Hi Hafta team, on the topic of elections, I am curious if there is any intellectual capacity or curiousity for alternate models either in the Indian context or elsewhere with the same five-year term or less governments.  Clearly, it seems to me that short termism in politics is not really working in the favour of the common public, ie it's giving us greedy politicians, short-term thinking in policy making, and building institutions and services that serve the public long-term are not on the agenda of any political party. 

Isn’t this then the root of most problems?

Are we as human beings so dull to never reimagine? Can proportional representation + longer political terms be explored or other ideas like that? Is it possible to do a Let’s Talk About on this topic? It doesn’t need to provide solutions but explore ideas.

Arthi

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Hi, I don't know whether you know or not, there was dirty politics played at Surat in Gujarat. Shorter version is that the Congress candidate made mistakes in the application form and got rejected. On the last day, all the independent candidates dramatically withdrew their forms, making the BJP unopposed. Local newspapers are writing that BJP is the unopposed winner. My question to the panel is that in such cases, will there be voting? Do the voters even have the option to vote for NOTA? If there is an option to vote for NOTA, then how can the newspapers declare him winner?

Additionally, If anyone from your team is visiting Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar for election coverage, I have a spare bike that they can use for their local travel and save on the cab fare. 

Please watch Maamla Legal Hai on Netflix. It shows how difficult it is for common people to get justice.

Manan 

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Could you please add timestamps to the YouTube Hafta episodes? YouTube shorts and timestamps make it easier to introduce non-subscribers to NL. It is unlikely that a non-believer would check a video that is over 1.5 hours.

Thanks for all the good work, and stay hydrated!

Indu 

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Hello Hafta team,

I am assuming the PM’s hate-mongering speech on Muslims and Congress would make it to the discussion this week. 

As disturbing as it was, I also found it very intriguing. It’s not really his style, it’s a bit too direct. It almost feels like a desperate last minute move. But, this is a party “sure of a renewed mandate” as Anand said last time, isn’t it?

What’s missing? Do they sense some unease? Is it not as one-sided as we have been made to believe? Or is it just the BJP being the BJP?

Abhijeet Anand 

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I find it perplexing how some liberals shifted their stance on Modi after two terms of his government, criticising it as divisive and Islamophobic. They knowingly cast their votes for the BJP in 2014, fully aware that Narendra Modi would become prime minister if the BJP won. The puzzling aspect is why they supported someone accused of genocide. Modi's Islamophobia was evident from the beginning, exemplified by the Gujarat model. The fact that the BJP remained dominant in elections post-2002 can be attributed to the anti-Muslim sentiments fostered among Gujaratis by the BJP. Abhinandan's earlier statement that he would have voted for Modi in 2014 due to the UPA's failures is indeed problematic.

Rana Ayyub 

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In Another Election Show it was amusing to see Manisha struggle so much with the idea that some people actually like Rahul Gandhi. Considering how dismissive she has been of RG and the Bharat Jodo Yatra before it had even begun, it is indeed good for her (and the NL Team) to step out of their vicious North Indian bubble. 

As a NL subscriber it is not important for me that the core team likes opposition leaders, but their disdain for RG suggests a lack of everyday contact with people who think differently and the idea that there are other ways of "doing politics." My overall sense is that a singular vision for how politics should unfold clouds NL’s election coverage, including the depiction of INDIA alliance as a failure. For example, when Manisha repeatedly suggests that the UDF-LDF squabbles give Modi further ammunition, I wanted to scream that it is not Kerala's responsibility to dumb down its politics for the sake of North Indians.

RS 

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Like my last letter about non-basmati rice, another opportunity is missed by the opposition. Rahul Gandhi or Mamata or any opposition  should just say that even if we do inheritance tax it will be above net worth of Rs 1,000/5,000/10,000 crore. We want to tax mainly "Ambani Adani" and Modi is trying to save them. Why are these points not thought out by the opposition at all? Any insight of how they think and work? Kudos to the entire another election show.

As part of another election show before Andhra and Telangana election, can there be a debate between Parakala Prabhakar, husband of finance minister and Jaya Prakash (Loksatta), both are intellectuals and talk with data. Prabhakar is openly opposing BJP and JP is supporting TDP-PRP-BJP alliance. Also, in the questions, ask about state and central elections separately for Andhra. It will be much-watched interview from Telugu states. Hope that NL team does it before some other news team.

Sarath

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Hi team, love your work and a long-time supporter. Trying to get this email under 200 words so jumping to the material straight away :)

It can be tough to get guests from certain backgrounds or political affiliations, as Abhinandan mentioned, but a balanced panel with varied viewpoints is important. Sometimes, everyone on the panel seems to agree, which can limit the discussion's depth. Try to include guests with different perspectives, even if they don't align with the majority view. In the recent Katchatheevu discussion, Abhinandan was justifying his viewpoint despite the guest leaning towards the right. While a lively discussion is good, it's okay to end with a perspective that doesn't align with the usual stance. Your audience can draw its own conclusions without additional justification.

