This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri and Manisha Pande are joined by Pooja Prasanna, editor-in-chief of reporting at The News Minute; senior lawyer Mishi Choudhary; independent journalist Smita Sharma; and senior journalist Sanjoy Hazarika from the Northeast.

The episode begins with Abhinandan asking Mishi to break down the H-1B process and how the new changes might affect it, and how they could impact the US economy.

Mishi explains that about 85,000 H-1B visas are issued annually through a lottery. They’re valid for three years, renewable once for six years. After that, employers may sponsor a green card, creating a pathway from work visa to citizenship.

Manisha adds, “So it’s not unusual for a populist leader like Trump to do something like this… It goes against the very creation of America. It is a country built by immigrants, and to suddenly paint them as people who are somehow antithetical to the idea of America is wrong.”

Mishi further adds, “We know that some immigration policies were designed with certain considerations. For example, when H-1B was introduced, a small part of the fee was used to retrain American workers if they were going to be replaced by an H-1B worker. That element was already thought about.

Pooja says, “We know how the H-1B system has been abused, particularly by Indians. I use the word ‘abuse’ carefully, just to give perspective.”

The discussion moves to the unrest in Ladakh and the government’s action against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. 

Smita says, “Ladakh celebrated when Article 370 was abrogated in 2019. For the longest time, Ladakh had always felt sidelined when Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh were part of one state… They didn’t realise they would be reduced to a region without a legislature. Now, they are demanding the complete restoration of statehood. Another key demand is inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, which would grant them tribal status.”

The podcast concludes with Sanjoy discussing Zubeen Garg’s death and his legacy.

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