Madan

Just wanted to let you know, the new Kartik Aryan movie Naagzilla is produced by the same people you did a recent Bollywood feature on.

***

Harshvardhan  

As a 23-year-old Newslaundry subscriber and a regular Hafta listener, I would like to express my extreme frustration with the state of policing in India and how police personnel are, and have always been, nothing more than lawless gunda gangs backed by the state. This is consistent across political as well as geographical boundaries. I propose changing the scheme of the police uniform, every five years, to match the party colours of the winner. That would at least be a more honest reflection of reality. 

Jokes apart, I believe that freeing the police from political influence and making it more accountable to the public, would mean fixing the very foundation from which stem all other aspects of the state – its monopoly on violence. Do you guys think there will ever be a realistic scenario where the states and the centre come together, in the name of police reform, and willingly give up such a big chunk of their hard power for the greater good?

P.S. What about Book Club Bangalore plans? 

***

Anonymous 

Thank you for your reporting and discussions. 

In connection to the demands for reform in our education system, I wanted to attract attention to the large number of vacancies in elite academic institutes like IITs, AIIMS, etc. 

Recently, ISRO saw many resignations adding to their vacancies which number in the 1000s. It is not enough to just construct buildings and claim the work of building an institution is complete. Such irregularities compound the pressure on students giving competitive exams. It also contributes to “brain drain” as finding a job as a well qualified individual is harder by the day. Even as the US makes it harder for academics, the government only says big words but doesn't make it any easier to return and work in India in research. Private companies also don’t host research departments in India. Is it possible for NL to do a deep dive into this?

***

Ravinder 

Hi team,

I watched the Hafta discussion on Satluj and wanted to share a concern about the continued demonisation of Sikhs in mainstream discourse. Abhinandan suggested that because Jaswant Singh Khalra sympathised with Khalistan, his legacy is somehow diminished. But we don’t know why he held those views. After Operation Blue Star, the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, and police terror in Punjab, many felt abandoned by the state. Khalra never joined a militant group; instead, he exposed illegal killings, and that work should stand on its own.

On the numbers, I agree with Bal that there is no definitive figure, but even 6,000 to 7,000 killings are far too many. His call for accountability also seems inconsistent: he holds Modi responsible because leadership matters, yet defends his own uncle, who was in charge and never faced consequences. Finally, as long as majoritarian politics continues, support for Khalistan among some sections will remain a reaction rather than disappear.

***

Halim 

Hey, I really enjoyed episode 598. In episode 597, Hartosh Bal’s arguments were good. I would be delighted if you could have another round with him along with Josy Joseph of The Silent Coup. On Punjab, pages 142, 147, 211 and 219 of the book are very relevant. 

“They were not expected to behave like the t@rr@rist they were hunting.Even in the thickest fog of w@r, the law-abider and law-breaker must be distinguished.” (Page 218, The Silent Coup)

Recommendations:

The Silent Coup by Josy Joseph

Prakash Singh vs Union of India (2006).

***

Harpinder

I'm a Canadian who regularly watches your YouTube videos and admires your journalism. However, I was disappointed by the discussion in your episode "Who Was Jaswant Singh Khalra?"

The focus shifted from documented human rights abuses to Khalra's political views. Even if he admired Bhindranwale, does that diminish his work exposing illegal killings, or justify his torture and murder? Why was his character debated instead of the atrocities he uncovered?

The figure of 25,000 disappearances has long been contested, and many Punjabis who lived through that period believe the actual number was higher. More importantly, even one unlawful killing is too many.

There has never been meaningful accountability for the 1984 anti-Sikh violence or the abuses during Punjab's insurgency. The trauma remains deeply personal for many families. I encourage you to hear survivor testimonies, including Jaswant Singh Dhillon's account, and to approach this history with greater sensitivity and context.

***

Gurpreet

No serious Punjabi wants Khalistan. But it's sad that Hartosh Bal, Tavleen Singh and others like them have failed to evolve their ideas since those days — repeating the same things and becoming a mouthpiece for the state. This is what even a rational, liberal Sikh would dislike. The terror of the Punjab Police is still very much prevalent. Successive governments have used and protected them. The notion of Khalsa raj has emotional and sentimental value. Who gives a constitutional state the right to behave in an unconstitutional, barbaric way?

