Hi, Abhinanadan and NL team,

I am a very introverted person and do not mix well with people around so instead, I consume podcasts like crazy. Almost after every NL Hafta episode, I wanted to write an email but then did not. I find your podcasts really fun to listen to and informative as well. I am a medical student originally from ”Uri”,  Jammu and Kashmir.I have couple of things to say. 

I got to know about NL after your famous interview with Vivek Agnihotri. Then randomly browsing through the website, I found your podcast Let’s Talk About on Kashmir.  And I found it to be the most interesting and informative piece of journalism ever done on the Kashmir issue and I immediately become a subscriber because only Part 1 was available for free. Ever since, I’ve been a regular  subscriber. I am old enough to remember all the recent uprisings since 2008. It’s crazy when I look back and realise what effects it had on me growing up and how differently I looked at it when I was young compared to now. 

I remember when I was a kid I used to like cricket a lot and was a big fan of the Indian cricket team, especially  Sehwag and others as well. Then 2008 happened. Suddenly all the discussions among my friends changed to the political. It’s even crazier when I look back at how suddenly people of my age group who were just in middle school then started hating India so much … And cut to World Cup 2011 and I was rooting so freaking hard for Pakistan and was so heartbroken and sad when India defeated Pakistan in Mohali.

Even now you won’t believe how politically-oriented discussions of small kids are, specially when there is trouble outside. One important point you made in the podcast is how no Kashmiri now even recognises the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits as horrific. They have their own bullshit conspiracy theories which are so laughable and evil. Everyone in Kashmir is fed with simplictic explainations for every situation which arises because of armed forces, police or millitants and everybody is so hell-bent on their own beliefs about the conflict.

So, I agree with your conclusion  on the podcast that the issue will remain unsolved and the situation will remain fucked up as it is. Also, I want to point that recently a video was released by terrorists shooting a girl for being an alleged informer of the armed Forces or police. With so much happening  in the country, it was not taken up as much by the national media as it should have. Anyway, if that is the case, what do you think should be the responsibility of security forces towards their informers because usually what happens is: after killing the informers, their families are also ostracised and cut from society. Also, last month, the IAS topper from Kashmir, Shah Faesal, resigned and entered politics, I think people like him can make some kind of difference.  I will love to hear the panel’s view on this as well. 

Congratulations on completing  100 episodes of  The Awful and Awesome. In last week’s episode, Abhinandan kept referring to “Ice Cube” as “Ice Tea” which was a delight to listen to. And I think your guest kind of spoiled the show A Good Place by saying that in the end of Season One, they reveal that it is actually “the bad place”. 

 Also, recently I mistook Raja Sen—who also reviews  movies—for Rajyasree Sen. Are they related anyhow? ;-D

Anyway, I love your podcasts, especially  NL Hafta and The Awful and Awesome.  Keep up the good work. Best wishes. 

Unjum Nazir

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Hi NL Team, 

Congrats on great work. I started listening to Hafta before it went behind paywall and have subscribed for more than a year now. 

If you all can, kindly discuss the lack of a full -ledged cabinet in Telangana this week. It will be two months since election results on Mondaym and the state has only a Chief Minister and a Home Minister. There are a few reports on this in the English media not from Hyderabad. There were a lot of reports in the Telugu media but no one seems to care anymore. 

If I may bring this to your attention, TSRTC (the state road transport corporation) has not had a full time MD for more than a year now. It is annoying that KCR doesn’t seem to care about administration but keeps going on about federalism. 

Keep doing the great work. 

Regards,

Gurugubelli Sai Ratna Chaitanya

www.loveofz.blogspot.in

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Hi Team NL,

Wont waste my time on applauding you guys. Will speak what suggestions I have:

Hafta and ALL other podcasts ONLY for SUBSCRIBERS: I’m a subscriber and I like listening to Hafta before non-subscribers. But I don’t like the fact that after three weeks only, it is available to everyone. I don’t think I have seen anything like this where something behind a paywall comes out after three weeks, which isn’t a long enough time since the discussion might still be viable at that period.

Transcripts of discussion as reference to point out mistakes: I wish transcripts of Hafta discussions are available onthe NL website. I say that because everyone on the Hafta panel are biased and sometimes I feel like pointing out to that panelist where he/she was wrong and how he/she should correct him/herself.

Take turns to host Hafta: Though I like Abhinandan hosting it, and even Manisha, I feel whosoever hosts the show tends to impose their opinions and biases on the whole discussion since they tend to have the last word. To avoid that, I feel the main members of the team should take turns to host Hafta.

Let the man finish his thought, Abhinandan: I love Anand Vardhan’s one liners and most of his opinions as well. But I HATE it when Abhinandan (mostly) or others (rarely) try to finish his sentences! Let the man take his time to finish his sentence at least!

No Madhu, No Hafta: PLEASE have Madhu in ALL HAFTAs! If not in person, then on phone, because Abhinandan (the host) tends to speak his opinions in a more rational way in her presence than otherwise. In her absence, Hafta seems likea bunch of like-minded college kids sitting with their ex-college senior (Raman Sir) in a nukkar dhaba or canteen!

Anand Vardhan in Hafta & Charcha. Always! As much as I like having Anand V on Charcha to balance the always-biased panel, I wouldn’t mind listening to him on Hafta also! His views are always more balanced than anyone else’s. I listen to Hafta released after three weeks of publishing and Anand’s views make more sense (mostly) than others since more facts come out in that time.

Mix Reporters-sans-frontiers and Charcha with Hafta once a month SPECIAL: Loved Prateek’s story and won’t be surprised if he becomes the next-award winning journalist in time to come!

One last thing! Abhinandan, save RANTS for Chota Hafta for mufatkhors: Please ask for subscriptions only in the Chota Hafta! The main Hafta, if/when behind the paywall, is only accessed by subscribers, not mufatkhors! Spare them/us, please!

Keep up the good work. special thanks to the team behind the podcast, Kartik and Anil. Send more reporters like Prateek to get new stories. Publish faster so that we can canvass for NL for its unbiased stories. And restart Social Influencer again, if possible! I used to be on that list since its inception!

Best,

Yogeshwar Sharma

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Naaniji ko pranaam, 

Aur bakhi sab ko Ram Ram

I have a few theories on Priyanka Vadra: 

1) She has got into politics full-fledged because both her kids are adults (at least the youngest is 17, could not find it online).

2) Unlike Sonia and Rahul, politically she has nothing to lose. Add to it Vadra’s reputation, she is an absolute free bird who can fire on all cylinders.

3) She is Buddhist. Ambedkar was Buddhist at death. I think this is a connection she will use during her campaigns in Dalit areas in Eastern UP. 

4) And like you said she can shield Rahul Gandhi.

5) She is a woman ………… (The no. of new woman voters!) 

Would love these theories to be tukde-fied and thrown out of the window ! 

Vardhan ji or Naaniji is my bet to decimate my theories. 

Best Regards, 

Dhiraj Bhandary