Last week’s letters: 

Mail 1:

Hi NL team, after listening to PM’s speech on Independence Day and his pitch around the Uniform Civil Code, I have started to think that he is probably looking at a midterm poll. I remember the same point was also raised by the guest in NL Hafta’s budget discussion episode as well, and considering that the BJP is unlikely to get support on UCC from their allies like JDU, TDP, and LJP, a midterm poll might actually be a reality. There is a possibility that the BJP’s misconstrued notion on the UCC can help polarise the country to the next level and allow them a springboard for a majority government again. What are your thoughts?

Mail 2:

Hi NL team, would like to know your opinions on the issue of creamy layer in SC/ST reservations. In my understanding, suppose a family that has leveraged reservation for say two generations comes under the creamy layer; it will open up opportunity for some other marginalised family that may be even more backward and would not have easily availed the advantage of reservation. This, I think, will improve and rationalise the system even more so. Although, for being properly implemented, it will require concrete data. Perhaps the report of the Rohini Commission, when made public, will throw more light on it. What are your opinions?

Vatsal

*** 

I’ve finally nailed down when Abhinandan first blessed us with the iconic “Angrez apna lagaan” — it was back in Hafta 92: RNG Awards, Arnab Goswami’s resignation, and Delhi’s air pollution. Jump to Hafta 498, and not much has changed — except Arnab is still out here pretending to be a journalist when he’s really just bending over backwards for his political masters. Honestly, calling him a journalist at this point is like calling a mosquito a surgeon — it’s technically possible, but all it does is suck and make noise.

Trekking through the older Hafta episodes wasn’t easy — more bugs and glitches than Arnab has self-respect — but every episode was worth it. My mission to binge every Hafta episode is still going strong, and I’m looking forward to the day we can say goodbye to Arnab’s bullshit for good.

Thanks for the book, and here’s to keeping the revolution (and the roast) alive.

Noaman Khan 

***

Just an anecdotal example of what it is like for a female doctor to work in a hospital during the night shift.

My female friend was working in a government hospital in Delhi. A number of female doctors face the same issue of where to rest during the night shift. She also was not able to find a place to rest and would sleep in the ward or wherever she could find a place in the hospital. At that time, I used to have conversations with her about is she safe where she’s resting, etc. I was talking to her after this case, and she also acknowledged that she was lucky that nothing happened to her. In this case as well, in Kolkata, the doctor did not have a place to rest, which is why she was there in the first place. I don’t know why nobody is raising this issue.

Anon 

***

Along with the horrific Kolkata rape case, a gruesome rape case occurred in Muzaffarnagar, which you also discussed. In Manusmriti, eight types of marriages are described. These are Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Asura, Gandharva, Rakshasa, and Paisacha Rakshasa. Paishacha Rakshasa are allowed to the Kshatriya varna in chapter 3 shlok 26,35,33. So it is ok to abduct a girl in front of family members; ok to use violence and slash family members and kidnap the girl and consummate the marriage with her. It’s ok to have sex even if the girl is drugged or senseless. Such gruesome practice is mentioned in Manusmriti, which is considered a religious text, and even proposed to be studied in DU. Meanwhile, Rishi Manu’s statue has been erected in the Rajasthan High Court. So no wonder 86 rapes happen in our rotten society every day. Rape is a widely used tool to assert caste dominance and show mardangi. The more oppressed class gets education and is uplifted socially and financially, the more this tool is being used.

Harnek Kang 

***

Hi team NL,

I really loved the latest episodes of Newsance and Hafta. I appreciate your work.

I have a question about lateral entry. Unlike the IAS and IFS cadres, do the lateral aspirants also undergo a background check by the RAW or a competitive authority? Considering the gravity of the position one assumes is of a larger national interest. We have seen how under the current regime, be it the UPSC recruitment or NEET scandal under the NTA, their respective chairmen were appointed laterally. If it is not duly followed, could this also be a ground of violation on part of the SEBI in the Hindenburg issue? Is there a system in place? And as I write to you this email, the government has called for applications to laterally recruit 45 positions to the UPSC. Your thoughts?