Is 7,000 a small number? As Abhinandan said, a personality has multiple layers, shaped by political, economic and other factors. I admired Manisha and Shardool's understanding. And finally, who killed Khalra? It was the state and its police.

PS: Punjabis don't have a Mandela who will give closure through truth and reconciliation.

Thank you. Keep up the great work. Always with you.

***

Bhavneet

I'm writing about the discussion on Satluj, and how the debate eventually came down to numbers.

The figures may have been overstated – fair enough. But does that diminish the fear and horror Punjab lived through during the years of militancy?

My father was posted in Firozpur then, and I was in first grade. My memories are of fear: colonies locked behind iron gates at sunset; worrying every evening if my grandfather was late returning home; hearing screams from a nearby police station; taking cover under the bed after midnight gunfire; a loaded gun kept by the bedside every night. Long journeys before dawn were marked by silence and anxious faces.

The fear wasn't only of militants – it was also of the police. It was everywhere.

So when Hartosh argues that numbers matter, I feel it risks overshadowing the lived experience of Punjabis. Statistics may refine history, but they cannot capture the fear that defined everyday life.

***

Keshav

Love the work you all are doing. This is feedback on the app and website UX. I believe the app needs a UX researcher to run some control-group testing, with their report informing the designers.

There are some glaring issues. The ordering of podcast shows is odd, and there's no option to sort by recent releases. The landing screen isn't intuitive either. I often open the app, find nothing that interests me at first glance, move to podcasts, think I don't have an hour to spare, and close the app. Yet when I opened the website, I found other interesting articles that had somehow been overlooked in the app.

You might need a session with existing and new subscribers to properly quantify how the app UX is working.

I'm not a UX researcher, but I'm happy to be part of research sessions if needed.

***

Priya

On-and-off subscriber here. You're probably getting a lot of flak for inviting Hartosh to discuss Satluj. I liked the counterarguments made by Shardool and Manisha. Maybe it's worth inviting another Punjab expert from the Sikh community to make their case, if they're willing. Just a thought.

PS: You don't have to read my message aloud — I'm sure you'll have plenty more to get through.

***

Nikhil

It's interesting to wonder whether the freedom movement would have had the same momentum if instead of cracking down on Indians the British had handed out freebies like cash. 

***

Erbil

Just wanted to say it was really nice to hear Jayashree in the last Hafta — I miss her reading the headlines. Having Rinchen Norbu on the panel helps ease the pain of not having her. I enjoy listening to him and like the points he makes. He also has a really nice voice. Good decision to get him on Hafta; it would be nice to have him every week.

Just one thing, Abhinandan and Manisha: you cut him off too much. It comes across as disrespectful, because I don't feel you do it to the others. That said, I like that he waits for a chance and then finishes his point. But please, let the man talk!

***

Reesha

I'm a first-year MBBS student. Though I'm embarrassed to admit it, this is my first time subscribing. In my defence, it's from the allowance my dad gives me for food — and I religiously listen to South Central because it's free.

I'm writing because I often struggle with how I'm supposed to consume news. After reading Manufacturing Consent, I realised I sometimes don't know whether my opinions are truly my own or simply echoes of what I consume. I don't challenge ideas internally because I lack the knowledge to do so.

When I study physics, I question concepts because I have a foundation to build on. With politics, I don't. So when I consume content from spaces I broadly agree with, I often accept it uncritically. How does one build the intellectual foundation needed to question information honestly, instead of merely replacing one narrative with another?

***

Adil

The rest I have already said in my Charcha letter — saving a few precious words here.

Abhinandan, after all that praise, I briefly hoped for a subscriber discount, but I suppose some principles really are non-negotiable.

I'm a medium pacer, but I hardly follow cricket. Football is the opposite: I watch it and rarely play.

I also share your concern about celebrity culture. Public admiration should come with some public responsibility, yet too often the distance between the two keeps growing.

