This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan are joined by Naresh Fernandes, editor of Scroll, and Jammi N Rao, independent public health physician and epidemiologist.

The discussion starts with the surge in Covid cases worldwide, and how holiday celebrations might increase community-based transmission. “The vaccine does not guarantee that you won’t be infected again,” Jammi says. “But what it does guarantee is that you won’t be hospitalised or seriously ill.”

The panel then tangentially discusses the protest by doctors in Delhi. Anand explains the frustration over delayed NEET PG counselling, saying, “If they don’t decide the seats, then it would be like a waste of time, resources and hard work for these students. And it is now an issue of student solidarity that has led to this agitation.”

In the context of the hate speech by Hindutva leaders in Haridwar and attacks on Christians and churches, Naresh says, “We can’t ignore that minorities do feel unwanted in the country, and a section of society has clearly flirted with the BJP among all this.”

This and a lot more, only on NL Hafta.

Hafta letters: Abhinandan missing Hafta, Haridwar hate speech, Indian democracy

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