Reporters Without Orders Ep 85: Rafale puja, CRPF constable’s hate speech, Kerala murders, and more

In this episode of Reporters Without Orders, host Ayush Tiwari and Newslaundry correspondents Meghnad S and Basant Kumar discuss the shastra puja “Hindu spin” to the delivery of the first Rafale fighter aircraft, the incendiary speech by a CRPF constable and its controversial broadcast by India Today, and the morbid murders that shook a small Kerala town. 

Speaking about the viral speech of the CRPF constable at a debate competition organised by the National Human Rights Commission late last month, Basant says he heard the speeches of other debaters in which they emphasised how the Army has committed human rights violations in the past. They offered many examples of areas where the Army has tackled terrorism and Naxalism without human rights violations.

On the information deficit regarding the status of mental health in India, Meghnad says, “Unless you have data or, as Basant says, an adequate number of mental health professionals to handle cases, it’s just absolutely worthless to even expect anything really.”

What made news this week that shouldn’t have was the exaggeration of  Hardik Pandya’s birthday tweet for Zaheer Khan, among others.

References

‘मानसिक बीमारी ठीक करने में सरकार से ज्यादा समाज की भूमिका’

Kumbalangi Nights

Recommendations

Meghnad: The West Wing 

The West Wing Weekly Podcast

Basant: कांस्टेबल खुशबू चौहान के बहाने

पार्ट 2: नफरत फैलाने में लगे न्यूज चैनलों ने इतिहास से कुछ नहीं सीखा

Ayush: Making Sense Podcast: What does the Mueller Report Really Say?