Perhaps that is why independent journalism matters more than ever. In a society grappling with deep inequalities, polarisation and old social hierarchies, asking difficult questions is not a luxury but a necessity.

And the Earth, too, has begun asking questions of us. The heatwaves across continents feel less like anomalies and more like warning bells we ignore at our own peril.

***

Prakash

On the post-election Bengal discussion: Abhinandan is right that the world has changed since the 1980s, but it hasn't changed much since 2021. We know there were murders after the elections back then, allegedly by the TMC, of their opponents. Manisha referred to it in humour — that the BJP could argue throwing eggs or humiliating people is hardly as bad as murder — but there is a serious point there. Socio-political change usually happens in excruciating increments. As frustrating as it may be for elite idealists in their safe cocoons, no murders is progress.

It's understandable that we want political behaviour closer to Western democracies (though not January 6, 2021), but that standard hardly exists in any part of Indian society or politics. This isn't to say we should be satisfied — only that pointing to 2021, or to West Bengal's history of political violence, is not an unreasonable position.

***

Puneet

Manisha should perhaps drop the line "it was an action-packed news week" while reading the headlines. When Modi is India's prime minister and Trump is US president, every week is an action-packed news week.

***

SNA

This is about the NL app. I installed the new iOS update last week. When I clicked to listen to Hafta, the app played Charcha. This week, when I click to listen to Charcha, Hafta plays. I don't like watching the video versions of the podcasts — I just want to listen, hassle-free. This is extremely chaotic and not smooth at all. The app is such a downer. Please fix it.

***

Anant

I recently watched the Delhi Union debate on the motion "Is Indian news dead?" and found myself agreeing with many of Abhinandan's arguments. What surprised me was Suhasini's position, which felt disconnected from how most Indians actually consume news. Much as I admire The Wire and Newslaundry, they are not mainstream in the colloquial sense. Visit almost any middle-class household and you're far more likely to find Aaj Tak, Times Now, Amar Ujala or Dainik Jagran than independent outlets. Redefining "mainstream media" to strengthen an argument only weakened it. Given that journalists have faced intimidation and even been killed, calling this the "best time" to be a journalist also felt tone-deaf.

I do think mainstream television news is in decline, as audiences grow weary of relentless political praise while everyday problems worsen. Even so, I doubt the propaganda ecosystem will disappear anytime soon, because powerful interests have every incentive to keep it alive.

***

Mohsin

Hi Abhinandan. This is really frustrating. The new app update is terrible. I want to pay to keep the news free, but since the update last week, when I played Hafta 591, episode 590 played instead — and today the same thing is happening with 592 (591 is playing).

You're making me write this at 2 in the morning. And don't get me started on the app before this. The new tech is good — the journey, I mean — but for God's sake, you are an app-based news platform.

Apologies for the rant. I hope this gets fixed, or I'll just become a silent subscriber.

***

Rohit

I've watched two seasons of the web series Freedom at Midnight. It omits a great deal — it doesn't mention the VHP, RSS or Savarkar, and it doesn't even name Nathuram Godse.

It frames Gandhi's assassination solely as a reaction to the release of Rs 55 crore to Pakistan and his fast, while ignoring earlier attempts on his life. It portrays communal violence as one-sided, as though Hindu violence was only retaliation for Muslim communalism; there is no Hindu communalism anywhere in the series. Nehru is shown constantly sidelining and undermining Patel. Ambedkar has no role beyond a footnote at the end.

This subtle sanitisation of history feels far more dangerous than overt propaganda like Dhurandhar. I fear we will end up like Pakistan, where even the so-called liberal voice is centre-right or communal, and there is no real reform in any space, political or social.

***

Kartik

This is my first time writing to you, because I've always appreciated the excellent job you do with NL Hafta. I'd like to request that you cover the recent Shalimar Gaon demolition, the Ashok Nagar commercial market issue, and the broader pattern of demolitions and evictions carried out by the Delhi government and the MCD. These actions have left many middle- and lower-income families fearing the loss of their homes and livelihoods instead of being offered fair rehabilitation.

