NL Hafta

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here's a little sneak peek into the complete episode where the panel discusses everything from judges’ vacation terms, Section 377, Jayant Sinha’s garlanding of convicted lynchers who were out on bail, to the SC-Centre Taj Mahal tussle, the misogynistic adultery law, Netflix’s Sacred Games and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of NL Hafta features Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Madhu Trehan and Raman Kirpal, who are joined by Jaskirat Singh Bawa of The Quint as they discuss everything from judges’ vacation terms, to Jayant Sinha’s garlanding of convicted lynchers who were out on bail, and more.The panel first debates whether a 2-month break for judges is an indulgence. “The judiciary is stuck in a colonial condition. The vacation is from the colonial times, where the government moved to Shimla….It’s a matter of what you adjust to," says Madhu. “Having reported from the SC for 5-6 years, it is definitely an indulgence for the duration of time. Sure, a vacation could be well-deserved for the judges who are actually working 9 to 9…I can say for sure that none of the stakeholders who are actually involved…will support reductions in their vacation time, adds Jaskirat.The panel then discusses the ongoing Section 377 hearing at the Supreme Court. Speaking about the Centre’s reluctance to take a stand on the issue, Madhu says, “I would think that their inkling is to always veer towards the conservative, because their assumption is that their vote bank is more conservative.”Jaskirat expresses his views of Justices Singhvi and Mukhopadhyay, who reversed the Section 377 ruling in 2013: “They refused to recognise that criminalising this act is leading to misuse of it by the executive.”“Even if they agree to decriminalise 377, it is going to open a Pandora’s Box after that, because right now, they think we’re only dealing with decriminalising Section 377 and not talking in terms of gay marriage and other stuff," adds Raman.The panel then discusses the Supreme Court’s upholding of the death penalty for the perpetrators involved in the Nirbhaya rape case of 2012.In terms of the media coverage it got, Abhinandan points out, “It was a recurring theme across channels, if death comes after six years, is it still justice?” This is followed by a discussion on the Yakub Memon trial, death row, and the panel’s views on the death penalty.Next, the discussion moves to BJP politician Jayant Sinha’s garlanding of six persons who had been bailed from prison after being convicted of lynching in Jharkhand.The panel also offers their thoughts on why he would do such a thing. Jaskirat says, “At the end of the day, closer to the elections, they have to be active or closer to their vote base.” Madhu agrees, adding, “All the decisions are being taken with 2019 in mind.” Raman, feels the same, “The idea is to polarise and that is why it is happening.” On the other hand, Abhinandan feels it is a case of a son rebelling against his father.Abhinandan then suggests some explainers on the issue of ‘eminent status’ being granted to the proposed Jio Institute. For more on this, the SC-Centre tussle on the Taj Mahal, the misogynistic adultery law, and Netflix’s Sacred Games, listen in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal, along with Rohin Verma, Amit Bhardwaj and our special guest Abhishek Dey from Scroll.in.Kicking off the discussion, Amit says Jio got quite some coverage. “Jio is like any other telecom network in the country, why do you have to show it [as much] or give wall-to-wall coverage to whatever is happening during the launch? I think a small package or a couple of online stories would do, unless Jio is paying a lot of money.”Cherry adds, “In that case, they should have been putting a disclaimer, if it was about money in return for coverage.”Speaking about an event that was under-reported, Amit says, “Around 14,000 political activists and bandh supporters were on the streets and were detained by Jharkhand police. Majorly, none of the news channels gave it coverage during the day.”Abhishek speaks about the media's coverage of mob lynchings fuelled by WhatsApp rumours about child-lifters in Assam. “There are two things which are operating [contributing], primarily, one is the fear of the outsider, and the other would be technology. The victims in all these cases are outsiders.”Abhishek also speaks about how the idea of a child-lifter that was traditionally used to control the behaviour of children is now manifesting into a mob culture. "When we look into these kinds of things, we should always correlate them with development indices," he adds. “The solution should be designed in the context of the people which it is aimed for," comments Cherry.Rohin feels that lynching doesn’t seem to be an issue for the general public. “Jo humare regional akhbaar hai, unme iss tarah ki khabrein aa nahi rahi hain, aur bohot kam aa rahi hain, toh logon ke liye lynching koi bohot badi samasya nahi hai.”He adds, “WhatsApp ka iss tareekey ka prabhav hai ki padha-likha aadmi bhi apni padhai ko galat manta hai aur WhatsApp ko sahi manta hai. [The impact of WhatsApp is such that even educated people attach more value to WhatsApp over their own learning].”To which Cherry states, “I think it underlines the importance of making media literacy a part of school curriculum.”Rohin