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.In this episode of NL Hafta, host Abhinandan Sekhri is joined by Hafta regulars Anand Vardhan and Manisha Pande, and special guests Arunabh Saikia, staff writer at Scroll, and economics journalist Vivek Kaul. The discussion revolves around the Citizenship Bill, the Reservation Bill, Alok Verma's reinstation and more.Arunabh talks about the Citizenship Bill and its impact on Assamese politics. “Is it even possible that no Indian is left out?” Abhinandan asks. Moving on to the Reservation Bill, Vivek says, “Reservation is useful when the government is creating jobs.”Manisha talks about the laws surrounding private radio news broadcasting and the pro-government bulletins (or lack thereof) on AIR. The panel debates whether the general public is interested in the #CBIvsCBI case, and HS Phoolka's resignation from the Aam Aadmi Party.Listen to the full episode here: https://www.newslaundry.com/2019/01/11/chhota-hafta-episode-206

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In the latest episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss BCCI’s notice to Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul for their appearance on Koffee with Karan, the Golden Globes, the new Uber Eats advertisement, The Mule, the Gully Boy trailer, and Backstreet Boys being back—again!The discussion begins with a quick tussle between our hosts over Rajyasree’s accusation that Koffee with Karan is a Graham Norton Show rip-off. Rajyasree also points out the irony of BCCI being the moral police in light of the complaints against BCCI’s CEO. Both agree that the degree of reaction to Pandya’s alleged misogyny is unwarranted and that it's more important to call out Karan Johar’s “infantile humour”.Rajyasree then talks about Clint Eastwood’s The Mule, based on the true story of Leo Sharp. They praise the cast, especially Eastwood and his “grasp on cinema”, nominating him for a lifetime achievement award at age 90. Abhinandan was put off by the “easiness” of the film and the “goody-goodiness of the resolution” despite being greatly impressed by Eastwood.The conversation moves to the Golden Globes. Abhinandan and Rajyasree praise Christian Bale and Glenn Close’s speeches, the former for his humour and the latter for bringing to the fore the struggle of women to be accepted both as mothers and professionals. They then discuss the Uber Eats ad, “Alia’s Tinda Moment”. Rajyasree says the ad was cute but not very compelling. Abhinandan expresses his problem with Alia Bhatt—though he thinks “she is the best actor of her generation”, because of her “child’s face”, her sexuality on screen makes him feel “queasy”.Abhinandan isn't very excited about Gully Boy because he believes hip-hop is very culturally specific to the US so it cannot be entirely transposed to Bombay. He is more excited about the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Sonchiraiya, which is “a Paan Singh Tomar marries Bandit Queen and gives birth to a Gangs of Wasseypur kind of thing”.Finally, our hosts do not see the point of the Backstreet Boys' mushy comeback. They discuss how the main message of their latest video is that family is the most important thing in life. Featuring the Backstreet Boys with their wives and children, it promotes a heteronormative idea of family. “Yeh music video wagera unke bas ka raha nahin (this music video stuff is not in their league any more),” Abhinandan remarks.Tune in for more!

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This week Reporters Without Orders features Cherry Agarwal in conversation with Newslaundry’s Ayush Tiwari, The Print's Amrita Nayak Dutta and Economic & Political Weekly’s Tejas Harad. In this episode, among other things, the panel discusses the #QuotaBill, which allows for 10 per cent reservation for economically weak sections of people belonging to the general category in jobs and education.The podcast kicks off with Ayush talking about Greater Kashmir’s misinterpretation of Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s interview. Amrita speaks about media's coverage of the Indian Science Congress, where outlandish claims were made, while Cherry talks about media's coverage of the #CitizenshipAmendmentBill.Tejas doubts that the #QuotaBill “will stand judicial scrutiny”. He explains the long judicial and legislative process required to bring such a quota into effect. He says it is not being opposed by other political stakeholders because it would eliminate the upper-caste vote. The panel also discusses the Supreme Court's stand on an economic criterion being used for reservation and why this bill will involve amending Article 15 (4).The panel then goes on to discuss, in the context of caste, whether “people of a community being the torchbearers of the narrative” is necessary to rectify the discourse on caste. Ayush identified this to be a part of the larger debate on whether only those with the lived experiences of prejudice must be the dominant voices in the discourse.Amrita spoke about her story on the government’s attempts to monitor the media, as well as Information and Broadcasting minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's response. Ayush argues that “it is not negative coverage, but real journalism at stake here”.For all this and more, listen up!

