This week on Hafta, Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, Anand Vardhan and Mehraj D Lone are joined by Hartosh Singh Bal, political editor of the Caravan.

Hartosh begins the discussion by laying out the sociopolitical context of the communal campaign whipped up by politicians and sections of the media over the marriage of a Sikh woman with a Muslim man in Kasmir. Drawing parallels with the rhetoric around Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law, he says, "The timing of it is what I want to emphasise, it is no mere coincidence.”

Mehraj remarks how the legacy media is using Goebbelsian and Orwellian language to sell to the majority community the bogey of conversions by Muslims.

Talking about Chief Justice of India NV Ramana's speech noting that “the mere right to change the ruler, once every few years, by itself need not be a guarantee against tyranny”, Raman says, "When your freedom of speech is under attack and he makes a statement like this it should be taken on its face value.” Anand and Hartosh, however, caution against giving more significance to words than actions of the people in authority.

The panel also discuss the proposed amendments to the Cinematograph Act and the basis of the film certification board’s powers, the Supreme Court's observations on cases filed against Ramdev for making disparaging comments on modern medicine, and a lot more.

Listen.

Text by Ritika Chauhan.

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