then speaks about a report that no one seems to be covering -- a story about the displacement of villagers of the Mahadalit community from Chamandih village in Bihar’s Gaya. The villagers were evicted from their land by Indian Railways. The story received no local coverage, save for a small piece in Dainik Jagran.For this and more, listen up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode opens with a discussion on the 'No Scars cream' advertisement sent in by a listener. Rajyasree describes her experience of watching the advertisement as, “No Scars is a whitening cream, and darkness is like a scar. I just found it bizarre, and it’s so badly written, this ad.”Then, a chat about the government’s new PSA on mosquitoes. “Whoever’s made that ad either loves mosquitoes or hates children," says Abhinandan.Next, a discussion on Netflix’s first original Indian series, Sacred Games. “The production quality, the scripting, the acting, they’ve just nailed it," remarks Rajyasree. “There are very few things that one could say is wrong with this series," Abhinandan adds.On the use of voiceover and file footage as commentary for Indian pop culture of the time, Abhinandan remarks, “I think it works because it had political context, but sometimes, I felt it was a bit forced.” Varun Grover, a co-writer of the show, joins the panel. On the source material, he says, “There are some characters we have removed from the book…because we wanted to focus on the religion and the thriller element, and the war of civilizations in a way.”Then, a glimpse into the writing process: “We started meeting in August 2016, and discussing the ideas, themes, and characters. After 3 months, we started fleshing out the thing into a major season arc. Third stage came in January 2017 when we started writing the episode outlines, putting together all the character arcs, and putting them under the POV of Sartaj or Gaintonde.” This was followed by a year of writing episodes.Grover also discusses working with the source material’s author. “Vikram Chandra has been very generous and open to new ideas. When we shared it with him the first time, he never asked us ‘why did you drop this’….he just accepted it and start giving ideas on how to improve it.”For more on this, RJs giving love advice, and the trailer of Fanney Khan, listen up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

दिल्ली में तीन साल से चल रहे आप और एलजी के अधिकारों के विवाद पर आया सुप्रीम कोर्ट का फैसला, बच्चा चोरी के अफवाह पर देश भर में हो रही मॉब लिंचिग की घटनाएं, भारत में महिलाओं की असुरक्षा को लेकर आया थॉमसन रॉयटर्स का सर्वेक्षण, असम में चल रहे एनआरसी के आंकड़े और खरीफ की फसल पर बढ़ाया गया न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य व अन्य मुद्दे इस हफ्ते न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री चर्चा के मुख्य विषय रहे.एनडीटीवी की वरिष्ठ पत्रकार नग़मा सहर और स्वतंत्र पत्रकार मनीषा भल्ला इस बार की चर्चा के विशिष्ट अतिथि थे. उनके साथ पैनल में मौजूद थे न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री संवाददाता अमित भारद्वाज. न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के कार्यकारी संपादक अतुल चौरसिया ने चर्चा का संचालन किया. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on NL Hafta, with special guest Amitoj Singh, we discuss the Supreme Court’s judgment on the power tussle between the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Arvind Kejriwal, as well as its interpretations. We also discuss reports of the President being mistreated at Jagannath Temple, WhatsApp rumour-triggered mob lynchings, and finally, the National Register of Citizens, which is creating quite a ruckus in Assam.Meghnad breaks down the SC judgment: “What this judgment has solved is, essentially, that they have to communicate their decisions to the LG, but don’t have to wait for his approval. If the LG feels that they have taken a decision that is unconstitutional, that is when he has to step in, so he can’t just sit on files.”Amitoj offers his thoughts on the judgment. “The language of this 535-page order is so complicated, it is making lives suffer…from all the interpretations of all my colleagues…there is not a single word of reprimand for the 3.5 years of the loss of [governance and] for the people of Delhi, that was stalled by the LG. This one keyword, is the real issue out here—‘interpretation’.” The panel then points out some humorous sections from the judgment.The panel also talks about why it took four days for the President’s office to clarify that the President wasn’t, in fact, mistreated at the Puri temple, even when it dominated national headlines.Madhu joins the panel to weigh in on the Kejriwal issue. “He really doesn’t know that to get work done you actually have to get along with people.”Amitoj says, “Whenever you are kind and whenever you are diplomatic, things slow down, and that’s not his style.” Madhu insists that she is “not asking him to be diplomatic, but strategic”. Meghnad agrees, adding, “Sure, there might be some level of vindictiveness from the Central government as well, but at the end of the day, you have to figure out how to get work done, that’s what governance is all about.”Abhinandan takes a firmer stance on AAP, stating, “Unless they can shake the system to the core, they should disband. I don’t want a male Sheila Dixit.” Madhu feels that unless “you shake up the system to make the bureaucrats more responsive…it is not beneficial