Hello team, 

I wish to draw your attention to the problem of Bhiwadi. It is one of the largest industrial areas in Rajasthan. Bhiwadi is a part of NCR. There has been a problem of toxic effluents released by chemical industries on the road which has converted a huge part of the main road to a lake of poisonous waste. 

I have been witness to this phenomenon at least since 2002 and the problem has only grown. It is a story of blatant corruption, competing political interests, interstate rivalry (Rajasthan and Haryana), inaction of pollution control boards, and misery of the people who face the situation everyday. I would implore NL to do a story on this issue at a place barely 60 km from Delhi, submerged under a deluge of black water.

Keep up the good work that you are doing.

Raghav

***

Hi there,

Something did not feel right when the politics in Pakistan was dissed for three Haftas in a row. The Pakistan expert predicted a Nawaz sweep which did not happen.

Imran’s party did manage a big win which I thought was a big “fuck you” to the army by the Pakistani awaam. Was this not worth a discussion? Or am I completely missing the point here. I thought the tactics of Tehreek was a good pointer for Indian opposition parties.

Just a thought!

Dhiraj

***

Hi NL team,

I totally disagree with Shardool’s view that atheism had never been mainstream in India. We as Indians are so ignorant about Budh Marg which was the dominant path our people and kings followed as late as 700 AD. The Mauryan empire (Ashoka) has inscriptions, Budh stupa etc erected all across India in 350 BC. We can find 700 AD inscriptions of other kings telling us about Budh Marg. But this aspect of our history had never been told to us; it’s not even part of any syllabus. And Budh Marg was not a religion purely because it does not believe in god or in punarjanm etc theories of basically all religions. I think we need to learn more about our history.

Harnek

***

Congratulations on the electoral funding story with TNM! Great work – made me very happy to be a part, albeit in a very small way, of your endeavour. Hoping to contribute way more once I get a new job.

It is February 26 today, and I was hoping for your story to be picked up by some major news outlets. However, the silence has been deafening – not just in mainstream media, but also among major podcasters and YouTubers. I have shared this story and your YouTube video with several ‘non-believers’. But one cannot expect people, especially those who have surrendered to the supreme leader, to read articles or watch a non-sensational hour-long video. Perhaps you could release shorts regarding this story to get more people interested, and pay attention to this fantastic piece of journalism.

Anonymous

***

Hello NL team,

I eagerly anticipate the release of the Hafta podcast as it's the only one I listen to while working or engaging in seated tasks. I greatly admire Manisha for her keen awareness of recent events and her rational viewpoints. Abhinandan's candid perspectives resonate with me personally, and Raman sir's contributions are always a delight. Keep up the excellent work!

I have a suggestion: It would be incredibly helpful if you could recommend the NL stories/ground report posted for the week, or at least provide a link to them in the podcast description. Integrating this alongside the end-of-podcast recommendations would be fantastic!

Much love from Denmark!

Rahul

***

Hello team,

I have been a subscriber for many years now, at least since Hafta went behind the paywall for the first time. I am very heartened by Newslaundry’s progress and the lovely media environment you have created for all the reporters. The lovely editing team puts out articles that are relevant long after they are published, especially in a world where history rhymes so much that it almost repeats.

Also I am super excited about the articles being read as I was missing out on some articles due to lack of time and not being able to see it.

Also, the incident with Caravan having to take down its article reminded me that India's media landscape is closer to Russia or China than any of the other democracies and the IT Act which has been challenged in court, if I am not mistaken. Also, there should be an account of how much the government spends on media and for rallies that are arranged during elections – that budget would be a crazy expense at the cost of the taxpayer. Also, my question is how does the affluent public not realise the government is using their money to muzzle the voices that should speak up for them?

Thanks for the good work and all the best!

Ayush

***

Hey Abhinandan,

I am Parth. I have been listening to you people agree and disagree on different levels and topics for a long, long time but subscribed last year (who subscribed way too late...like a true Indian! But now I'm trying to get more people to independent media to redeem myself).

What motivated me to write was the malfunction of your crappy app for the podcasts. Isko theek karr do yaar.

Pata hai in a sense tumko dekh ke tasalli hoti hai.. I always tell my dad, challenging his RSS-leaning-Hindu-rashtra inclination jokingly:

"Mujhe bharosa hai ki 5-7 saal se zyaada Kuch nahi chalega BJP ka kyunki (in order of influence):

1) Inefficiency of bureaucrats

2) Supreme Court

3) Farmers

4) Students (very underrated)

5) Opposition"

Looking elsewhere in the world, with what could happen and what is happening, I think India is going through an Indira phase. I used to be very tense but I realised I have also become a little paranoid so, I try and dial it back.

Btw, regarding the new "data-protection-cloaked-entire-control" three laws, were they not challenged in the court? What happened?

Will write more.

Parth

***

I regret the length of this email, but I feel compelled to bring to light a concerning trend within our country's esteemed educational institutions, where academic spaces are being infiltrated for political indoctrination by the BJP. 

Recently, I found myself in a disconcerting situation upon entering my classroom. A small faction of classmates deliberately engaged in provocative behaviour, using random Muslim greetings in my presence, clearly directed at me. Despite my initial bewilderment, I attempted to overlook their actions. However, their persistence forced me to address the issue directly. Later, in the absence of our professor, they brazenly chanted "Jai Shree Ram" slogans. When I requested they cease, they responded with unwarranted inquiries, questioning my nationality with implications of allegiance to Pakistan. 

This unwarranted hostility left me deeply upset, especially considering my consistent respectful demeanour towards them despite limited interaction. Their subsequent threats, warning me against expressing my dissenting views on Modi and Hindutva, left me fearful for my safety. In desperation, I sought recourse with the head of our department, only to be met with disbelief. I was informed that seeking support from the college administration or faculty would yield no results, as they align themselves with the agenda of the current government. I was cautioned against escalating the matter to the principal, as it could potentially backfire against me. 

To my dismay, instead of receiving protection from the threats, I was advised to apologise to my aggressors and refrain from expressing my opinions on social media. The realisation that such incidents could occur within a renowned institution like the University of Delhi is profoundly disheartening.

Noaman

***

Many subscribers like me depend on NL to form their opinion on various issues. Therefore, to remain unbiased it is important for NL presenters/interviewers to push back whenever any important assertion is made, whether the one implicitly agrees with the statement or not. 

This did not happen in the recent Hafta #473 discussion on the farmers’ agitation with the agricultural policy expert Devinder Sharma. For example, “citing data”, a claim was made that average income from farming in India is Rs 27 per day. What is the source of this data? Since this doesn’t include non-farm income then how was this figure even calculated? 

Similarly, without doubting the pitiable condition of small farmers in India, the role of rich-vs-poor farmers in the agitation can’t be resolved by merely mentioning Abhinandan’s rich farmer friend in passing, especially since it has been made such a big issue by those who oppose the agitation. A related point is that an average number is not indicative enough because we don’t get a nuanced view of the range (of income in this case), and, therefore, its impact (on different income groups). 

Similarly, I am still unclear why only farmers from North are seen to be agitating about MRP. Moreover, the effect of these changes on agricultural labourers is not even considered.  

In summary, the discussion was neither as nuanced as I had expected it to be nor did it leave me informed or educated on the issue, as I was hoping for. I suggest, for a counterview, please invite someone like Ashok Gulati, who opposes MRP, and ask him some tough questions.

Sudipt

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