A Review of #NLHafta from Manoj Durairaj, Harish Sundaram and Vivek Ananth

Hi guys,

It’s been a pleasure listening to NL hafta and I am sure it will remain one of the best. Kudos to all the members and all the fellow subscribers in understanding what independent media is and what it could do to journalism, especially when the hope on media and journalism is dwindling exponentially. I’ve written letters to you guys a couple of times, but will keep my spirits high till my mail gets read. 

In the last podcast, we discussed about Jallikattu. I have few reservations on what you guys discussed. I am not denying that the bulls are tortured, but shouldn’t we be controlling the cruelty than just banning the sport. Even before concluding that the game is cruel and has to be banned, we need to understand the game and the science behind the sport. Firstly on the rules, the prize of taming the bull is tied to the horns of the bull. A person trying to tame it should hold the hump and should travel a least 50 meters without tripping down.

The bulls that could be untamed are known to be the best bulls and are the ones which are physically strong. These are the bulls used for mating and to produce the best offspring. This sport is just not a sport but a way to determine the strongest bulls which could be used to produce the strongest and the best possible calves.

This was one of the way to keep the breeds from extinction. Out of the 137 breeds we had, only 7 is remaining. Since my father was a farmer himself, I have interacted with people who have bulls at home. Many of them consider the bull to be their own brother.

Should we be banning the sport or should we be regulating the sport. The ill thoughts of few individuals trying to make the bull ferocious has made the difference.

I know Anand would not go by what I just explained. Though the latest techniques can surely help us keep the breeds alive, the natural way should be the primary solution to avoid the disappearing breeds of bulls.

On Anand’s observation about the BCG scar on Hema Malini’s arm in the movie Meerabhai, I too would like to share a fun fact.  When the movie Titanic was re-released the star field/map was rearranged. James Cameroon received a mail from a scientist quoting that the stars shown in the movie what Rose is seen staring at lying on a driftwood, is not the star field/map what she would have actually seen when the ship sank in 1912. So James went back to change the star field when the movie was re-released in 2012. And here we have sallu bhai defying science.

Again, keep up the good work and I shall promise to help in any possible way. I just wish the freedom seen in hafta resides all over the country. 

Thanks

Hello Hafta Team,

I’m a big fan of the Hafta team, I have listened to every Hafta since #1 and I am a NL subscriber. I’ve been living and working in Singapore for the last 5 years. I am a Tamil-speaker from Mumbai and am not amused by the random generalizations that are hurled against the city. 

I have been planning to write a detailed critique of the Hafta for a really long time now but haven’t been able to. However, I couldn’t stop myself from writing after Abhinandan Sekhri’s rather harsh criticism of Harsha Bhogle. 

First of all, Cricket is definitely a sport and I do not agree with Abhinandan’s “Game Theory”. A goalkeeper doesn’t do as much running as some of the others but that doesn’t make Football or Hockey a “game”! Every sport requires a unique skill and if Inzamam-ul-Haq can score runs and win games for his country despite being not-so-athletic, that’s because of his supreme skill!

Harsha Bhogle is by far India’s best cricket commentator and sports broadcaster. He has immense knowledge of the game (not in Abhinandan-speak), the history of the sport, the players and most importantly, is one of the most sane voices in the country. And remember, he was unceremoniously stripped of his contract by the jingoistic bandwagon  because he spoke his mind during the India v. Bangladesh match during the T20 World Cup last year!

While I agree with anyone’s right to disagree with anyone else’s opinion, Abhinandan’s expletive-laden dismissal of Bhogle’s point of view was provocatively rude and arrogant. On one hand you project NL to be open to criticism and on the other hand you display a chilling cockiness in rubbishing someone that you don’t agree with! Seems hypocritical, doesn’t it?

Once again, you have every right to disagree. But this “I am holier than thou” attitude will only put off more and more people.

Btw, I’m a big fan of Manisha and Madhu. Ranga-uncles’ views are mind-blowing (and disappointed that he agrees with Abhinandan on Bhogle!). Just one word for Dipanjana – smooth!

Will surely write again when I’m in a much better mood. 

Regards,
Harish Sundaram

Hi guys,

I am so glad that you guys are getting funding through your NL Sena platform. I hope this platform picks up. I am emailing you guys to make a distinction that you guys completely missed out in your discussion. You guys are bringing in change in the media. Would love to contribute whatever I can in the next NL Sena project. Also, if you guys start a business desk in the future, then do consider hiring this subscriber who’s paying it forward so that you survive and flourish. Yes, I have a very selfish reason to be a subscriber. If not a business desk, well, at least I don’t have to listen to people telling me that you journalists are useless. I can point to you guys and tell them to change their news source (I already do that)

To this week’s Hafta. The BSF, CRPF and ITBP etc are paramilitary forces. They are not the army. Their mistreatment is more due to the fact that they come under the home ministry. Abhinandan’s comment about the requirement of discipline in a force is well taken. As an army brat, I hear that from my dad very often. But I think you guys really missed a trick here. The home ministry doesn’t take care of the paramilitary forces well. These are the guys who are serving in naxal violence affected areas (not BSF and ITBP.) There is a show that Ravish Kumar did exactly on this subject.  There was a representative of ex-paramilitary forces who had explained how these forces don’t even get some of the benefits that the army personnel get when they die in the line of duty.

They don’t get accorded the status of a martyr. Since this controversy was brewing for sometime, the defence ministry was asked a question whether there is any such policy of declaring an army personnel a martyr and they denied it. The reality though is, an army personnel gets taken care of even more if he has either been injured in the line of duty. If he was killed, then his family gets taken care of by the army. Widows of army personnel killed in active duty have to run around lesser now than when my granny was alive. The situation is worse for paramilitary forces.

I know some of my emails are really critical of you guys but I think most you guys missed this subtle nuance. This nuance is what angers paramilitary forces. They are treated like they are not serving the nation. They don’t get that honour. Getting pathetic food is just the tip of the watery dal iceberg. I hope this is pointed out to your listeners so that they realise what’s the real reason behind such a protest. It’s not indiscipline that probably drove these people to make those videos. I hope it’s not desperation, but my heart and facts can’t steer me away from the logical conclusion at hand.

On a rather different note, I happened to do a Facebook experiment. I tried to figure out who are the people in my friends list that have liked your page. To my surprise, most of the people were some way or the other related to journalism. I don’t have a long friends list, but maybe you guys should probably do the same experiment with others (I know it borders on stalking but I am trying to help) to see what the profile of people who like your page really is. Obviously, some of your friends would have liked the Newslaundry page because they are your friends and they love you. But I think there’s more to this than meets the eye.

Hope for a good 2017 for you guys. Cheers