to anybody”. Amitoj makes a case for Kejriwal, “He is not doing things which he wants to do perhaps which other states can.” Abhinandan feels that the Washington model is “too radical for the way the system is right now”.The panel subsequently speaks about WhatsApp rumour-triggered mob lynchings that are taking place across the country.Meghnad provides context on one such viral forward. “One video being circulated was done by a charity fighting to save abducted children in Pakistan. Their end message—which is ‘Save Children in Karachi from Getting Kidnapped’ has been cut off—and only one portion, a mock-thing about 2 adults lifting children, is getting circulated everywhere, along with photos of random people and…number plates.”Madhu offers her thoughts. “To me, WhatsApp by itself has become a lynch mob. People are mindlessly forwarding things…in the 40s and 50s, moral character was held up as something to aspire to….ab toh puri sharam utar gayi hai.” She feels that the crux of the problem lies in the fact that “it’s so acceptable to do these things”. The solution she proposes? “Rather than asking WhatsApp to control it…I think the government would be fully authorised and supported to do propaganda on Doordarshan. Instead of putting out stories on the achievements of the government….this is their opportunity to even create a serial based on the damage WhatsApp can do.”For more, listen in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on NL Hafta, with special guest Amitoj Singh, we discuss the Supreme Court’s judgment on the power tussle between the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Arvind Kejriwal, as well as its interpretations. We also discuss reports of the President being mistreated at Jagannath Temple, WhatsApp rumour-triggered mob lynchings, and finally, the National Register of Citizens, which is creating quite a ruckus in Assam.Meghnad breaks down the SC judgment: “What this judgment has solved is, essentially, that they have to communicate their decisions to the LG, but don’t have to wait for his approval. If the LG feels that they have taken a decision that is unconstitutional, that is when he has to step in, so he can’t just sit on files.”Amitoj offers his thoughts on the judgment. “The language of this 535-page order is so complicated, it is making lives suffer…from all the interpretations of all my colleagues…there is not a single word of reprimand for the 3.5 years of the loss of [governance and] for the people of Delhi, that was stalled by the LG. This one keyword, is the real issue out here—‘interpretation’.” The panel then points out some humorous sections from the judgment.The panel also talks about why it took four days for the President’s office to clarify that the President wasn’t, in fact, mistreated at the Puri temple, even when it dominated national headlines.Madhu joins the panel to weigh in on the Kejriwal issue. “He really doesn’t know that to get work done you actually have to get along with people.”Amitoj says, “Whenever you are kind and whenever you are diplomatic, things slow down, and that’s not his style.” Madhu insists that she is “not asking him to be diplomatic, but strategic”. Meghnad agrees, adding, “Sure, there might be some level of vindictiveness from the Central government as well, but at the end of the day, you have to figure out how to get work done, that’s what governance is all about.”Abhinandan takes a firmer stance on AAP, stating, “Unless they can shake the system to the core, they should disband. I don’t want a male Sheila Dixit.” Madhu feels that unless “you shake up the system to make the bureaucrats more responsive...it is not beneficial to anybody".  Amitoj makes a case for Kejriwal, “He is not doing things which he wants to do perhaps which other states can.” Abhinandan feels that the Washington model is “too radical for the way the system is right now”.The panel subsequently speaks about WhatsApp rumour-triggered mob lynchings that are taking place across the country.Meghnad provides context on one such viral forward. “One video being circulated was done by a charity fighting to save abducted children in Pakistan. Their end message—which is ‘Save Children in Karachi from Getting Kidnapped’ has been cut off—and only one portion, a mock-thing about 2 adults lifting children, is getting circulated everywhere, along with photos of random people and...number plates.”Madhu offers her thoughts. “To me, WhatsApp by itself has become a lynch mob. People are mindlessly forwarding things…in the 40s and 50s, moral character was held up as something to aspire to….ab toh puri sharam utar gayi hai." She feels that the crux of the problem lies in the fact that “it’s so acceptable to do these things”. The solution she proposes? “Rather than asking WhatsApp to control it…I think the government would be fully authorised and supported to do propaganda on Doordarshan. Instead of putting out stories on the achievements of the government….this is their opportunity to even create a serial based on the damage WhatsApp can do.”For more, listen in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here's a little sneak peek into the complete episode where we discuss Supreme Court's verdict on the Kejriwal-LG standoff, NRC in Assam, WhatsApp rumours-triggered mob lynchings and more.You can listen to the full Hafta here (https://bit.ly/2ua2gdj) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rahul