Hafta letters: Bigg Boss, ‘vote chori’, caste issues, E20 fuel

Manan Mehta

I think Abhinandan should consider going to Bigg Boss. As he often says, he visits colleges hoping a few students will subscribe to NL– Bigg Boss offers a far bigger platform. Even if it brings just 10 new subscribers, that’s a win, especially since he’ll also be paid for participating. That money could be channelled into the next NL Sena project or even kept aside for potential legal battles with the show.

Moreover, it’s unlikely many Bigg Boss viewers have ever heard of him. When his name is announced, people will Google him. If NL simultaneously releases sharp Newsance episodes, backed with SEO, the search results will amplify NL’s brand. Even if the game is rigged or his words muted, the visibility alone would give NL unexpected traction across new regions, essentially delivering a free Sena project and valuable marketing at zero cost.

Regards,
Manan

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Aayush Gupta 

I will keep my questions/suggestions short, but feel free to answer them in detail.

1. What is the meaning of the NL symbol? Is it a chutki (cloth-drying clip)? If yes, then why?

2. Please discuss the rampant pro-BJP gerrymandering that will take place after delimitation because of the BJP-appointed ECI.

3. You should start a new monthly (not weekly) video segment like Newsance and Tippani to criticise insensitive or misinformed news coverage/dissemination by social media influencers/self-styled journalists. As a media watch organisation, you shouldn't cage newspaper criticism on the NL website. Also, you should review the new digital media channels more regularly instead of rarely filling in some criticism of new media in Newsance or Tippani. I nominate Shardul (more witty & bold coverage) or Anand (more diplomatic & respectful criticism) for this monthly segment. Not counting Jayashree because she might have trouble speaking Hindi easily.

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Rajesh Krishnaswamy

Hi Abhinandan, 

I am a subscriber and have Hafta, Awful and Awesome (necessary evil?) and South Central on my watch list. 

We keep hearing about the willingness of the courts to entertain multiple legislative matters (PIL, now known as Privilege IL), etc. As a Tamil Nadu resident, we have had the government going for reviews against all adverse decisions to the Supreme Court, and are represented by senior lawyers who do not appear for pocket change.  

I am curious to know how much the other states pay for such representation. If not the actual value, would we be able to get any source to understand the absolute number of such cases that have gone to the Supreme Court from the different states? 

Manisha and Jayashree, hats off to you – Method in the Madness  

Regards,
Rajesh 

PS: I believe trivia helps me from drowning in sorrow in today's India          

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Vivek Singh 

Hi NL team

Vote theft is the biggest scam in this country, but you guys spent only 25 minutes on it. Then you people are the first ones to blame the opposition for not doing anything. You could have at least tried to record a separate podcast on it. Why blame the Godi media when media platforms like you are not even ready to have a full-fledged discussion on it? Regards 

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Manan Shah 

I just heard Abhinandan’s recommendation from last Hafta – A Good Walk Spoiled by Malcom Gladwell. It was nice and it made me realise that the caste system is everywhere, in every society on earth, we just call it different names, or rather, it’s not called so. 

I was visiting Greece a year ago and went to a village where they had no running water. They had to go down, fill up huge tanks of water in their pickup trucks, and get it up. It seemed unreal to me, to imagine this in Europe – the most “developed” region on earth, “the first world,” – and turns out it’s true for a lot of places all across Europe. Inequality is a big issue even amongst the original population, forget the situation with immigrants, which gets most media spotlight. 

Best,

Manan

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Bharat Manral 

Hi all,

This is my first feedback email, though I’ve been a subscriber for long. I wanted to share a few thoughts on the recent VoteChori allegations by Rahul Gandhi. Most debates (including Newslaundry) argue that the fake voter data he highlighted is already known, so malicious intent is unlikely. But I think the real point is different: malice enters if these fake voters actually voted, which should never happen. It’s not just about faulty rolls, but whether these names were used to manipulate outcomes. This crucial distinction is being overlooked.

Another point: no one is discussing the Form 6 anomaly. Out of 33,000+ new registrations, none were aged 18–23 – most were older. Can this really be dismissed as a clerical error? It looks deliberate, not routine. Have we seen such a pattern before?

Thanks for reading, and I hope this perspective adds to the discussion.

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Shivesh Singh 

Dear Abhinandan, 

I’ve been a regular listener and subscriber since 2023 and have always valued the rigour and independence of your journalism. That’s why I found the recent episodes of Hafta and Newsance quite disappointing.

The ECI developments and Rahul Gandhi’s press conference were barely discussed – around 2.5 minutes in total – while 12 minutes went to the “dog protest”, and the closing stretch largely to NL Sena and subscription appeals. It felt like the episode had little to offer on such a crucial issue, which is frustrating as a paying supporter. Over the past 2–3 weeks, Hafta has also become noticeably shorter, and Newsance increasingly repetitive. As a long-time subscriber, this dip is disheartening.