As Clair Keegan once said, "Many's the man lost much just because he missed a perfect opportunity to say nothing." Sometimes, letting a point stand on its own without rebuttal can lead to a more enriching discussion.

Nachiket

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This is a general expression of despair at the current state of the country. 

As a background, I have been living overseas for the past almost 35 years. That is over half my life. I don't think I'll ever return to India to live there permanently. So by all manner of speaking I shouldn't care about how India is faring. But since I lived my youth there and as I still have old friends and extended family there I worry about the cult of Modi and the social divisions the future generations will inherit. 

The poison of social division and hate mongering are everywhere. Minority hatred is expressed without care. People are fooled by slogans and the opium of religion so that they don’t notice the economic and social decline, raising prices and unemployment, the erosion of the four pillars of democracy and the apparent march towards a dictatorship.

I want to know how you and others with similar mindsets and despair deal with this citation? How do you guys carry on?

Venu Parthiban

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Hi all, I have two questions but let me start by saying that "aayega to Modi hi".

1) After two phases of voting, how different is the feeling on the ground compared to 2019? When we hoped for a progressive result but BJP ended winning more seats.

2) When the BJP does comes to power but with fewer seats, do you see them being even more aggressive with their agenda? More raids, full on power grab? As they might feel a need to lash out to secure power, full on night of long knives?

Godwiin

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Highly appreciate the work you guys are doing. While I have subscribed for the first time, I think there are many other really good channels who are doing good work. There, even if a user intends to support all, it becomes untenable to do that if the subscription fee is too high. A lower subscription will help you get more long term subscriptions from any individual and you will end up reaching more people too. Plus, the audience will have more chances of hearing other channels like yours and support them too. 

RB

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It is not new that Modi lies about what RG says by giving it a spin. Panelists passively blame RG for giving these opportunities to NM to spin them and how RG did not explain it well and said it in a way that it was easy for BJP to spin a lie out of it. 

This form of discussion is extremely frustrating to hear. Draw an analogy with victim-blaming culture here. Modi is a liar and mere calling out his evil intent should be enough. Modi can spin a lie out of anything and does not need a RG to pull lies out of thin air.

Modi is a pathetic orator and patronises his audience by making catchy and controversial statements. If the panelist believes that RG did not explain his intent well, the only thing that can be beneficial is to fill in the blanks and clarify how Modi spun it. 

Jugraj

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Dear team, 

Heartfelt thanks on your unbiased reporting and efforts. I have noticed hearing many of the podcasts and reports from outside Bengal, even the unbiased media outlets tend to think Mamata Banerjee is one of the biggest names against Modi. But how she visits Delhi almost everytime Abhishek is summoned by ED or CBI seems to suggest very clearly that she has some sort of understanding with Modi and BJP. One of the reasons why she is still out of jail unlike the genuine opposition like Kejriwal or Soren.

I think more on this should be explored. While she claims to be a part of INDIA alliance, her allegiance has always remained very much in question. Not to mention the nice exchange program between TMC and BJP in Bengal (multiple times for a single politician). I think for getting a sense of what is happening inside Bengal, someone from a different party should be interviewed, when you do the election episodes in Bengal. 

Kudos again.

Aranya

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Hi, I hope you will read my letter on Hafta.

I have been following NL for the past five years and am huge fan your reporting. I see Newslaundry growing and doing ground reports and appreciate you much for your reportage.

Congratulations for the Ramnath Goenka awards as well.

I was a student when I started listening to NL and your constant support and emphasis on "if you're a student, don't buy it, that's okay" made me buy the annual membership immediately after I got a job. I keep emphasising to my friends also to follow NL for factual news.

Naveen

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Dear Newslaundry team,

I hope this letter finds you in the midst of a spirited debate over yet another perplexing news item. This week's highlight: the uproar over four students who, in a bold display of religiosity or perhaps just sheer desperation, wrote "Jai Shree Ram" on their exam papers and were rewarded with a pass and 50 percent marks.

Now, let's not get bogged down by the nitty-gritty of academic integrity or the subtle nuances of separation of religion and education. Instead, let's marvel at the creative genius of these young scholars! In a world where plagiarism and cheating scandals dominate the academic landscape, these students dared to dream differently. They didn't resort to the worn-out tactics of crib sheets or clandestine whispers; no, they boldly proclaimed their devotion to a divine power in hopes of divine intervention in their grades.

But alas, dear Newslaundry, it seems our educational institutions are not ready to embrace such unorthodox approaches to exam-taking. Instead of celebrating the ingenuity of these students, they've been met with skepticism and controversy. Shouldn't we, as a society, applaud such innovation? Shouldn't we reward those who think outside the box, even if that box happens to be an exam paper?

So, let's propose a toast to these four trailblazers. May their "Jai Shree Ram" battle cry echo through the hallowed halls of academia, inspiring future generations to think creatively, write boldly, and, if all else fails, invoke the blessings of the almighty for a passing grade.

Noaman

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