # 15 for you.

And oh yeah, we have started a mailing list so that you can get email updates etc. So please check out the right hand side navbar and sign up if you can. And as usual, your comments will be appreciated.

Episode Notes:

• P Chidambaram gave us one of the most boring budgets ever but Laloo spiced it up the Rail budget a bit by trying to compete with low cost airlines. Lalooji, Hamara namaskar sweekar kije!!
• Bush’s whirlwind visit is being considered as a huge success for India. Everything is said to have gone India’s way and now its Bush’s turn to convince US congress to amend its laws.
• Bird flu was said to have hit India crippling the entire poultry industry. Abhishek cirps that the poultry Industry is a $6 billion industry and India is the 2nd largest egg exporter in the world. Don’t ask me where he gets these stats.
• Ganguly-Chappelle Saga continues but this time Chappelle gave a low blow to Ganguly.
• 51st Filmfare took place past weekend and Black took everything.
• We are looking for a movie reviewer so if you are interested, just drop in a mail at indicast at gmail dot com. BTW, Abhishek saw Taxi 9211 and recommends it to us. But it’s a “keep your brains at home” movie so don’t expect it to be a revelation or anything like that.

Yours Internetally,
Aditya

P.S : Intro & concluding music provided by Alms for Shanti

Listen Online (64 kbps) :/Episode lenght : 23 mins

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