Hafta letters: Hafta on YouTube, accountability, election coverage

Last week’s letters:

Hi NL team,

I wanted to express my appreciation for your coverage throughout this election season, culminating with the live broadcast on June 4. I have often been an armchair critic of your shows (Abhinandan’s ‘book review’ with Mehdi Hasan being a case in point). The last few months, however, have been great. 

Bringing in some wonderful journalists to work alongside your own stellar cohort was definitely an ace move. Sreenivasan Jain’s ‘Claim vs Reality’ is worth a special mention, as is Karma Paljor’s coverage of the Northeast, and Sudipto’s ‘What's your ism’. 

I also appreciate your efforts to bring on board some BJP voices, although I couldn’t quite agree with them (Surabhi Hodigere) and found some of them most painful to listen to (some voices of the aam janata). It’s good to get out of the echo chamber occasionally! :-P

So, on the whole, thank you for all your effort to give me my money’s worth. I appreciate the hard work from the whole team. Hats off to you!

Shailaja Mani

***

I love that you asked a subscriber in Denmark to represent NL and accept the award for the app. This gesture touched my heart, not just because I’m a subscriber too, but also because this shows how much you value collaboration and community. This turns the consumerist model of paying for content on its head! I like to feel that we are not just consumers, but are also responsible for and have a stake in your reporting. Congratulations, jug jug jiyo!

Is it actually possible to have meetups for willing subscribers in Europe, without an NL facilitator too? Would be great to meet more people from the community, since NL subscribers seem to be fairly thoughtful people with informed opinions. :)

PS: Also, congratulations on the BJ Party losing absolute majority on its own. Hopefully, parliament will be parliament again. You know, real discussion and all that bare minimum democracy.

Paarit

***

Hi Newslaundry team, thank you for your amazing coverage this election and all the hard work. You all deserve an applause, and a mental break. 

I would like to reiterate that we should not let questions about voter suppression and the attitude of the EC slide just because the results, according to the opposition, are on the expected lines. The EC needs a hard grilling on conducting elections in dangerous heat, and its authoritarian attitude. The poor will not always be so motivated to come out and voice their concern if the cost of casting their vote keeps increasing. Also, is there any possibility of making our beloved babus accountable for anything? I feel the power they wield is disproportionate to their qualifications which is basically passing a 10th grade level exam. I feel the Indian public has been carrying the incompetence of these babus on their backs for far too long.

Modibhakt

***

Hello,

I know there is a word limit, so please know that I appreciate your entire team for your hard work and for standing for democracy.

What I wanted to point out is that none of you (unless I missed it) talked about the fact that the election phase in Punjab was on June 1, the 40th anniversary of the 1984 attack on Shri Akal Takht. As much as my heart bleeds and aches for that, I would vote for the Congress 10 times over before thinking about voting for a communal party such as the BJP. It is so despicable and deplorable on part of the EC to arrange it this way, and there is no denying why they did this.

Jagroop Kaur

***

This week’s letters:

FIX YOUR APP. The new iOS app keeps crashing every time I try to open it.

I really love the work you guys are doing, especially with the recent election on ground coverage. I would like to see more political interviews (Don’t care if it’s just the opposition since the governing party is not interested).

Love you 3000 🙂🙂🙂

Tarun Arora

***

Hi NL Team,

This is my understanding after listening to one year of Hafta and Charcha: On the cusp of beginning the south Hafta, my analysis is that we have some common things to expect from Dhanya ma'am and Raman sir (technical); Abhinandan sir and Sudipto sir (ranting mid-age guys); Manisha ma’am and Atul sir (striving liberals); Jayashree ma’am and Shardool sir (leftist critical of liberals); and Anand sir (Fali Nariman) and Hridayesh sir (Ravish Kumar). 

Pooja ma’am will be a guest entry to balance it out. For the south Hafta, can we have the title Maamooli, considering the south Indian language diversity. I feel that it’s a term that resonates across south India (I don’t know about Kerala). Think of it this way – the thugs and goons take vasooli from the public, and we are asking for Maamooli from the political class.

Chetan Bhaskar 

***
Sudipto Mondal is a self-opinionated bore just like Mehraj used to be when he was with Newslaundry. People who love the sound of their voices are rarely interesting. The sooner he realises it the better, for him and for the listeners.

Kaushik Jayaram 

***

Hello NL, 

This man is a top government employee! How? I am at a loss for words.

Mahendra

***

I am writing to seek some insights into Hema Malini’s repeated electoral victories in Mathura. Despite my own perspective, I’m genuinely curious to understand the factors contributing to her ongoing success in this constituency. Could you please provide some analysis or explain the dynamics at play?

Is there a sage at Newslaundry who can shed light on this mystery? Otherwise, I’m at a loss to understand how the people of Mathura keep making the same idiotic choice.

Mohit

***

Manisha observed the sentiment on the ground that the Ram temple is not what the public has access to. A Marathi film, Deool (Temple), released in 2011, depicted this phenomenon aptly. It is available on Prime. 

Manali Satam 

***
Hi NL Team, 

I have loved watching Hafta on YouTube these past few months, and the Chotta Hafta just doesn’t cut it! Is there any way for subscribers to watch the full length Hafta in video format? Thank you for all the work you do!

Joseph Colaco 

***
These middle class Indian citizens would appreciate ED/CBI to step in and act, and not run after opposition leaders into arm-twisting them into joining the governing party.

Why can’t ED/CBI /I-T check the source of income or money trail of these fraudsters who call themselves psephologists and predict exit polls under instructions.

These central agencies should check from where these “experts” get funds for “predicting” and fooling people.

Anonymous

***

Dear NL Team, 

Is a video version of NL Hafta available? When the podcast was outside of the paywall on YouTube, I found the podcast better since I could see the guests who were speaking and their reactions to the topic being discussed. Request you to bring back the video version of the podcast on the NL website.

Cyril 

***
Hey team,

I love what you do and have always enjoyed listening to Hafta. During the last election season, it was great to watch your team speak as well on YouTube. I have a question. Do we have access to the video recording of NL Hafta? I couldn’t find it anywhere on the website. If not, could that be made accessible? While the audio is great, we miss out on the expressions during Abhinandan’s banter. Thanks!

Nithin 

***

For two glorious months, Hafta spoiled us with your lovely faces in video format. Now that it’s back to audio, I’m not sure what to do with myself. How can I go back to just listening after seeing your amazing good looks? Please, for the sake of our eyes and sanity, bring back the video format on the NL app!

Noaman Khan

***

Hi NL Team, 

Now that there’s been a rupture in Modi’s hegemony over our public life, are NL and others planning to inquire into the mainstream media and the kind of deals and compromises it struck with the government these past 10 years? 

So far, much of this has been in the realm of speculation. I wonder if we’ll ever find out the truth. 

Thank you for doing what you do. Keep up the good work.

Ramya Boddupalli 

***

Hi, 

I just really, really, really want you to do a takedown of this right wing YouTuber, Sham Sharma. He even claims to have “EXPOSED” you in this video.

You could do it on Hafta or Charcha, or Newsance. But please make it a thing. In fact, NL Responds could be a series where you reply to such online attacks and allegations.

PS: Sham Sharma used to be a friend till he became this openly bigoted. But he was always a pathological liar and peddler of half truths. I’m not giving you any keenly observed insight. His aversion to reason and truth became fairly evident 30 seconds into the video. 

Anonymous

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