Chetan Bhaskar

***

Hi NL team,

I’ve been highly disturbed by the happenings in Kolkata. The rape-murder was followed by an apparent cover-up by the state machinery and then violence against the protesting students. In the background is this constant demand for “quick death penalty” for the accused, with the implication being due process shouldn’t be followed in this case. There is no evidence that the death penalty or “encounters” will deter rape, but consistent prosecution and adequate punishment for crimes ranging from sexual harassment to rape will act to reduce sexual crimes.

I’ve written an article on my blog about how protesters should focus on longterm reform rather than retribution or revenge. It is titled, “Treat the disease and not the symptom”.

Thank you. A fan and a longtime subscriber of Newslaundry and now The News Minute.

Raghuraj Hegde

***

Hi team,

I’m writing this after listening to episode 498. I had a suggestion about the links to the books in the recommendations. Since we are all here supporting independent media, could we also try and promote independent bookstores instead of Amazon? Now, I understand that the discounts on Amazon are a big attraction (as a former development sector employee on a meager salary, it meant a lot). But we are all paying for a subscription to Newslaundry. Maybe we can regulate our book purchases and buy from independent bookshops. We all know a few in our respective cities; here are some names off the top of my head: Champaca (B’lore, Goa), The Book Inc (Delhi), Kitab Khana (Mumbai), Pagdandi (Pune), and Oxford bookstores (multiple locations).

Saanaee Naik

***

Do we really need more eyes on Gaza/Palestine? While I do understand the issue of Indian media not covering the stories from Gaza, I find it difficult to contribute towards a ground report from Gaza for three reasons. 

1. I would rather use the funds to help families in Gaza. 

2. Going to ground zero for reporting would be unsafe. 

3. There are plenty of Instagram accounts of Gazans themselves who are trying to tell the world what’s happening there. My suggestion would be to use these social media accounts for a story. These people deserve to be heard and seen. A lot of people don’t know that Israel has already destroyed 99 percent of the region, and they are bombing the last active region (Deir Al Balah). The situation is way worse than what it was when “all eyes on Gaza” went viral and all celebrities decided to speak up. Yet nobody is talking about it now because they don’t know what’s happening.

Vatsala 

***

Anand Vardhan claimed that the FSC of Mauritius had rubbished the Hindenburg report. It did nothing of that sort. The FSC objected to Mauritius being called a Tax Haven and said that the IPE Plus fund in which Madhabi Buch and her husband had invested was not licensed in Mauritius. The FEC is a tad disingenuous here. The Hindenburg report links documents and sources that clearly show that the IIFL, the wealth management fund which managed IPE Plus, as well as Adani-linked funds, the Global Opportunities Fund, were licensed in Mauritius. A search on the FSC website shows many IIFL and Adani-linked GOF funds. Dhaval Buch’s email published in the Hindenburg Report is addressed to a Mauritius address. Mauritius is a tax haven regardless of their disclaimers, but with a well-administered regulatory system and transparent and clear rules. They are not accused of any wrongdoing. One can only speculate why they chose to wade into this (and the earlier Adani report) controversy.

Anonymous 

***

Having been inaccurately labelled as a woke xenial in the past, I was a bit hesitant to write on this issue of the sex/gender binary again. But Abhinandan Sekhri continues to double down with pointless, rhetorical questions about dead and incarcerated bodies even as the other panellists profess their inadequate knowledge on the subject in response. He had earlier also tried to silence Ragamalika with his opinions on the matter. I am not saying I disagree with him (this is too complex an issue to have a black and white position on), but his tendency to forcefully impose his opinion on something that even his co-panellists are careful and reticent about is disconcerting. For an honest discussion on the topic, experts need to be invited. Rhetorical questions only serve to silence potential detractors.

RS 

***

Hi NL team, guys I did not try to bypass your word limit :P 

I wrote a couple of emails before Hafta 498, but I believe the shoot must have finished by that time, so they got clubbed together with my third mail that I wrote before Hafta 499. Anyway, thanks, and keep up the good work. The Hathras follow-up story is an important piece of journalism.