I hope you’ll take this feedback constructively, as many of us support NL because we trust it to go deeper where others don’t.

Best regards,
Gayatri

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Mohit  

Abhi bhai, for god’s sake, don’t go to Bigg Boss. You’ve built credibility over the years, and appearing there will only damage it. At best, 0.001 percent of viewers might subscribe to Newslaundry, but the bigger risk is that even loyal subscribers may cancel after seeing you on that stage. Newslaundry has always stood firm – black or white, never in a grey zone. Joining Bigg Boss would make it look like you’re chasing cheap visibility, no different from ad-driven revenue you’ve always rejected. Just remember how Cyrus looked on the show – dull, uninterested, and diminished. Please don’t risk the same. FYI, I don’t watch Big Boss, it’s my wife who shared the Cyrus feedback :)

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Raman 

Abhinandan, you are thinking of stepping into the Bigg Boss house to reel in more subscribers for NL. Bold move! But have you thought about the collateral damage? People like me, who proudly avoid Bigg Boss, might start watching it just because you are there. Imagine that – the show gains more followers thanks to you, and society loses a few more precious hours to screaming matches. In trying to help NL, you might just end up doing more harm than good! Beware, you may go down in history as the man who corrupted us all. I can already hear Republic TV screaming: “NL CEO Triggers Nation’s Intellectual Decline!” And if fate really wants to punish you, Suhel Seth will be your housemate!

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Soumya

Hi! I strongly believe in the subscription model and deeply appreciate NL’s nuanced positions. That’s why, in my earlier letter, I urged NL to reach every section of society, especially the underprivileged.

I agree that YouTube is widely accessible today, and NL Hindi can help reach villages and poorer audiences. However, I slightly disagree with Manisha and Jayashree’s view that YouTube alone suffices. The reality is that algorithms may prevent NL from appearing in the feeds of those very sections. Meanwhile, they remain exposed to divisive, hateful media narratives.

I firmly believe NL has the potential to counter that, but relying only on YouTube or digital media won’t be enough. To broaden impact, I propose that NL invest some resources in outreach – targeted YouTube ads, newspaper spots, or even TV broadcasts. That way, NL can truly break echo chambers and reach where it matters most.

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Akshat Khare

Hi NL team,

I was watching the press conference and wondering if he avoided the reporters’ question on the Congress’s next steps. He seemed to say they’re just putting this information out there and are asking for digital data from the EC. Is there nothing much one can do, or is it just a general lack of action from the Congress? For example, can they go to SC to instruct EC to give the data?

Let’s say EC provides the data, and the Congress’s claims turn out to be largely true. Can you discuss the next possible course of action? Can one go to the SC and expect a reelection in those constituencies?

It’s great to hear important issues being discussed without interruptions and always end up learning something. Listening to you guys has become a part of my Saturday smoking-up routine.

Thanks for all the great work.

Akshat

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Modi-ji

Abhi uncle and Mitron,

I insist you must discuss why Canada is recognising Palestine's statehood now, and challenging my status as Vishwa guru. You rightly called them the maple-syrup country earlier. Now you must say where they are getting this extra 2AB from? 

My deafening silence on starving children in Gaza was such a masterstroke – now why are these small countries not learning from me how to be the vishwaguru?

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Sachin

Hi NL Team,

I have one correction for you, Manisha. In the latest Newsance episode, you mentioned that Amit Shah said something about Sardar Patel in 1960, even though Patel had passed away in 1950, and you mocked his claim of being a history student.

But in reality, he was referring to something from 1960, then briefly responded to someone from the Opposition, and continued his speech afterward. It’s quite evident from the video that he paused mid-sentence to reply and then resumed his original point.

The point is, there are already many valid ways to mock or question the government – we don’t need to manufacture things. Maybe the research team just missed it.

Your well-wisher.

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Pooja Aurora

Hi,
I want to appreciate the work you do to bring us honest news. On the high-handedness of the Modi/Yogi sarkar, I wish to share a personal experience – what some may dismiss as a “rich person’s problem,” but it reflects a deeper issue.

My father, an 86-year-old army officer, was assaulted by the secretary of the Noida Golf Club after he complained about the closure of the swimming pool. The matter escalated, and his membership was suspended without due process. NGC falls under the CEO of Noida Authority and UP’s Chief Secretary. Despite approaching both, no action was taken, as the Secretary is personally connected to the Chief Secretary and Yogi. Instead, we were pressured to withdraw complaints in exchange for reinstatement.

The lesson: there’s no real redressal for anyone. If even a war veteran can be intimidated with impunity, what chance does the common citizen have?

