This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Anand Vardhan are joined by senior journalist Maneesh Chhibber and advocate Shahrukh Alam.

The conversation begins on the communal violence that gripped Haryana’s Nuh and Gurugram, as Shahrukh delves into the “judicial majburi” of the Supreme Court, with its scope restricted to the law and order. “Is such dependency on the Supreme Court the right way forward?” asks Manisha, while Shahrukh terms the situation “a crisis of the Rule of Law”.

The panel then discusses the lapses in the state administration that leads to communal violence. They also dissect the role of Bajrang Dal activist Monu Manesar – a fugitive murder accused – who was one of the key triggers of the Haryana flare-ups. Meanwhile, Sharukh draws a parallel between Manipur and Nuh, shedding light on the dichotomy between ground realism and the Rule of Law.

The discussion then moves on to the role of hate speech in communal violence. Shahrukh underlines the need for a legal definition of hate speech, while Manisha wonders about the nature of the communal violence in Nuh. The panel asserts that such violence can become an electoral toolkit for parties across India. 

The conversation then stirs to the railway constable who earlier gunned down his colleague and three Muslim passengers in a moving train near Mumbai. Manish divulges the narratives spun around the incident and says, “All of us now wear our religion on our sleeves.”

This and a lot more, tune in!

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