Puri and Samar Khan discuss once again the vagaries of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2018. Speaking from London, Rahul reflects upon how the underdogs have broken into the quarter-finals in this edition of the World Cup after vanquishing their stronger opponents through extraordinary football and athletic grit. He thinks that even though the big players are expected to make it into the advanced stages, “it is the other side of the draw that I think has got a lot of the mystery about it.” Samar observes that World Cups differ because they demonstrate “defensive mindsets” across teams: “There is not the attacking, free-flowing football that we’re used to seeing -- the kind of football people pay to see. Teams are actually slugging it out.” Rahul says that even though that might be true for the first two rounds of the group stage, he points out that “the second round has been full of goals, I think the last stages of the group stage was also full of goals.” The two discuss questions surrounding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) again with Rahul confronting Samar’s criticism that the technology is obstructive to the flow of the game. He argues that it has affected teams, who no longer get away with foul play. However, he says, “My only problem with VAR is: what about the times when it doesn’t seem like a very consistent system?”The big players are discussed at length in the podcast with the duo remarking how each of them can clinch the much-coveted trophy. “If I was a betting man,” Rahul says “I’d probably put my semi-finals as France-Belgium and Croatia-England. And I’m looking at France-England final.” “Well, I am a betting man, so that’s where the money is,” Samar shoots back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Reporters Without Orders has our in-house reporter Amit Bhardwaj joining our host Cherry Agrawal, along with special guests Vishakha Saxena from Asia Times and Arunabh Saikia from Scroll.in.The discussion kicks off with Cherry asking the participants to comment on the Supreme Court’s decision to extend the deadline to publish the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to July 30th. Arunabh comments on how the government is planning to establish the number of citizens in Assam and how it will affect them. “It’s a complicated process," he says, which necessitates one to “establish their connection to someone who was there before 1971...this could be anything from your father or grandfather’s name on a voter list before 1971.” Speaking about the verification processes, Arunabh explains that the process is long, as different states need to send in their data in the case of migrants. “It’s clear to everyone in the state that this could be horrific…because currently illegal migrants are being held in detention camps.” Arunabh remarks that it is a “bleak future ahead”.Citing a report by The Hindu on the Citizen Amendment Bill, Cherry asks if this Bill is the method by which the “government is trying to change the definition of illegal migrants”. She also asks about the possible impact of the Bill, if passed, on the NRC list.Arunabh responds, “They are kind of changing who a foreigner is in India. If the Bill is enforced, then the NRC process becomes largely redundant…what it does is, it makes six years of a gigantic bureaucratic process largely redundant.” He also remarks that it is “essentially an anti-Muslim Bill.”The panel also discusses the local and national media's coverage of the NRC.  While Arunabh feels that the quantity of coverage was sufficient, he says that “the coverage could have been better” in terms of the quality. According to him, the issue of illegal migrants in Assam is an “immensely complex one. There are multiple academic interpretations." He adds,  "It is definitely xenophobic to a certain extent, but there was also an element of class struggle."Amit joins in. He asks Arunabh if there is a tendency to cover bizarre comments made by leaders instead of covering issues of governance and the “morally corrupt” appointment of officials, citing the Tripura governor’s recommendation of a BJP member to be appointed to the government.Arunabh agrees, he adds that there is much more to be covered in Tripura other than Biplab’s statements. Perhaps its harder to find these stories as “covering corruption requires the reporter to be underground, go through paperwork…it requires real digging which a lot of us find hard to do”, he adds.Now over to Vishakha, who feels that the June 26 Thomson Reuters survey which found that India was the most dangerous country for women was “quite under-reported and the reaction to it was also quite conflicting". Cherry disagrees, pointing to prime-time debates about the survey on news channels such as NewsX and CNN-News18.While there can be some contention about the methodology, because of the small sample size of 550 experts, the report should rather have been used as a trigger for a larger debate, Cherry says.“We don’t need any Thomson Reuters report or any UN report to realise what is happening in our country," comments Amit.Vishakha, Amit, and Arunabh also weigh in on gender equality in the newsroom. Then there are Amit's remarks about PM Modi’s recent goof-up in his speech in Maghar which was under-reported. There's more, listen up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.