Hafta letters: RSS hold on institutions, dictatorship, Gandhis

This is regarding the discussion on DU professors in Hafta 476. It is known that the BJP has appointed Vice Chancellors who have links with the RSS. But, it’s not just the top level, all levels of staff at DU are people aligned with the RSS. It seems impossible to get hired as a faculty at DU if the candidate doesn’t have any links with the RSS. Highly-qualified candidates with extremely strong research and teaching experience don’t stand a chance if they don’t come with RSS links. This is not limited to social science departments, but even pure sciences. The agenda seems to be complete institutional change which lasts for decades. Not sure if an investigative story can be done on this topic.

Anonymous

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I was jolted by the comments of Anas in Hafta 471. I had been a staunch supporter of uniformity. I thought it was essential in front of law. But when Anas asked the question, my other beliefs came to the forefront. We don’t expect everyone to wear the same size clothes (North Korea ;)). Even in education we go through the different exams after secondary school where a diversity of passing marks is allowed with scoring best of 5.

Even in my professional work, I had been the first to show up in full beard in the office back when it was “not allowed” and my office desk is littered with tiny trinkets considered unsightly and unprofessional by some. Even though I was rebelling against authority in personal/professional space, I could not understand why I supported the UCC. Thanks Anas for your strong views and even passionate defence.

I realize that over UCC, my opinion was irrational and not well-thought out. Unity in diversity does mean that we find common grounds and not enforce uniformity. 

N747

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Hi NL team, just want to highlight that most of the people in the media landscape and otherwise use the words “ruling party”. To me, this is wrong. We should use the words “governing party”. In India, where the tendency is anyway servile, attaching “ruling” to anything even further entrenches this mindset. For me, this is not just semantics, it leaves an impression. 

Keep doing the good work. I’ve been a NL subscriber since the beginning, and have been listening, and reading to NL since 2013 – starting with Dhobi Ghat. 

Atin 

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I was looking into some current affairs news and found a few appointments that were closely linked with the people holding power – from the CAG, CBI , ECI and courts too, and other higher positions. This is how I guess there are less CAG reports and no action from other institutions. Hoping for some reports on how the current government, and older governments did this, and what we can expect for upcoming ones. Note, this is a suggestion, and I would like to hear NL thoughts on this topic.

Vinay Kumar 

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It’s unfair to say that we didn’t see it coming in 2014 on what’s in store with the Modi government. We had already heard about the Ehsaan Jafri case and other cases where he completely eliminated/controlled the opposition parties in Gujarat. Modi does NOTHING that is surprising. 

On RaGa, I think it’s courageous to be bullied by the entire nation for over a decade and still be in the fight. He is the only politician who constantly speaks on Adani, Rafale, etc. Regional parties have been successful in state elections. I think he deserves more credit than what he gets. Our nation has been hijacked by criminals who have extorted a lot of money, which makes them efficient. You give so many resources to Congress and see what they can do. Or maybe it’s not because of the money, you also need a dead conscience to do what the government is doing. Amidst cries for a strong leader, I think there is still space left for a compassionate and democratic leader.

Anonymous

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I want to share something with regards to your assessment of social media making it easy for nutters to find each other. I was not on any platform except Twitter, and I barely ever logged into that. Recently, I had to for a work-related thing, and since I follow some people (like Manisha), who sometimes criticise the country and the government, I suppose Twitter thought I am anti-India and in the “For you” page, I got exposed to vile racist anti-India stuff and I even got to learn a new racist slur used against Indians. I reported the account, but nothing happened for about five days and the account continued to spew hate-filled diatribes and content against our country and its people. I have deleted my Twitter account for the sake of my own sanity. Just wanted to get this off my chest. Thank you for reading.

Anuni Nonymos

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Hi NL team, Thank you for all the reports. I have been following Hafta and Charcha for the last couple of months. I was a subscriber a few years back but was not able to continue my subscription. However, I feel good to be back as a subscriber. I have a question regarding Abhinandan’s comment on the lines that we Indians are conditioned with hierarchy and it comes from the caste system. Not sure if you put the responsibility of that on the people who still believe the hierarchy. I think it is not the failure of the marginalised people who still believe the hierarchy and don’t question power. It is the collective failure of us, the privileged class, that they still live with the psyche of “obeying” the people “above” in the hierarchy. Please provide more clarification on that. 

I love the work of NL and TNM; I am eagerly waiting for the joint election coverage. More power to you. 

Manpreet

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Ms Sonia Gandhi was the fulcrum that paved the way for the success of Congress in 2004. It was all pre-election efforts. Sita Ram Kesari was ousted much before the elections by the Sonia coterie and made Congress President. Abhinandan, in the last episode, bulldozed on the basis of his NDTV stint. Listeners also have their own understanding of events. Not only Neerja Chowdhury, but the writings of Harish Khare and Coomi Kapoor all testify to Madam Sonia's contribution to Congress’s success. The mandate was for her.

