A review of NL Hafta by Nandini, Dhiraj, Ankur & more

Hello Abhinandan,

I have been an NL subscriber for many years now.

I listen to NL Hafta every week. I have felt like writing my comments many times before but this time I felt like I had to write.

You say that one of NL’s objectives is to critique the media. I thought you would be covering the PM’s interview with ABP News, the part that was edited out. However, I was surprised that no one even mentioned it in the Hafta.

Any reason why it was left out? Does it not qualify NL’s criteria for media critique?

Best wishes,
Nandini

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Hi All,
This is not really a comment on Newslaundry but more like questions to the panel—to anybody who wants to answer them. This is actually a reflection after listening to Amit Verma’s Seen and the Unseen – the Lost Decade. A review of sorts of Puja Mehra’s book – The Lost Decade

The whole podcast is about how Pranab Mukherjee’s political compulsion made him take extremely “costly” socialistic overtures in UPA-2 and Modi’s inclination to make every policy entirely based on political benefits.

A few questions, requests for comments from the panel …..

1) If politicians are more inclined to play to their bases, aren’t they actually then making policies for their “masses”? Yes, that could have consequences for the “rest”. The way in which electoral politics works, it will always remain this way where policies which hurt the whole country–but not “your” masses–will always be implemented. If being a politician is a job, then you are only saving your job! Comments?

2) The only way that we can have a breakthrough is if the election of an MP or an MLA is devoid of any party affiliation/ any common interest. In that case, you have a member who is bidding for your constituency in the state and another member bidding for you at the centre.

3) But how can we do this? Think tanks, Mass movements? The building of a new constituent assembly (oh wait what’s the parliament doing ?) I think party systems need to retire, it divides people and skews policy in a direction that’s detrimental to the “rest of the masses”. Comments?

Oh by the way special mention for Daily Dose …. absolutely love it …..

Best regards,
Dhiraj

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Hi NL team,

I understand your position of criticising the government of the day more than the opposition. However, closer to the election shouldn’t you become more neutral and try to measure every party or alliance objectively? This question is also for media etiquette in general. Although it is a bit too much to expect from traditional media houses these days.

I also wanted to hear the panel’s view on the shameless pandering by the self-declared honest politician for an alliance with Congress. I remember Abhinandan once remarked that AAP should target a complete overhaul of the system and not behave the same way as traditional parties. If they follow typical political norms they should just pack their bags and close shop. I feel that time has long come and the public is becoming increasingly cynical of Arvind Kejriwal. For Kejriwal, a Lalu or Sharad Pawar are honest and worth aligning to stop BJP. It would have been better if he had maintained distance from all political parties. Sure the going would have been difficult considering the nature of the opposition from central govt but in the long run, the public (outside Delhi) would have recognised his dedication towards bringing transparency in politics. I am deeply hurt that I once supported him and was naive enough to not see the selfish politician in him. He has single-handedly killed the hope of the working middle class, that a politician can come from within us and can possibly clean the politics.

I appreciate you and the team and often try to convince people to subscribe. Hope to see more good reports and podcasts in the future.

Regards,
Ankur

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Hi NL team,

The last Hafta discussion about hiding your caste identity brought back memories of my own.

I became cognizant of my low caste when in 9th standard, my Maths teachers inquired about my caste denomination. We argued a bit about my two surnames, ‘Singh’ and ‘Sachan’, and then he explained to me that Sachans are kurmis and hence belong to Picchdi Jaati. I can still recall feeling helpless about it, that for no fault of my own, I was banished to identify with backwardness and destitution.

In an effort to erase this from my identity, I dropped Sachan from me and my parents’ name in all legal documents. Many times in my life people have mistaken me for a thakur and I have deliberately failed to correct them. The burden of that shame is very heavy.

When I joined an engineering college, the whole episode reincarnated, I didn’t lie about my rank or my caste, so I had to prove my worth to my roommates, who all thought I was too dumb to be there. They were all angrily opposed to reservations, and I was made to feel apologetic for my existence. When I started outperforming them, the ire was directed towards the SC/ST people who were struggling otherwise. I remember one of my classmates talking about a student from the Scheduled Caste that he “doesn’t look like a SC guy’ which is code for poor and uneducated. He also used to decry how reservations is only being used by rich SC/ST people. Apparently, Savarnas don’t inherit a sense of irony from their ancestors.

Having become politically aware, now I proudly own my identity. The wounds that made me feel less, I now wear them like battle scars. I have started to recognize the achievements of my father who was the first of his generation to get a Masters, or my brother who topped his State Intermediate exam and became a diplomat, or my own, of being the first in my family to live abroad. We were all crippled by the caste system but then rescued by the caste-based reservation system. Why should I feel ashamed to claim what’s my own?

Thanks and regards,
Shoor Veer Singh

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Hi

(Call me RH- the reason for anonymity across many people writing in

could be because NL listeners know other NL listeners and it’s like

getting teased in school/college the next day by people who heard you –call in on MTV select or FM Radio to make a request)

For two episodes in a row now you have had guests who absolutely derailed the discussion; with one who had too much to promote (Saba) and the other who had just way too much to say (Sudipto Mondal).

The latter, to begin with, was a terrible listener, in a self-centric pursuit to make a point, and had way too much to add with little substance – just one reference after another that got to the same point without making it any better or different.

(black-white-spiderman-jesus-tu-pac-thug life-random mention of eminem-typical drunk profound conversation mention- what on earth was all of that?)

Glad Madhu Trehan taught him some old school values by guiding his attention to the importance of listening to people while they finish their part before scripting your reply.

Speaking for myself I believe that the Hafta brand has been built on the stable voices that form the core of the panel. There is a combination of humour and banter layered with plenty of sense, experience and insight that clearly works.

Abhinandan was almost like the kid who got his cool new friend to meet his old friends (panel and us listeners), was trying hard to get them to like him and tried way too hard making sure the new friend is not bored or feeling left out. Disaster.

Off the top of my head, the best episodes have been with Saurabh Dwivedi, Manu Joseph, Gautam Bhatia, Haritosh, Ravish (from way back) and a few more journalists whose names I can’t recall.

Should have done a book review with Saba (like they do on Lallantop) and let her go berserk with her book promotion and go on about how much, and who all, she knows. And, Sudipto should have been featured in an NL Interview.

If you start an NL Sena segment just to fund interviews with Abhinandan, I am certain people would fund that and you will not have to wait for someone to be in Delhi to pull this off.

The promos about the articles emerging from Sena have done their work and I intend to spend this weekend going through them.

Awful and Awesome continues to be consistent — absolutely loved the last two episodes.

Manisha and team, thanks for all the effort in churning out content on Reporters without Orders, Charcha, Daily Dose and the rest.

Really appreciate the effort and time that goes into all of that in the midst of your quick comments on salaries, appraisals and the lack of funding that your work faces. It’s a stellar attitude and character trait to have.

Will continue to help and support in every way that I can.

Have a good weekend and thanks again for what you do!

RH