PS. Abhinandan was fairly sharp in his observation. Although I am not a bureacrat – like our friend Anand Vardhan, I too fell slightly short of making into the holy pdf of the UPSC’s final lists – and now I am just a techie. :P

Vatsal 

***

Hi NL Hafta team, I've been a regular listener of Hafta since 2015. I am writing to express my disappointment at the lack of depth in discussing certain crucial developments in recent episodes. Definitely expected more in-depth discussions on the SC judgement on sub-categorisation and creamy layer in SC/STs. Around 2017, the BJP wanted to do a re-categorisation of OBCs and that was supposed to be a “master stroke” but they never followed up. They don’t seem interested in the same for SC/STs. What’s your view about creamy layer in SC/STs? Manu Joseph wrote that in the absence of the creamy layer, reservations will go to the privileged among Dalits. Also, the lateral entry wasn’t just about reservations. The stated intent was to bring in subject matter expertise. Can career bureaucrats make policy on subjects like using GenAI in judiciary or the recent 2024 Broadcasting Bill draft that’s now taken back? You may be covering this in columns, but Hafta is your flagship product. We expect better.

Kartheek 

***

Hey there,

As an avid listener, I’ve followed your episodes across many places, but today was especially surreal. I'm in Amsterdam, tripping on mother earth and standing at the “Hand in Hand: Memorial to Murdered Journalist Peter R. de Vries,” reflecting on the tragic loss of such a powerful voice. The monument is named “Against all currents”.

As I stood here, your latest episode played through my headphones, and then Abhinandan’s words came on: “Let us remember how partisan and pathetic our legacy media has become, and shame on them.” Wow, that hit hard.

Anonymous 

***

Dear NL team,

1) Nidhi Suresh's participation in Hafta 499 added so much to the discussion. Please have NL and TNM reporters join the panel as often as possible. Their up-to-date on-the-ground reporting experience gives substance, depth, and nuance to the discussion.

2) It seems to me we are woefully ignorant about our neighbouring countries and often hold onto outdated perceptions and understandings. Why? Our hyperactive news cycle takes all our attention? Arrogance? Whatever, it's a dangerous and unneighbourly stance to take. We take notice only when some crisis develops and then find that we've missed all the signals that would have prepared us for what has transpired. Could NL have regular regional news/analysis, perhaps in collaboration with media partners in neighbouring countries? The theme could also be environmental issues that do not obey national boundaries.

3) Looking forward to the next 500 Hafta. Congratulations!

Superannuated Aunty 

***

Response to Abhinandan's grand statements on gender, prisons, and dead bodies: Your essential point seems to be that there’s some characteristics of your biology that are used to determine your gender BY SOCIETY, and this can be at odds with what you determine your gender to be. Who is refuting this? This is true, and it is a problem. It is a problem that there is no easy answer for which prison you would put a trans person. It is a problem because the trans person’s life is endangered. It is a question to be posed to society at large, including trans people (of course, one can also get into prison abolishment being a part of progressive politics here). It is not a question to be used as a gotcha and to be used to say this is why you are what your biology dictates when that in itself is the problem. As for “sex is real,” no one says sex is not real. But sex and gender are different. Both are valid and important identifiers in society and valid and important parts of your identity.

Nithila 

***

About the everything becomes about everything problem, I think that almost all of India’s issues can be traced back to the fact that we are still a largely preindustrial agricultural society. Even things like civic sense or popular morality are deeply influenced by levels of industrialisation.

Dr AK 

***

Hey Abhi,

Ig I’m late to the party, but a recent observation makes me want to come back on what you said during the election: “Why are we judging parties by face? That’s not how it’s supposed to work.” I took that for granted back then, but now that Biden has backed off and Kamala came in, we see the US becoming a real battleground, giving Democrats a good chance, so doesn’t face play an important role here?