The Delhi Gymkhana issue raised questions about property rights for one section of society; these cases raise similar concerns for ordinary citizens and deserve equal attention.

I believe this would make for an important discussion in an upcoming Hafta. Thank you for the consistently thoughtful journalism, and for giving space to stories that often go unnoticed.

***

Bharat

On Hafta 589, Govind said solar power has to be used only during the day. Has he not heard of battery storage? I understand that transporting it to different parts of the country is difficult and requires high initial investment, but there are so many applications for it, especially in industrial and commercial buildings. No one challenged Govind on this, which was surprising.

***

Mohit

I heard your discussion on election coverage, where institutional decay and the rise of populist leaders around the world were mentioned. In many of these discussions, there's a tendency to look at Donald Trump or Boris Johnson and either gloat or feel we're in the same boat as democratic standards decline worldwide.

In my opinion, India doesn't have much in common with that decline. India's problems have far more in common with those of neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where religion and majoritarianism play a fundamental role while the media and wealthy tycoons tag along for the ride. In the West, it's quite the opposite.

I hope the Media Rumble will involve more voices from neighbouring countries rather than from the West, whose commentators already have enough avenues to voice their opinions and reach Indian audiences.

***

Manish

I recently renewed my subscription (the NL-TNM joint subscription). Last year, choosing this option gave us an RSS feed for the podcasts, but with the current subscription that option is gone. Please bring the RSS feed back — your app is very poor for listening to podcasts. I don't consume TNM's coverage, but I still opted for the joint subscription just to have the RSS feed, as I did last year. Please help.

***

Satwik

Cheng Lei, a reporter with CGTN, spent over 1,000 days in prison without evidence. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai is languishing in jail. What's wrong with Indian journalists and media tycoons that they can't stand up?

***

Ritika

1. Indian diplomats are among the best in the world. So why this? Perhaps the MEA diplomat was having an off day — we all do. It's still revealing that on an off day the instinct is to be loud and wag a finger rather than show humility.

2. Jaishankar is prolific. He speaks posh, can raise an eyebrow, tip his head and curl his lips into a faint smile at just the right moment — but he talks like a bully.

3. On the PM holding a press conference: perhaps Indians don't feel the loss because questioning leaders was never really part of their daily lives; it was always performed by someone else. Having studied at two top-tier engineering colleges in India, and now at a Swedish university, I'm amazed by the horizontal engagement here. All students have regular Q&A sessions with the directors. If surveys flag a course as problematic, the professor answers for it. True democratic engagement.

***

Anish

I have a specific question for Abhinandan about the ongoing Google Gemini ad campaign during IPL 2026.

The ads seem to actively dumb down viewers, especially school and college students. We see Ishaan Khatter's character relying on AI just to figure out how to talk to his girlfriend, and the KKR team using AI to work out what's wrong with a photograph replicating a classic SRK pose — when the reference photo is right in front of them. Another ad shows a character asking AI whether vastu can help her boyfriend's IPL team win, actively promoting pseudoscience.

Instead of showing AI as a tool for complex work, skill-building or research, these ads promote total dependence on tech for basic common sense. Such patterns are already widely mocked in the West.

How do we counter this deliberate dumbing down of the next generation? Is there a way to analyse the long-term cognitive impact of such campaigns?

***

Aravind

I'm a long-time follower and evangelist for NL. Your programming has consistently improved, and the collaboration with The News Minute has made you even better. I have some critical feedback on your marketing.

Videos: your reels and shorts are just vertically cropped clips from podcasts. Even interesting clips become boring and lose context without b-roll or visual cues. This clip is a good example — non-Hafta listeners would barely understand what you're talking about. Good editing could have made it far more engaging.

Reports: some of your reports and podcasts are best in class. Nidhi's Hathras reports, Dileep, LTA Punjab — these are capable of reaching a huge audience, and they don't get nearly enough marketing. Why not go around to other podcasts and shows to promote them, the way Ronan Farrow toured to promote his reporting, or Mehdi Hasan takes every opportunity to promote Zeteo?