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In this episode of NL Hafta 202, the regular Hafta gang of Manisha Pande, Abhinandan Sekhri, and Anand Vardhan is joined by Saurabh Dwivedi, founder-editor of Lallantop.Saurabh, who travelled for a month in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the run-up to the elections, has some great insights to share. The team discusses the reasons for Congress’ victory in the Hindi heartland and whether it will have any bearing on the 2019 general election.Saurabh explains how PM Modi failed as a communicator in Chhattisgarh and why his speeches didn’t click with the masses.Anand tells us why political analysis as we see in news media is overrated. Abhinandan says the Assembly results were not Rahul Gandhi’s Pappu-pass-ho-gaya moment, but more a failure of the BJP government.The Hafta gang also discusses the resignation of RBI chief Urjit Patel and his successor Shaktikanta Das. Abhinandan says: "...the way everyone is dismissing him on his degree, I disagree with that...I will not diss him on that."Finally, the team discusses the Ambani wedding and what it means to be as rich as Mukesh Ambani.Listen up!

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Welcome to the first episode of NL Hafta in 2019! Host Abhinandan Sekhri is joined by the regular gang of Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Anand Vardhan, and special guest Dushyant Arora, lawyer and chief editor of News Central 24x7.The conversation starts with Abhinandan asking the panellists their views on ANI editor Smita Prakash’s interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The interview's earned a fair share of commentary and dissent, primarily against the journalist for being too soft on the PM. Anand takes the lead on the issue, saying he does not find it objectionable if a member of the media is respectful to a man in Modi's position. “That is the dignity the office carries, not the individual,” he says. But is it really respect or is it diffidence? Dushyant says, “The dignity of the office … is enhanced with greater questioning.”The panel then discusses the 28 counts of criminal defamation filed by Anil Ambani against various news organisations. Dushyant weighs in with a legal perspective, describing how the provisions of the NSA stack the odds against the accused, and how defamation has historically been used as a tool to "intimidate and silence" journalists.The conversation shifts to the 620-kilometre human wall formed by women in Kerela. Abhinandan notes that the effort was backed by the state to support the feminist struggle regarding entry of women of menstrual age into Sabarimala temple. Manisha candidly says the act, while commendable, didn’t really move her. She says this is not where “the heart of the feminist battle lies”. Dushyant adds that the act of conducting a shudhikaran after two women managed to enter the temple is unconstitutional.Moving on to the BJP-Congress faceoff about making a rendition of Vande Mataram, Abhinandan says, “For any society to progress, there has to be an active opposition of defiance for such things.” The panel unanimously spoke against this, as well as the mandate that requires movie theatres to play the national anthem and viewers to stand in a perfunctory display of patriotism.Another issue that sparked impassioned discussion from the panel was the leaked Rafale audio clip. They raised questions and expressed curiosity about the identity of the elusive “Mr X”—the journalist heard in conversation with Goa minister Vishwajit Rane. Abhinandan points out this oversight in the reportage of the issue on primetime news channels.Tune in to NL Hafta to find out more!

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This week’s Reporters without Orders features host Cherry Agarwal in conversation with Ayush Tiwari, Scroll staff writer Shoaib Daniyal, Newslaundry special correspondent Prateek Goyal, and Indian Express Digital correspondent from Kerala, Vishnu Varma. Conversations range from Triple Talaq to Sabarimala to Bhima Koregaon. Ayush starts off by expressing his disapproval on the lack of coverage on the recent Transgender Persons Bill and its flaws. Shoaib talks about his dissatisfaction over the lack of coverage of Bangladesh's controversial polls which took place last week. The panel discusses the "quid pro quo" relationship between Sheikh Hasina and the Modi government.The discussion moves to the Triple Talaq bill and its peculiar clauses. Shoaib says the Catch-22 is that “although 'talaq talaq talaq’ does not annul the marriage, it can put you in jail”. The panellists then analyse the motivations behind either side of the debate in relation to Muslim women vote banks and male victimisation. They discuss the historical developments within Muslim personal law and alimony regulations during the Shah Bano case.Prateek joins in to discuss Bhima Koregaon. He commends the way the Maharashtra Police handled the large crowds to prevent violence. They banned certain activist groups and performers and placed countless cameras in an attempt to mitigate chaos and rioting. Prateek says he's fairly satisfied with the ample coverage of Bhima Koregaon this year. Next, Vishnu reports on the latest developments at Sabarimala temple and how two women in their 40s entered it. Cherry asks if this incident will serve as an example for other women to break discriminatory pilgrimage rules.For all this and more, listen up!

