Rohit Kulkarni

Recently, Abhinandan argued that people in southern states or Bengalis don't take jokes very well or are quick to take offence. I don't agree with it. In 2012, there was outrage on a show called ‘Jay Hind’, in which a comedian made a reference to 1984. They had to take it down and apologise. 

I don't agree with the thought that some cultures are quicker to take offence than others. Every culture has a conservative fringe that reacts, and every culture has rational people. 

Stop generalising. 

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Somshubro Chaudhuri

Dear NL Team,

Wanted to recommend a book on Iran – it is a graphic novel called Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. 

Also, there is another graphic novel by Joe Sacco on the UP riots titled The Once and Future Riots. Joe Sacco’s way of drawing faces and expressions is quite powerful. Some of his other books, such as Palestine, Footnotes on Gaza, and Safe Area Gorazde, are also quite good. 

Wanted to recommend graphic novels as they keep getting dismissed as being for children or too expensive. Please use independent book stores to buy books. If a book doesn’t exist on their website, they can always arrange it for you.

Thank you.

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Anonymous

Hi Team,

My family and I currently live in the US, and we plan to move back to India next year to be closer to our parents. Every time I listen to Hafta, it makes me rethink if we are making the right decision.

Keep up the good work, you are really the voice we want to hear in the times when all the TV media is unwatchable.

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Shanatanu Sharma

I’m glad that in Ishaan Tharoor, you finally had a bona fide member of the “western media” to counter Jayashree’s tired, cliched and frankly tedious tirade against the US and western media. I do not support Trump, and this avatar of the US is far removed from the country I have known for over 25 years. However,  the voices of opposition are growing louder (unlike India), and this regime will see its end very soon because it is deeply unpopular as it goes against most of what Americans believe about themselves, warts and all. I want to challenge Jayashree to name an alternate system of government and cite a nation she considers a paragon of virtue. She loses credibility with every iteration of her reflexive anti-American rant. 

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Ishita

Happy New Year to everyone! 

Suggestion: When you plan to interview a book author, can you let subscribers know beforehand? That way, readers like me who have read the book could share questions for the author. Of course, you can decide which questions to ask or not. It’s difficult to access these authors. I understood this would increase labour on your side. But if there is a book I plan to read, I would happily volunteer to help curate the subscriber questions.

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Soumya

Hi, NL Team! Wish you all a very happy New Year. All of you did amazing work last year, and I wish you guys achieve even greater heights this year.

I have one request. I can't find the Newslaundry app on my Android-based Smart TV. Are you guys planning to launch it? I would love to watch your work on a bigger screen.

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