I'm staying mad, since that's the only way.

***

Dheeraj

Thanks for what you do.

Something odd is happening in Pune — tree cutting everywhere, including inside the commissioner's bungalow, and a recent spate of murders around the IT park. There may be a story here.

On Anand's comments in the letters episode: which structure for deciding the ECI chief does Anand prefer — one including the CJI, or one with a government majority? Hafta began as a place to reveal biases, so where does Anand stand?

Anand likes to mention the history of everything, what came before. But I can't remember him ever mentioning the history of caste while discussing caste-related issues — how a religion invented the greatest tool of discrimination by birth, with a structure so hard to fight because of its uniqueness. Otherwise, he always brings in the historical bit to suggest something has been going on since long before Modi came to power.

***

Aayush

You keep saying football and basketball are different from cricket and require more effort, but by the same reasoning, water sports demand far more effort than either. Anyone who disagrees clearly hasn't swum for more than an hour. And both football and basketball actually allow more leisure time than swimming or running do.

As for fitness, cricket does demand it. Sure, you can play without being especially fit — but that's true of every sport; leisure play is fine in any of them. The point is that just because you can, doesn't mean people at the highest level of the sport are doing it too.

You really overlook the mental side of the game. Cricket requires far more focus and concentration than people give it credit for.

I'm spending way too much time on this debate.

***

Manan

An important story that isn't getting media attention is the Anthropic-US government order blocking access to the best AI models for foreign nationals. It's very concerning. There are also many workers being coerced, or paid very little, to hand over their data via camera-mounted helmets. It's a problem out in the open. Our data gets used, but we're gated out of the benefits even when we're willing to pay.

There should be a law ensuring free, unlimited access to any model built on data that someone has contributed to, directly or indirectly.

***

Rushi

I was slightly disappointed by the discussion on Modi and, by extension, Gujarat. The oppression of Gujarat's farmers wasn't discussed at all. This is a very interesting topic, especially with the Gujarat assembly elections coming up in the near future.

***

Anonymous

Generally I wouldn't be anonymous, but I'm not an Indian citizen, and I'm worried that commenting on this could affect my Overseas Citizen of India status — even though what I'm about to say is mostly benign.

Two things. First, Abhinandan said it was a strategic error to name it the "Cockroach Janata Party". But I don't think there was any strategy involved: it started as a meme page on Instagram and Twitter, run from a couch in Boston. I don't think any of the founders expected things to turn out this way — unless Abhinandan has inside information about the involvement of a certain "common man". Just kidding.

Second, I saw a police officer wearing Meta glasses. Could you look into whether the Delhi Police has placed a bulk order for these? It could have broader privacy implications if Meta is supplying such glasses to law enforcement agencies around the world.

***

Madan

I love it when I see former NL and TNM people holding up the same standards and values after moving to a different organisation.

Personal opinions below — I don't mind if you don't read these.

1. CB and Abhinandan are not a good combination for a podcast meant to have varied opinions. (Harsh, perhaps — sorry.)

2. The producers could have done better than CB for the July 24 recording.

***

Utkarsh

Dear Mr Sekhri, I hope you read this letter in the very next Hafta, because it's short and will lose its meaning if read later.

Everything you said about not believing in Gen Z really irked me. I used to think, hum dekhenge. Today I can say it: Mr Sekhri, clock it.

We are a generation that has grown up questioning everything. We grew up reading The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner and countless other stories, each centred on one theme — fighting an oppressive regime. We've learned only one thing: no regime, however strong, is invincible. It will fall.

Unlike the boomers, we haven't given up, and we will keep fighting. We're the ones spamming, going to Delhi to take lathis from the police, requesting tear gas, playing Subway Surfers with the cops. This protest has removed whatever fear we had of the government — the thing they fear most. We are no longer afraid.

***

Samarth

Big fan of the podcast. As a Gen Z subscriber, it pained me that you had Chetan Bhagat on the show last week. What would a washed-up has-been have to say about this protest? It was so much more provocative, relevant and funny than anything he has ever written. #AnyoneButChetan

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