This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Manisha Pande, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Anand Vardhan are joined by academic and columnist Fahad Zuberi and Kallol Bhattacherjee, the foreign affairs editor of The Hindu.

The panel opens the discussion on the news of the replacement of Lutyens’ bust at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Fahad Zuberi strongly opposes replacing Edwin Lutyens' bust with C. Rajagopalachari's, arguing it erases a nuanced history.

In the context of debating true decolonisation, he states, “Well, it should not have happened,” emphasising Lutyens as a “complicated figure” who adapted after studying Indian architecture. He details Lutyens' evolution: initially rejecting Indo-Saracenic styles as “ridiculous” but later, compelled by Lord Hardinge, Lutyens traveled to sites like Delhi, Agra, and Mandu, creating a sincere blend of Indian elements.

Fahad notes, verbatim from Hardinge's directive, the need for designs “so that Indians don't feel ignored in these buildings,” crediting Indian politics for shaping Lutyens' work: “We made Lutyens our own.”

Manisha adds, “I feel like there isn't that much anger in Indians. It comes up in certain ways – okay, when we talk about the independence struggle or when we talk about why we've remained a poor nation… I feel like the anger in public conversations today is more towards Islamic invasion.”

The conversation then proceeds to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel. Kallol joins the panel to unpack the decision to elevate India’s ties with Israel to a “special strategic partnership” amid the crisis in Gaza.

He points out, “If you look at the outcome documents published yesterday, something that really stands out is that these agriculture research centres Israel has been operating in India will now extend to the village level. Israel's reach and access – both for its companies and state authorities – will be unprecedented, as India opens up the rural sector for Israeli agriculture research.”

Kallol further adds that while “India maintained a neutral position” in regional wars like Iran-Iraq, avoiding sides in emotive Palestine issues, Modi's “terrorism in all its forms” rhetoric risks pulling India into the Iran-Israel fray.

This and a lot more. Tune in!