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Dipankar Khasnabish

Hello,
Since you spoke about Gaza and the starvation, and the decadence, and the need for support, I enclose for you a report.
The piece is dedicated to debunking the Gaza starvation. This is what it has to say. 

The "Organizer" is the RSS’s mouthpiece.

Warm regards

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Bhargav BS 

Dear NL Team,

The WSJ report on the AI 171 crash wasn’t wrong. Preliminary findings already point to the cause: the fuel control switches were manually moved from RUN to CUTOFF within seconds. These aren’t simple toggles; they require a deliberate pull-and-hold action, like a shower diverter. The FO noticed, flipped them back, and one engine recovered.

Yes, fuel can be cut electrically, but that doesn’t move the switches. The report states they physically transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF. In the Osaka 787 case, a glitch cut fuel flow, but the switches never moved, making this case fundamentally different.

Crash probes are often misunderstood: preliminary reports usually identify the technical cause. What takes longer is piecing together the full sequence, CRM factors, and systemic or legal implications, which can take a year or more.

P.S. See page 14 of the preliminary report PDF.

Best,
Bhargav

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Harnek Kang 

Hi NL team, I saw the CNN picture report on Gaza recommended by Abhinandan, and it was horrible. It’s an irony, and so sad to see that powerful states, governments, and people can do this to human beings. It makes me feel so guilty, helpless, and powerless. I support NL, The Wire, Ravish Kumar, and many other independent voices, but still, there’s nothing we can do to stop this insanity. It’s pathetic 

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Sorma Bhopali 

Arre bhai, sunne mein aaya hai ki ye E20 naam ka fuel laaya hai – 20% ethanol, 80% petrol. Hum toh soch rahe the ki desh ke liye achha hoga. Par jab se isko daala hai, meri purani Maruti 800 toh hil hil ke chal rahi hai jaise kisi ne usko thand mein naha diya ho!

Gaadi ka engine khatak raha hai, mileage gir gaya hai, aur workshop wale bole: “Soorma bhai, E20 toh engine ka dushman hai.” Dushman toh humne Gabbar ko bhi sambhal liya tha, par is E20 ne toh meri gaadi ki jaan hi le li!

Petrol mein 20% sasta ethanol milake bhi sarkar humse 100% ka tax le rahi hai! Matlab sasti cheez milake bhi mehengi bech rahe ho, aur upar se gaadi bhi kharab kar rahe ho?

Yeh toh wahi baat ho gayi – naach na jaane aangan tedha, aur humse kahin ki chappal leke bhaga diya!

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Anonymous 

Last week, part of Delhi NCR was flooded because of the rains. The flooding was so bad that many people and I traversed through 3-4 feet of water that entered our cars, and we somehow made our way home. Many had to send their cars to workshops to get them sorted. But there are always positives: within 3 months, the toxic air will be the flavour of the month. 

If only the Mughals and Nehru had not existed, everything would have been great. 

(Pardon the sarcasm) 

My recommendation for this one, watch the Jubilee video of Mehdi Hasan debating 20 far-right people. That's one scary debate if you look at the kind of freedom such fringe voices have and can say anything openly. 

If you guys have already seen it, do share your thoughts on it.

Cheers 

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Anonymous

Hi Team, thanks as always for your amazing work. Curious to know how you fight a sense of hopelessness when thinking of this country and its state. I have no hope left that things will get better for us in this lifetime. Curious to know what keeps you guys going when faced with the truth of how cruel this country is for most who inhabit it. 

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Michael Schumacher 

Maybe worth discussing: does the Left have a messaging problem?

I was watching a podcast where a panelist argued that left-leaning policies often assume people already recognise the issues they address. For example, affirmative action’s importance is still debated in the West. Similarly, in India, most from the general category don’t face caste discrimination daily, so they resist when they hear “reservation.” Rahul Gandhi’s use of terms like “wealth tax” or “redistribution” also triggered pushback.

Contrast this with Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned on “affordability” – a term that resonates instantly and helped him build momentum. The Right, meanwhile, often simplifies messaging by framing issues around a clear villain, which makes it more digestible for the average voter.

So the question is: does the Left fail not on ideas, but on how it frames them? Is the real challenge one of communication rather than conviction?

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Soumya

Hi, NL team! I wanted to know the panel's view on the election system in our country. ECI is a constitutional body that ideally should be independent from the executive. But, while preparing electoral rolls and conducting elections, it takes the help of the executive branch, such as DEO (district magistrate), ERO (sub-divisional officers), BDO, and BLO. All of whom are government officials who can be somehow pressurised by the ruling dispensation. So, how does our system ensure that elections are free and fair? Shouldn't ECI be given sufficient manpower and money to conduct elections throughout the country on its own without using the help of the executive? Why didn't our framers of the Constitution make such provisions and blindly believe that the executive would always be free and fair? Maybe a Hafta discussion with an expert will help get clarity on this issue.

