South Central Ep 4: Cyclone Fengal, Zubair, Pawan…

South Central Ep 4: Cyclone Fengal, Zubair, Pawan Kalyan’s politics

In this episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by weather blogger Srikanth and political consultant Tara Krishnaswamy.

On the gaps in India’s weather prediction infrastructure, Srikanth says, “We should aim for radar coverage within 200 kilometers everywhere in the country, but large parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and the Western Ghats still don’t have enough coverage. Critical areas like Bengaluru, for instance, lack a dedicated radar system, which affects timely warnings.”

The conversation shifts to the legal challenges faced by fact-checker Mohammed Zubair. Dhanya says, “Personally, people can like Zubair, dislike him, agree with some of his tweets, or think he is a political stooge of some party or the other. But a state’s power is being used against an individual.” Pooja says, “The fact that a fact-checker is booked again and again shows how those in power are so averse to anybody correcting their misinformation.”

Tara adds, “It is not just, ‘If you have a Muslim name, we’re going to come after you.’ It is, ‘We will make an example of you because we need to instill fear in others.’ It goes against their narrative to allow anyone to rise up against them.”

The discussion then moves to Pawan Kalyan’s evolving political identity. Pooja says, “Pawan Kalyan’s ability to adapt and stay relevant is undeniable, but his shift from federalist rhetoric to aligning with hardline narratives raises important questions about his endgame.”

There’s a lot to unpack — join us on South Central for this lively and thought-provoking discussion!

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