Yea, I know it’s presidential and ours is parliamentarian, but, besides party ideology, doesn't it matter who’ll execute it, his credibility, professionalism, etc? I think it’s important, and I’m happy that RG has turned it around for himself this election. As Meghnad said on Hafta recently, “Now I’d be happy to see him leading us”. Previously, he seemed to be a bozo.

Shivam Tyagi

***

Hello NL Team,

I have a small take on the discourse around trans issues. I have no clear stance on this entire topic of sex vs gender, and I am okay with it. There is nothing wrong with trying to educate yourself and keep shut when you don’t even have basic facts. But what I have noticed in this discourse is the phenomenon of projection.

I have a friend who lives in a nice suburb in California who got hooked on Jordan Peterson, Andrew Tate, and co through YouTube. The last time we met, he started saying that the teachers at his kid’s elementary school are encouraging gender transition for kids. That was an explosive allegation. I reached out to other friends who had kids in the same school and mentioned this, and they had no idea what he was talking about.

I remembered a similar thing from my BTech days when my close friend started talking about the conspiracy of Love Jihad and polygamy that is everywhere. I asked him about how many Muslim friends of his have done that or how many real people he has seen doing that. He had no answer. The projection of their fears onto everyone and willingness into a reality in their heads is a very sad phenomenon in modern discourse.

Karthik Prasad

***

Hi,

I was listening to Hafta 499 while driving to the office (no video) and genuinely thought that you guys may have started to use AI to read the headlines. It was only half way that I realised that this may be an actual person; Nidhi’s voice seemed so much like that of a machine; no disrespect there, but I was seriously fooled.

As for the transgender question, Abhinandan’s position is a genuine position and nothing to be ashamed of. Political correctness can’t be above truth. Women have fought hard for their rights, and this movement is taking away whatever little safe places that they had in society.

I also agree that your reporting is slightly bent; I don’t hear enough about the terrorist attacks of Hamas/Hezbollah/Houtis on Israeli civilians and the participation of UNRAW employees in those atrocities and how even children or next generations are being conditioned to be terrorists.

Dheeraj

***

This week’s letters:

I would like to get your views on the Supreme Court’s comment about “lower court should give bail”. In Manish Sisodiya and Arvind Kejariwal’s cases, the Supreme Court refused to give bail initially, but then later, while giving bail, the Supreme Court slammed lower courts. “hypocrisy ki bhi koi seema hoti hai”.

Rhishi 

***

The protests happening all around India against the RG Kar incident have given me hope for my generation. I remember talking to a friend right after it happened, and we both kind of thought that all the protests would fizzle out with time. It’s great to be proven wrong and to see that my generation actually does care to some degree.

I remember a line from Salman Rushdie’s masterpiece Midnight’s Children: “We are a nation of forgetters.” Here’s to hoping that Gen Z can finally change that.

Sayantan 

***

Hello Abhinandan and team,

I wanted to ask if you can separate art from the artist after watching this podcast episode filmed by Bill Maher with little kids. In this episode, Bill Maher asks 8 to 10-year-old kids hard-hitting questions about their favourite genres, one of many horrendous things he says in the 52-minute show.

Mahendra 

***

Hi NL-NM team,

Congratulations on your 500th episode. I enjoyed listening to it. I couldn't agree more with Dhanya when she said that the majority consume easy-to-understand sound bites — by definition short and (I would add) entertaining! Unfortunately, some of this is just WhatsApp University nonsense that gets propagated over and over again!

I do have a question. It was alarming for me to read about the friendly overtures that the DMK and the BJP made to each other. Can we take political parties to court if they switch their allegiance, especially if the reason for voting for them was that they were opposing the other party? I think Indian citizens deserve a law that makes this possible.

Finally, for your South Hafta, how about Ethiroli? It’s a Tamil word and means “an echo” or “something that reverberates.”

Best wishes for the next 500 episodes. :-)

Shailaja Mani 

***

Congratulations on 500 episodes of Hafta! A request to Abhinandan to tone down his usage of the F word (at least act like you are resisting the usage). On the free episode, it was pretty crass with the very frequent usage of the same. Please take care.

