This week on Hafta, Manisha Pande and Raman Kirpal are joined by Anuradha Nagaraj, founder of The Migration Story, and Arghya Sengupta, Founder and Research Director at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. 

The discussion begins with the labour protests in Noida, where nearly 40,000 workers took to the streets. Manisha observes a distinct shift in worker sentiment, noting, “I saw a very clear class kind of commentary – that we can't afford cycles, but these guys [are] in BMWs.”

Anuradha explains that the “trigger” for this unrest was a survival crisis fueled by inflation. She notes, “It's just becoming difficult to have one square meal.” This desperation, she adds, is compounded by the black-market prices of cooking gas, making daily life a relentless struggle.

The precarity of these workers’ lives is absolute. Anuradha highlights that for these labourers, “the idea of getting fired is a daily thing.” Whether it’s being a minute late, falling sick, or failing to meet high production targets, the threat of losing one’s livelihood is constant.

The conversation then shifts from the streets to the courtroom as the panel discusses Arvind Kejriwal’s request seeking the recusal of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma in the liquor policy case.

Arghya breaks down the principle of recusal, explaining, “The fundamental principle at play is a very old legal principle that no person can be a judge in their own cause.” While Arghya is sceptical about using a judge’s family connections or their past as sole grounds for recusal—warning it could open a “Pandora’s box”—he acknowledges a deeper issue.

Arghya notes that public perception of the courts has reached a breaking point: “The key issue, which is really the elephant in the room here... is that now politicisation of the judiciary is now in the open.” He argues the judiciary can no longer hide behind technicalities, as “that ship has sailed” regarding their public image.

All this and more.