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It's the first episode of 2019, and our hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the Saudi Arabia-centric episode of Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act, Netflix series Selection Day, and the Netflix special of Black Mirror's Bandersnatch, among other things.Rajyasree recommends the controversial Saudi Arabia of Patriot Act for its wit and timing. Both hosts disapprove of Netflix pulling the episode down in Saudi Arabia after a complaint from authorities. “It is a shame because rather than more information reaching places that were behind and Iron Curtained, it seems that the Iron Curtain is extending to places that didn’t have one earlier,” says Abhinandan.They talk about the Netflix series Selection Day, based on a book by the same name by Aravind Adiga. Rajyasree summarises the plot and says she recommends it because you could probably watch the entire thing in a single sitting. She does however think the story was somewhat underdeveloped.Discussing the episode Bandersnatch from the Black Mirror series, Abhinandan is stridently against the concept, though Rajyasree found it entertaining. He says he doesn't endorse the episode's USP, which is the "cheap thrill" of being able to choose where the story goes. He says it seems to solely cater to video game fanatics, which is “a hell of a subset". He adds, "It was a lot of content consumption to cater to a gimmick.”Next, the pair review the Netflix thriller Bird Box, which had a record viewership in the first week of its release. “Watch it for the gruesomeness,” says Rajyshree, "if you’re into that sort of thing." She says while she enjoyed the "graphic" cinematography, the film can be slightly unrealistic and tiresome with its overused dystopian-world, single-parent-protecting-the-children shindig.Moving away from the Netflix universe, Abhinandan and Rajyasree discuss Rajeev Masand’s Actresses Roundtable 2018. They unanimously condemn Rani Mukherjee, saying she comes across as an under-informed, overly opinionated person who is self-aware of her superiority being “Aditya Chopra’s wife, so she rules the roost,” says Rajyasree.Our hosts also talk about the recent passing of two artists: Kader Khan, whom Abhinandan calls “crass, but prolific” and praises him for being self-made, and filmmaker Mrinal Sen, of whose work Rajyasree has mixed views.Tune in for more!

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In 1968, Narayan Singh Chauhan joined an uprising that was painting Indian jungles red. Joined by comrades from different parts of the country, he was there to fight feudal lords, emancipate the peasants and crush the state. In his three year-long involvement with the Naxalite insurgency, Chauhan was involved in multiple encounters and also admits to killing a revenue-collector.Tune in to this snippet of Let's Talk About: Naxalism - Part 1 to listen to his story. Listen to the full episode here: https://www.newslaundry.com/2019/01/02/lets-talk-about-naxalism-part-1Subscribe to Newslaundry to listen to the full version.You can also listen to all our podcasts on iOS and Android.iOS: http://apple.co/2iZhEq1Android: http://bit.ly/2jTtG3x

