Hi Team, 

Congratulations on the recently-concluded media rumble. Like every year, I missed attending the event. I have been subscriber since 2014, rather a proud subscriber until listening to episode 234.

In episode 234, the guest Sushant kept asking, who is doing real journalism and the panel’s response was very disappointing. We as a subscriber pay for NL because we believe that you are doing journalism, we are not paying for charity. No one, in the panel, could counter him and say we are doing journalism, it broke my heart. 

Sushant’s response: “deal with it” had the similar majoritarian tone, that Right-wing guys have been displaying all through the week, following the Kashmir decision. The way the decision has been imposed on the people of Kashmir makes me question the concept of democracy in India. I know, Madhu would say people sitting in the West shouldn’t tell India how to make democracy work but things are indeed looking dark.

Because no one, including Newslaundry, is doing journalism. I don’t expect Government will face tough questions on this move. If Abhinandan remembers, there was a subscriber who was shattered after Lok Sabha polls were declared, and he wrote a very disheartening letter to NL. I’d request you to read out his letter instead of any song at the end of this week’s episode. 

I hope things change and someone starts doing journalism again. 

Thanks,
Jayesh

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My dear NL hafta team,

I am not the most articulate person but I write to you today out of sheer frustration and heartbreak. I just want to tell you that today India has severed all bridges to the Valley and put the final nail in “Kashmir within India” coffin. While the jury within the Valley was split between Pakistan, Azadi and autonomy within India for the last 72 years, by taking the last option off the table, they have made it impossible for India to look appealing to us. India has shown us how dishonourable it can be. Signing a treaty and then, like a banana republic, reneging on it unilaterally. I hope all Indians are proud of themselves. 

The common Indian narrative is that these are just a handful of terrorists and most Kashmiris want peace. I don’t know anyone in the Valley who will choose the peace you offer because it comes without dignity. Unfortunately, in my opinion, that peace could have only been achieved through the right to self-determination, which was promised by GoI as an eventuality. I would have voted for India had that been offered. Instead, we get annexation. The country which got freedom from oppression less than a century ago has now become the oppressor.

I don’t want to argue the legality of that promise but just want to tell you how all Kashmiris from the Valley feel. And if you feel no empathy with people like me at this time, then you have not thought hard enough about what has happened. India has let us down. I keep reading the Dr Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham jail and wish I had an iota of his gift. Please read that letter and if possible, include in your recommendations. 

Sincerely,
Ex-Indian
(Sabba Maqbool)

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Hi Abhinandan,

Here’s an example of an Indian-origin lad playing top-level football at Bayern Munich!!! Tells you that given the right conditions and training India should be able to put together a team capable of competing against the best.

Encouraging eh?

Regards,
Jay
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/114631782/sarpreet-singh-goes-close-to-scoring-first-goal-for-bayern-munich

***

Dear Hafta team, 

This is in response to a comment made by the guest in the last Hafta. Flyovers and highways made Delhi worse. This is mostly because of induced demand. City lab did a nice piece on this. There have been enough reports in media about Boris Johnson’s time as mayor. The Guardian did a nice explainer.

Regards,
Gurugubelli Sai Ratna Chaitanya