Uma 

***

Congratulations on the milestone of 500. I enjoyed the conversation thoroughly. The only grouse is Abhinandan’s pitting Chetan Bhagat against snooty liberals. I stay in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and don't like to travel to Delhi for academic seminars, as I find Delhi intelligentsia too full of themselves. I get your frustrations at their intolerance of any other POV. But to put up Chetan Bhagat as a sort of alternative voice is no good. The problem with Chetan Bhagat is that he is more interested in selling the product than in making the product world-class. He cannot be treated as an equivalent of alternative media such as NL-TNM, Ravish, and Deshbhakt, as these entities care for depth in their work. Mr Bhagat’s works cater to the lowest common interest, ie he works for maximising reach. But I guess you were too angry at the Lutyens gasbags. Great work, NL and TNM.

Amar 

***

You guys do excellent work. One small suggestion from me. For your 500th episode, you should have brought in Ravish Kumar since he worked in mainstream media and had left it to start his YouTube channel because of Adani influencing the editorial of this news channel. It would have been a pretty interesting conversation with him. So if you can bring him in any further episodes, it would be great.

Anish 

***

Dear Abhi uncle and clan, every time you discuss the gender issue, you simply deduce it to which category to put them in the legacy definition of gender. Well, if you are so tunnel-visioned, then the answer is they can be in their category at the Olympics, prison, or the toilet for all you care. I can hear all the fallacies you will call, but those are the same as men who called the suffragettes as women pretending to be men and wanting to vote.

Also on your point earlier on young people not suitable of handling political power, let me introduce you to Sanna Marin. May be look her up and then comment if young people can make political change?

Satwik 

***

The Rajasthan education minister recently announced that all textbooks glorifying Akbar will be tossed into the flames — because when in doubt, burn a few pages of history, right? You’d think after the BJP’s lackluster Lok Sabha results, they’d be ready to ditch the communal firestarters and try something new, like, I don’t know, actual governance? But no, they’re still out there, book in one hand, match in the other, hoping that setting history ablaze will somehow ignite their electoral fortunes. It’s like watching someone desperately trying to barbecue with wet coals — smoky, pointless, and bound to leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

Noaman Khan 

***

Your Hindi tagline for NL puts a dot under khabren but not under kharch. There should be one under both or neither. Manisha Pandey finally took pronunciation from Suhel Den! It’s not a book; it’s a butch. Finally, you have a great series of recommendations. 

Ravi 

***

Dear NL,

Many many congratulations for Hafta 500 – super strong (like a certain beer of the 90’s). You’ve been an inspiration in pursuit of the truth and keeping the flag of journalism high. Speaking of the 90s, I was planning this note before the IC814 series became controversial. That week is vivid in my memory, and the story is personal for some of us of the Rotary Public School, Gurgaon (then in Sector 17), who were classmates of the only victim, Ripan Katyal – classmates since the age of about nine years.

As a wedding gift, his father was setting up a new electrical shop for him close to my home — that never opened, of course. Besides his mega funeral, a related memory of that time is Bill Clinton’s subsequent Pakistan and India visit, where he apparently made a public address on Pak TV warning about terrorism and also met Ripan’s young widow. An immediate impression was the utter paralysis of the Vajpayee government when the plane stopped at Amritsar, where I believe Ripan was hurt.

I am sure you’re already discussing IC814 at today’s Hafta. How accurate do you think the backroom machinations and espionage shown are?

Amitabh Trehan

***

Hello NL Team,

I’m a subscriber, and I wanted to understand the rationale behind doing the Gaza report. 

Kindly excuse me if I might have missed the reasoning in one of the podcasts. Or if I’m overstepping as a subscriber.

I understand the grim situation on the ground in Gaza and admire the work of journalist Sreenivasan Jain. Looking at the extensive reporting in the international media and the general appetite of the NL audience, I fail to understand what new information we will find out through this report. 

Rs 18 lakh is a huge amount, and I think it could have been used to do more domestic reports. Request that you shed some light on the approach and outcome here. 

Regards,

Manali Satam

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