Prashanth 

Dear NL Hafta team,

The format has started feeling repetitive. The same panel recapping things many of us already know is getting stale. Shows like Mani Ki Baat (with Mani Shankar Iyer) and Dil Se with Kapil Sibal feature sharp subject-matter experts who go straight to the point. Guests like P Chidambaram, Shivshankar Menon, Prof. Arun Kumar and Gurmehar Kaur make those conversations genuinely interesting.

I’d love to see NL Hafta bring in more such voices and not just journalists. If that doesn’t fit the format, please consider a dedicated expert-led series.

Also, your website is a bit hard to navigate, and it's hard to find new videos, reels, and tweets you post. A unified content feed would go a long way.

Rooting for you to keep evolving.

Warm regards,

Prashanth 

***

Aravind 

Hello,

I absolutely loved the series “Let’s talk about: Punjab”. I did not know what to expect, but it was captivating, a professionally produced podcast I binged. Then I moved to the one about Bihar, and the format was totally different! After experiencing gripping storytelling through narration, the panel discussion was drab.

You need to have a consistent format and standards for a podcast series. Of course, different topics will have varied needs,, but the drastic differences in format and quality are not a pleasant experience. A good example would be “Land of the Giants”.

I look forward to the future series.

Thanks,

Aravind

***

Piyush 

Hello Hafta!

I’ve been a long-time viewer of Newsance and recently became a subscriber. Exploring all the work has been an enriching experience.

I recently finished reading “The Law of Force: The Violent Heart of Indian Politics”, which touched on the Dalit public sphere, or as the book calls it, “Dalit publics.” What struck me was the idea that it has its own festivals, martyrs and cultural traditions. The book also notes that this is largely unfamiliar to upper-caste publics, and that when it enters the broader public sphere, it is often met with violence. The Bhima Koregaon incident was cited as one example.

As an upper-caste Hindu, I found the argument accurate; my understanding of the Dalit public sphere remains limited by what I come across on Twitter or Instagram.

I’d love to know more, hear your views, and learn what you know.

Also, when the history of Newslaundry is written, I think it should be titled “Stay Mad: That’s the Only Way”.

***

Ishan  

I’m a recent subscriber and have been listening to Hafta episodes for the past few weeks now. I have some feedback I’d like to provide on Anand.

I understand the need for contrarian views and for views that differ from yours to actually have a nuanced discussion with different takes. However, outlandish tangents and catering to them degrade the substance of the discussion. His recent take on 592 about courage being possible only if there isn’t an incentive involved and the digression that followed were really disappointing. 

Most of his views seem adversarial for the sake of being so. I think he gets way too much allowance to go on tangents that end nowhere and leave the conversation more muddled than it could/should have been. 

This is not an attack on Anand; it's just my opinion on what I see him contributing to these episodes and how. 

***

Jhelum to Rhine  

Long-time subscriber, first-time writer.

One reason I keep returning to Hafta is that beneath the weekly headlines there is always a larger question: what kind of country are we becoming?

Whether the discussion is about jobs, inequality, institutions, media freedom, the environment, or social harmony, the concern often feels the same. A nation can survive disagreement. What becomes difficult is when facts matter less, institutions inspire less trust, and long-term thinking gives way to short-term gains.

A special thanks to Abhinandan. I don’t really do role models, but I admire his curiosity, irreverence, and ability to laugh at both power and himself. The fact that he seems uninterested in being put on a pedestal makes him even more interesting.

Manisha’s independent thinking, Shardool’s wit, Anand’s calm legal mind, and Raman’s insights make every episode richer.

Please keep asking difficult questions. They are becoming increasingly valuable.

***

Jiten 

In this week’s Hafta, Manisha read out a subscriber’s complaint regarding playing videos on the Newslaundry app. 

I am sharing a solution. I send the video link from the Newslaundry app to myself, then open it in YouTube to watch it. 

You may recommend this if suitable. 

Regards

Jiten

***

Ishaan 

Hello, my question is for Abhinandan. None of your predictions about what would happen to CJP and its founder, Abhijeet, after he returned to India proved true. In fact, the very opposite happened. He is free and is conducting protests across the nation. Were you surprised? At the same time, there seems to be no action or engagement from the government. What do you think is the government's strategy towards CJP? Thanks, and keep up the great work!

***

Prakash 

Listening to the panel being a bit sceptical about a post-Modi BJP, I was reminded of the 2009-2013 time when there was similar scepticism about the BJP under Modi. 

A moderate face like Vajpayee had to manage a coalition; how can a polarising Modi do it? Modi is even more divisive; has he proven himself outside Gujarat? Forget 272; he won't even win what the NDA did, and so on. The infamous chaiwala comment by Mani Shankar Aiyar; most of the media had only polite versions of that to say about Modi. 

There is a bit of deja vu in how the panel is currently equally sceptical about Amit Shah/Yogi et al. Maybe 10-15 years later, we will be having the same discussion with the same scepticism again. Probably not a bad idea to look back at what odds today's victors faced.

Small teams can do great things. All it takes is a subscription. Subscribe now and power Newslaundry’s work.