Shikhar Ranjan

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Abhinandan being the subject matter, just congratulating him on finally being the apparent lefty WhatsApp uncle without WhatsApp. You conveniently forget that it is your subscriber base that is more educated, and apply the same logic to the larger population. You truly are the editorial elite detached from ground realities. For the degree-fied dumbo middle class, the next central figure of Indian polity, even if hated, will be RaGa in the post Mudi world. Unfortunate truth. 

Priyank

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I liked your reporting on political funding and electoral bonds. Keep up the good work. In Hafta 478, Abhinandan said Sonia Gandhi was a nobody in the 2004 election and Sitaram Kesri had sidelined her. But the fact is Kesri was removed as Congress president in March 1998 itself and Sonia was Congress and UPA president from 1998 onwards. While most political experts predicted the NDA victory in 2004, it was also common knowledge at that time that if the UPA won, Sonia would become PM. Nevertheless, I agree with the overall point made by Abhinandan and Raman sir that it was not a presidential style election on who will be PM until 2014.

Chandrashekar

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Hi team, regarding last week's Hafta, I think it's foolish of Manisha, who blames Rahul Gandhi for everything wrong with the opposition. In terms of a moral concise, he is the only one left. Manisha lives in the media world, where they still believe he is a Pappu, a name carefully caricatured by the likes of Arnab and gang. It's sad that people need leaders who just spew shit regardless of the venom it carries with it.  It was pathetic, just like the Bengal election coverage in 2021.

Somraj Mukherjee

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In connection with Manisha's view of the opposition: Politicians displaying eloquence and intellect, and opposition leaders of any significance have their images tarnished and targeted relentlessly. Rahul is a Burberry endorsing Pappu, Tharoor is a hoity-toity wife-murderer, Mahua is a LouisVetton-toting ‘charitraheen’ Bong,  Didi is an appeaser of Muslims supporting rape, and Stalin is an anti-sanatani. Regional parties cannot get relief funds or even pass bills. Total disregard for democratic principles and morality by the bullies that run India, while ruining every institution, has made it impossible for any opposition leader to be heard. And even when leaders do emerge, they have to sell their Hinduness by chanting hymns and denouncing surnames. If my bigoted, Mandir-loving, gullible, idiotic nation does surprise us in 2024, it will not be due to the voiceless, powerless, and moneyless opposition, but owing to the hubris of the 56-inch man.

Anonymous

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I apologise for the longer letter. 

Abhinandan, twice in the last couple of weeks, suggested what seems to be a deeply held conviction that “Indians” prefer to be ruled or have an inkling towards autocratic leaders. He mentioned it again last week with reference to the Pew Research study.

I personally think talking about voters’ political behaviour and rationale through data-led research, where things are generalised and broken down in numbers, is a poor way to understand individual rationale. A simple yes/no answer to questions will miss out the nuances, unique perspectives, and experiences that individuals bring into the discussion.

There is a distinction between an autocratic leader and a dictator – I am assuming these are being used interchangeably, therefore, I would like to keep my point in relation to the word “dictator”.

With regards to “Indians wanting dictatorship”, it seems to me, this phenomenon has more to do with the communication gap due to one not having a common ground. In fact, later, in the same episode while discussing Sharia law, Abhinandan mentioned how each scholar brings his own interpretation on the table. A similar thing is happening with this whole dictatorship debate.

Abhinandan’s discomfort seems to stem from the way he is contextualising a dictator as someone who rules in accordance to his own will and dominates others to submission. Whereas, Manisha, I feel is more attuned to how perhaps people are contextualising a dictator, that is, as someone who can “get the job done”. This is the dictator, it seems to me, people are voting for rather than someone who would “rule” over them.

The problem here is stemming from the fact that the word itself doesn’t seem to have a common definition, and in the context of India, the word doesn’t invoke a common understanding among the population at large.

Newsance is perhaps the best example to understand how a dictator is perceived in this country, as news anchors promote our Prime Minister not as someone who does things in accordance to his own will, or is ruling and dominating the population (if anything the ruling domination is specifically targeted towards the others ie. the enemies than oneself), but as someone who is the only one who can get the job done.

In a country where there is a general perception of how nothing ever gets done — a perception that is not just limited to the lowest strata of the society but is prevalent in the most educated sections of the society — when a person constantly markets themselves as someone who can get things done, they have a peculiar attraction among the masses. I am quite convinced that if one puts out the question regarding the need for a dictator in Abhinandan’s context, ie a dictator as someone who would rule over them, and act in accordance to his own will, the answer will be an overwhelming no.

And with regards to people wanting leaders who would just get things done, this phenomenon is stemming from the way politics in our times is construed. The rationale is that all means in pursuance of an end can be justified; rules, laws and constitution are obviously a hindrance to it.

If one really believes that in politics the only things that matter is security and life’s interests, and we only need a leader who can “get things done”, one would have no reason to reject a dictator. If anything, he is in a perfect position to deliver security and “get things done” as he will not be hindered by any intervention of different voices among his equals, while striving to “get things done.”

Anonymous