The podcast where we discuss the news of the week.
This week on NL Hafta, Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Jayashree Arunachalam are joined by Apar Gupta, writer and executive director of Internet Freedom Foundation, and Nitin Pai, columnist and co-founder of Takshashila Institution.
The discussion starts with the parliamentary proceedings and how much attention goes into passing a bill in India. Nitin comments that the only way parliament should decide on passing bills is by some sort of “feat of force like wrestling or tug of war because it has come to that”. “Do people meet up in state legislatures before clearing any bill? No, they are not voicing the concerns,” he says.
Apar points to facts. “Only one out of five bills is sent to the standing committee for approval. It’s inefficient and can be made better by all means.” Abhinandan compares the legislative procedure with precedents and opens the discussion with the “unhealthy process” that exists.
Jayashree adds, “All institutional checks and balances are just for show, when they (BJP) got tired with the show; they got it adjourned.”
The discussion then shifts to the anti-conversion bill passed by the Karnataka government and its implications, along with references to the recent attacks on churches, which Abhinandan calls “dog whistles for the cultural agenda of BJP, because this is all they have”. The panel sifts through the governance style and gains made through the same in south India.
The conversation moves to the issue of sacrilege in Punjab, the lynching cases and the recent blast in Ludhiana. The panel also talks about a statement by a Madras High Court judge on the “duty to laugh”.
This and a lot more, only on NL Hafta.
Tune in!
Hafta letters: Doctors’ protest, Gita Press, quality of discussions
To make the most of next week before the deadline, we have a discount coupon for Hafta listeners. Use code <HAFTA360> to get a flat 20 percent discount on annual and three-year plans.
Check out our Christmas offer here.
Gamechanger subscribers, click here to get a private RSS link to listen to NL Hafta on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castro, Pocket Casts. Alert us at subscription@newslaundry.com if you face any problems.
Click here to register for upcoming sessions of NL Recess. Join our Discord server for subscribers so you don't miss any Recess mailers or updates.
We’ve a new page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here.
We have the new Newslaundry Nirvana face masks in our store. They are antiviral, UV sterilised, and reusable and washable. Flaunt your love for independent media, and stay safe. Grab yours now at www.newslaundry.com/store.
Song: Jingle Bell Rock
Timecodes:
3:45 - Headlines
6:35 - Parliamentary proceedings
40: 33 - Anti-conversion bill
1:17:12 - Punjab
1: 32: 40 - Duty to laugh
1: 35: 35 - Subscriber letters
2: 09: 46 - Recommendations
References:
Hafta 341: Parliamentary dysfunction, anti-Muslim bigotry, sports journalism
Hafta 340: Tokyo Olympics, parliament deadlock, new Karnataka cabinet
Recommendations
Apar
Nitin
Read any book
Jayashree
Raman
Ayodhya: Whose Land Is It Anyway?
Manisha
How not to develop a hill station
NL Interview with Amitava Kumar
Abhinandan
18 Steps to a Democratic Breakdown
Check out previous Hafta recommendations.
Produced and recorded by Lipi Vats and Tehreem Roshan; edited by Saif Ali Ekram and Dipanshu Bisht.
A weekly guide to the best of our stories from our editors and reporters. Note: Skip if you're a subscriber. All subscribers get a weekly, subscriber-only newsletter by default.