Hafta letters: Zohran Mamdani, spending on elections, Dalai Lama and Tibet

Rama

This is in response to Hafta X. As one of the subscribers critical of Sekhri’s commentary on trans issues, I think his framing on why the “woke discourse” makes him uncomfortable is much more nuanced today. But I had some reservations on Jayashree’s and Shardool’s tendency to homogenise the western world as uniformly white and as former colonisers. Race is a social construct and, historically, people of different European countries were not always considered white (Irish, Italian, etc). Some scholars believe Ukraine has traits of a postcolonial state itself so casually dubbing it as part of the white, colonial world might be problematic.  

Regarding the treatment of Raj Kushwaha’s mother in TV media, I was thinking about NL’s longform piece on the Disha Salian case. I personally think it was one of NL’s best reports. I hope you can do a similar follow-up on this case as well. 

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Swati

Hi NL team,

Loved the episode with Neerja and Dhanya – and big congrats on the upcoming podcast on trans rights. I really appreciated the responsiveness to subscriber feedback, and the humility to call yourselves out for past lapses.

A strong request for a discussion in July (preferably next week!) on Tibetan exile and the future of the Tibetan movement. The Dalai Lama turns 90 on July 6, having spent nearly seven decades in India. This is the moment to engage with his legacy in India (esp within the Himalaya) – and his recent autobiography Voice for the Voiceless – and the crossroads the Tibetan exile community now faces: declining population, a third generation born outside Tibet, and deep uncertainty about what comes after him.

I hold a PhD on Tibetan exile and eastern Himalayan history, and would be glad to help. I can suggest panelists who represent a range of views from within the exile community and Indian government circles. 

Let’s make this conversation happen. It’s time.

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Soumya

Hi NL team! Kudos to you for wonderful reporting on electoral rolls. Elections are one of the most important parts of a democracy. Hence, I suggest you to please do a NL Sena project on the same. Apart from electoral rolls, a few other important aspects of our elections worth investigating are as follows. 

1) Money spent during elections by various election authorities (returning officers and above) for providing necessary arrangements at the polling booths. How are the contractors chosen? What ratio of payments are done in cash?

2) Working conditions of the zonal as well as polling officers and arrangements made for them. They are generally low-level government officials, teachers, etc. 

With the Bihar election around the corner, it may prove to be a good investigation. Keep up the good work and take care!

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Anonymous 

After Zohran Mamdani’s recent win and the backlash he faced online, I started reflecting on diversity and what fuels such anger. While I don’t support the attacks, I was curious about where the frustration comes from.

In liberal societies like the US or the UK, these countries are expected to protect the rights of minorities to freely practice their faiths. But in many Islamic countries, similar freedom to express liberal or western values is often restricted. This raises a question: Is diversity truly mutual?

Globally, one cultural identity seems to be expanding while others quietly shrink. Shouldn’t true diversity mean space for all cultures, not just tolerance in one direction? If we genuinely value diversity, we must also be willing to ask where it’s being upheld – and where it’s not.

I truly appreciate your work. TV Newsance, NL Hafta, and Awful and Awesome are my favourite podcasts.

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Jasmeet

Hello everyone,

As a lecturer in psychology, I wonder about the mental health of journalists who are often at the front line of life-threatening situations such as natural disasters, or are exposed to perturbing, traumatic incidents like crime sites. I watched in the Netflix series House of Secrets a crime reporter state that normal human emotions often cease to exist after being exposed to so much secondary trauma. I am curious to learn what people at NL think about the mental health of news professionals. Are there enough conversations around it?

Keep up the good work!

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Anonymous 

I'm guessing you guys would cover Zohran Mamdani’s election this week. In your view, what worked that an immigrant, socialist, Muslim and most importantly an anti-Israel/pro-Palestine candidate beat someone who had almost 10 times as much funding?

Was it the policies? Rent control and affordable living in NYC has to be something. Was it the fact that he did not appear to be a sellout to the Israeli lobby like almost every politician?

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