Hi NL team,

I remember my friends in schools being part of 'Newspapers in Education’, NIE, programs in the 90s which involved them getting free newspapers and having activities related to newspaper articles. I also found later that the American Press Institute helps run more structured NIE programs in middle and high schools engaging teachers and students. I was wondering if NL could run similar programs with schools; they could not only help increase your subscriber base in the long run but also help the young understand the importance of journalism. (And Meghnad's videos as educational tools could act as a bonus to convince school administrators.) Just a thought from a longtime subscriber.

All the very best in all your endeavors.

Cheers,

Indu

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I am a subscriber from Tripura. I would like to highlight the work of young local journalists covering the bypolls – primarily on voting day following the hooligans, catching fake voters, etc at great personal risk. Examples:

The local media which is critical of the government in power is mostly on social media channels like YouTube and Facebook. I am adding links to some of those channels, which I hope you will check out.

1. www.facebook.com/pg/Tripurainfoway-2242323235983138/posts/

2. www.facebook.com/PB24NEWS/

3. www.facebook.com/The-Social-Bangla-250720519119320/

Some videos are self-explanatory. For some you might need the help of someone who understands Bangla. And for the Bangla caption, you can use Google Translate.

Soham

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Hi team,

Following up on my letter from a few weeks ago where I was taking bets that whenever Modiji passes the baton, it will be Smriti Irani who takes it. Here's another one, albeit a very speculative one: many people assume Modiji will himself have to follow the 75-year rule that relegates him to the Maargdarshak Mandal. It'll be a cold day in hell when that happens. But if such a day does come, I feel Modiji will run for and get elected as the president. That will be the day that the great theoretical powers that post is supposed to have will start manifesting as reality.

Salman

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In the USA, some veterans do start a career in coding. While age and past does matter, it’s considered a strength to start something new. Veterans get preferential treatment for reskilling and they are in almost all fields.

Let’s take our own examples. Chaiwalla becoming PM, Yogis running state, NSE, listed companies, bus conductor becoming actor, SSC fail son of a schoolteacher becoming the largest industrialist, tadipar becoming HM.

Indian society is a long way from rejecting upper caste condescending mindset. I am not competent to comment on the new scheme but in my view Agniveers at 21 years of age can and should aspire to become whatever they want.

Requesting Abhinandan to resist cultural straight jacketing of human competence.

Thanks to Ramanji for Dopesick recommendation. Love the work done by the entire Newslaundry team and the frankness! Keep pushing facts and frank opinions.

Asgar Shaikh

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Hi Hafta team,

One of your less appreciated sections is the song at the end. Not only are they apt, I have discovered some really nice ones. Thagyan for example. I would like to recommend a recent Bengali chartbuster.

Not sure about its relevance to the discussion but a delightful tune.

Thanks,

Abhi

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Hi NL panel ,

I wanted your thoughts on the recent blasphemy killing that happened in Udaipur. This killing has really shocked me personally, and given the stream of blasphemy killings by Islamists that have happened in recent times starting with Kamlesh Tiwari, do you think the voices egging on the blasphemy angle in the Nupur Sharma case also added to this inevitability given they knew how these cases usually end up in the alleged blasphemers being killed ? Also why do you think we do not have a draw-the-Prophet contest after these killings just like we have a beef festival after a cow vigilante killing? In my opinion it is because the Indian liberals have really turned cowards on this one and cannot even name the problem in clear terms. I have not heard one religious voice in India spell out that killing for blaspheming the Prophet is wrong. Thank you for your work!

Ankur Sen

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I am not sure why the feedback form now requires the subscription email address. This doesn’t allow questions to be asked anonymously.

We anyway can’t access the form without being a subscriber so it’s collecting more information than required. Please remove it as a required field :)

Anonymous