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इस हफ्ते चर्चा का मुख्य विषय रहा नेशनल इंवेस्टिगेशन एजेंसी द्वारा 17 जगहों पर छापा मारकर आईएस के 10 कथित आतंकियों की गिरफ्तारी. इसके अलावा नोएडा के पार्क होने वाली जुमे की नमाज को लेकर पैदा हुआ विवाद, गृह मंत्रालय द्वारा 10 सुरक्षा और खुफिया एजेंसियों को किसी के भी कंप्यूटर डाटा निगरानी की अनुमति और पांच राज्यों के विधानसभा चुनावों परिणाम के बाद आया नितिन गडगरी का बयान भी चर्चा में शामिल रहे. इसके बाद से अटकलें लगाई जा रही हैं कि भाजपा के शीर्ष नेतृत्व में खटपट चल रही है.इस बार की चर्चा में बतौर मेहमान हिदुस्तान टाइम्स के एसोसिएट एडिटर राजेश आहुजा शामिल हुए.  साथ ही न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के असिस्टेंट एडिटर राहुल कोटियल भी चर्चा का हिस्सा रहे. हमेशा की तरह चर्चा का संचालनन्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के कार्यकारी संपादक अतुल चौरसिया ने किया.चर्चा की शुरुआत करते हुए अतुल ने राजेश से सवाल किया, "एनआईए द्वारा की गई कार्रवाई की टाइमिंग को लेकर जो सवाल खड़े हो रहे है कि चुनाव का मौसम आते ही इस तरीके की कार्रवाई खुफिया एजेंसियां करती हैं. आईएम से जुड़े मामलों में भी हमने देखा था कि युवकों को गिरफ्तारी भी होती है लेकिन कोर्ट में वो साबित नहीं हो पाती, क्या वास्तव  एनआईए और अन्य एजेंसीयां सरकार के इशारे पर काम करती है या उनकी कोई स्वायत्तता भी है?"राजेश इसका जवाब देते हुए कहते है, “एनआईए के अधिकारियों ने बताया है कि इस पूरे मॉडयूल की चार महीने से निगरानी की जा रही थी. अधिकारी इनकी बातचीत पर नज़र रखे हुये थे, इनका एक हैंडलर भी था जिसने इन सब को उकसाया और एक ऐसा दस्ता बनाने को कहा. ऐसा पहली बार नहीं हुआ है पिछले 3 सालों मे देश के अलग अलग हिस्सो में पहले भी ऐसे दर्जनों मामले सामने आए जो इस्लामिक स्टेट से प्रभावित थे. खुशकिस्मती से केवल मध्य प्रदेश ट्रेन ब्लास्ट के अलावा बाकी सभी बाकी सभी दस्ते कुछ कर पाते उससे पहले ही सुरक्षा एजेंसियों ने उनका भंडाफोड़ दिया. तो यह कहना सही नहीं होगा कि आगामी चुनावों के चलते एनआईए ने इस तरह की कार्रवाई कर रही है.”मुद्दे को आगे बढ़ते हुए अतुल ने पूछा, "राजनाथ सिंह ने 2016 में जब आईएस का प्रकोप चरम पर था, तब एक बड़ा बयान दिया था कि आईएस भारत के लिए कोई बड़ा खतरा नहीं है. तो क्या यह माना जाए कि 2 साल में स्थितियां बदल गई हैं?”इस पर राजेश ने जवाब देते हुए कहा, "इसे हमें तुलनात्मक दृष्टिकोण से देखना होगा. भारत में लगभग 25 करोड़ मुसलमान हैं उनमें से सौ-सवा सौ लोग अगर भटक जाते है तो यह बहुत बड़ी संख्या नहीं है. दूसरी तरफ यूरोप में पांच हज़ार से ज्यादा लोग आईएस में शामिल हुए और वापस आकर बड़ी घटनाओं को अंजाम दिया. भारत में ऐसे युवाओं को केवल गिरफ्तार किया गया बल्कि बहुत से ऐसे मामले भी थे जहां बच्चों को जाने से रोका गया, उनके परिवारों को काउंसलिंग दी गई. यहां तुलनात्मक रूप से संख्या बहुत कम है इसलिए आईएस को बहुत बड़ा खतरा नहीं माना गया.”आगे राहुल को चर्चा में शामिल करते हुए अतुल ने सवाल किया, “सोशल मीडिया के अतिवाद के दौर में हर विषय को लेकर एक माहौल बना दिया जाता है. व्यक्तिगत रूप से हम तय कर पाने की स्थिति में नहीं होते कि क्या सही है क्या गलत है. क्योंकि अतीत ऐसा रहा है कि इंडियन मुजाहिद्दीन के नाम पर तमाम युवाओं को गिरफ्तार किया गया फिर कुछ भी साबित नहीं हो पाया है.”इसका जवाब देते हुए राहुल ने कहा, “सुरक्षा एजेंसियों के दोनों तरह के रिकॉर्ड हमारे सामने हैं हम यह भी नहीं कह सकते कि एजेंसियां पॉलिटिकल टाइमिंग के हिसाब से काम करती हैं और दूसरी तरफ ऐसा भी नहीं है कि इनकी कार्यशैली इतनी मजबूत रही है कि इन पर आंख बंद करके भरोसा कर लिया जाय. जैसे मोहम्मद आमिर के मामले में हमने देखा कि जब वह जेल गया था, तब केवल 18 वर्ष का ही था और 18 वर्ष जेल में रहने के बाद वो निर्दोष साबित हुआ. उसकी लगभग सारी जिंदगी जेल में कट गई और उसके बाद हमारा सिस्टम ऐसे लोगों के पुनर्वास का कोई इंतजाम नहीं कर पाता. लेकिन सिर्फ टाइमिंग की वजह से एनआईए की कार्रवाई को नकारा नहीं जा सकता. क्योंकि यह बात सच है कि किसी भी तरह का चरमपंथ काम करता है और उसके अनेक उदाहरण हमने देखे हैं. कश्मीर की अगर हम बात करें तो 90 के दशक में वह क्षेत्रीय अस्मिता का सवाल हुआ करता था लेकिन आज वह क्षेत्रीय अस्मिता से ज्यादा धार्मिक कट्टरता का सवाल बन चुका है. कश्मीर में चरमपंथ बढ़ा है, इसे नकारा नहीं जा सकता.”

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NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So here's a little sneak peek into the complete episode.In this week’s episode, South Asia editor of Asia Times, Saikat Datta joins the regular Hafta gang of Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan to discuss the home ministry authorising 10 central agencies to intercept information on computers, the misinformation surrounding it.The discussion kicks off with Saikat explaining the home ministry order and his experience of examining the surveillance structure and the safeguards that are there. Is it possible to run an operation at such a huge level? The discussion then moves to the miners trapped inside a coalmine in Meghalaya and why it took so long for this to make it to the national news, the rescue operation and the politics around it. Saikat compares the situation of Meghalaya with the movie Kaala Patthar. The panel then moves on to discuss Mamta Banerjee not allowing BJP to carry out Rath Yatras in West Bengal.

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