Hello NL team, I’m a regular listener of Hafta, writing for the first time. I would like to shoot a question to the panel about the Ram mandir –

Like you discussed, this saga has given the BJP all the political dividends that it could over the last 30 years, and this inauguration would probably be the last instalment.

Now, if you are the BJP chieftain, given that 2024 elections don't look difficult anyway, why rush? Why not save this for next time? That is, wait for the construction to be completed, in fact delay it a bit, just sell the "it's finally getting done" story for this time, and do the grand inauguration in maybe 2027. Milk it one more time in 2029. Who knows, it might be needed more then.

 You could also then avoid all these uneasy conversations that are going on, though this was probably not foreseen.

I have more such stupid questions, if you will entertain them. 

Love Hafta! I think the diverse personalities on this podcast is what stands out for me.

Abhijeet

***

Hello NL,

No feedback, but a recommendation for NL. Last week, Kapil Sibal and Farooq Abdullaah recorded an interview with The Wire.

It was a very emotional one, but also gave hope.

They discussed possible ways to tackle BJP in elections, by inviting Mayawati.

Also would be great if you can invite opposition leaders to your platform for such discussion.

Ankita

***

Regarding unemployment in India:

Can Indians be employed in the private sector if they have technical skills but lack the knowledge of English? Take the example of our biggest IT service sector. Who are they serving, mainly? Can Indians achieve technical skills in their mother tongue? Do foreign investors care about services for Indians in their native languages? As Abhinandan said, if there was a huge investment between 2012-2014 in media/journalism, would those media companies still survive only by relying on English understanding Indians?

Would the current NL survive if you work mainly in Hindi. Given that there are more Hindi speaking people in India than English speaking ones. Or is it that the money is only with English speaking Indians and that is where all the market lives? Can we say that the K-shaped economic growth is basically English speaking (six percent) vs the rest? What do you think is the root cause of unemployment?

Raju

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This is for next week’s Hafta for discussion on Ram Mandir.

So, I want to know why this particular monument was chosen for demolition by karsevaks, as there are plenty of so-called disputed properties.

How is the Government of India’s image as a secular democracy in global geopolitics affected by putting up Modi’s face and its complete surrender to VHP/ RSS-sponsored events? (or is it tax payers money?)

Anon

***

Ahead of January 22, Bangalore looks more saffron than it has ever been. The flags, banners, and processions have reached a suffocating level of concentration. Some streets are literally just orange. I grew up here, and I can say with confidence – this is new, and clearly orchestrated. For example, the road banners and the flags etc are the same everywhere, clearly they came from the same place, and perhaps distributed widely. I wonder who funded this leg of the PR stunt. Can NL look into this as a part of the larger Ayodhya coverage? Or a possible mini-Sena? And what is the funding model?

Ujval

***

Happy new year, NL team! May you guys stay out of trouble this year. I know Anand has got a lot of flak from the listeners on the unemployment debate. Let me add some more. You know every time I listen to Anand, my first thought is, "Yeh bande ko itna time kahan se milta hai padhne ko on every subject?". However, I think he is spending too much time on books and has lost touch with reality. The very fact that those four unemployed youth stormed the Parliament tells us that they are not of sane mind. So how can you expect them to deal with their unfulfilled dreams as normal people?

Also, on various IPC laws, broadcasting regulations recently passed by the government, it was surprising to see how the uneducated truck drivers managed to have their way in some ways, while the educated lot are still debating over the broadcasting regulations on various platforms. It, therefore, becomes necessary for the educated people to come together and fight back. So how do you initiate the mobilising process for the same?

Best wishes for 2024,

Anonymous

This report was published with AI assistance.