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Srikanta 

Dear NL Hafta,

The election commission’s voter list revision is an illicit project with a legal veneer. If the EC is serious (who says they are!), they should attempt the definitive and comprehensive revision after the 2026 national census. It could even be clubbed with the census if they want to save government resources.  I share Abhinandan's skepticism about Aadhaar, as I too resisted its use for the longest time and was forced into submission. History shows that the art of rigging an election (in many fledgling democracies) has now moved from the goons and booths to the books and their cooks. To borrow a phrase from climate science, Indian electocracy has entered a new equilibrium. If the current regime lives up to its “reputation” of being more efficient at being ruthless than their predecessors (ever), we will be in this new equilibrium at least until the much-awaited amrithakaala.

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Ezaz Illah 

Hi Team,

I'm currently delayed on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway near Qazigund, waiting for the police to allow us to proceed towards Jammu. I started my journey at 6 am to avoid the usual 9 am Yatra movement, but unfortunately, I've been stopped six times already. We've just been informed we won't be allowed to continue until after 9:30 am.

This situation raises some critical questions for me:

1. Why aren't Yatris transported via railways, which could alleviate road congestion?

 2. Is it truly necessary to restrict locals' access to their own roads for a relatively small group undertaking a personal trip?

 3. The current arrangements are incredibly frustrating and make me feel “choked” by the inconvenience.

I believe these points warrant serious consideration.

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Saanae Naik 

Hi folks, interesting discussion on tourism. I wanted to weigh in about the different rates for entry in tourist places that Vivek mentioned. Museum entries in Europe have different prices for different age groups. But the general entry is very high in places like the Netherlands, France, Austria, Germany (anywhere between £15-20). The purchasing power of Indians visiting tourist places like the Taj Mahal, opposed to foreigners, is a world apart. Indians visiting foreign locations are fleeced in more official ways, e.g., international students in the UK pay more than twice the rate of home students in every university.

Keep up the good work.

Best wishes, Saanaee

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Shantanu Raut

I’m from Wardha, pursuing a PhD in Bologna, writing in response to Hafta 544’s discussion on Indian tourism, civic behavior, and public culture.

Having lived in Germany, now Italy, and worked in Goa, Pune, and Delhi as an architect, I’ve observed India both within and from afar. The issue isn’t just about development or resources – it’s about behavior, values, and political indifference.

Our public spaces aren’t only unclean; they’re unloved. There’s little sense of ownership over the commons, indifference to nature, and a food culture that glorifies unhygienic “authenticity.” Abroad too, many Indians carry entitlement – mistreating staff, ignoring queues, disregarding norms – not from poverty or ignorance, but from values.

Politics enables this by rewarding noise over substance. Infrastructure is tokenistic, campaigns hollow, traditions glorified, while basics like toilets or transport fail. What India lacks is civic imagination – dignity in public life and connection to the environment.

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Abhishek Nigam

Grateful to Manisha for highlighting this: India is squandering its vast tourism potential due to self-inflicted issues – dirty cities, unchecked exploitation of hills and coasts. Hridayeshji rightly pointed out the obsession with hill construction, but what personally pains me is the Great Nicobar project. Having lived in Campbell Bay for two years, it's ridiculous that a place with barely 1,000 settlers is being turned into a transshipment hub. India has immense tourism potential, but only if developed responsibly. Honestly, I hesitate to share hidden gems like Great Nicobar, fearing irresponsible tourists. The panel said no Indian city matches global urban planning, but Gandhinagar, in my view, is an exception – clean, green, well-planned, and the best capital city today. Sadly, cities like my hometown, Kanpur, are worsening by the day. Even smaller cities like Porbandar (where I currently live) fare better. Hope NL explores these neglected cities in more depth.
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Chaiwala2014

Hi Team-NL,

Just wanted to appreciate how Newsance handled the Air India crash coverage. Adding Manisha’s recorded note after the episode wrapped showed real care and editorial integrity.

It would’ve been easy to air the pre-recorded episode as is, but that short update acknowledged both the gravity of the news and the timing limitations. It was honest, thoughtful, and exactly the kind of sensitivity I associate with Newsance.

Kudos to Manisha and the team for striking the right tone.

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Sarath

Hi NL, kudos on your coverage on Dharali.

I want to ask your opinion on proceedings in Parliament. They are banning online games because most of the electoral bonds in TN and Andhra were from gaming companies. Is this one of the revenge from electoral bonds? Keep up the good work.

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Manan Shah 

Hi team, I generally always have positive feedback for your work, but not today. About the Abhishek Singhvi interview, Sreenivasan Jain argues with him for 10 minutes about inference vs actual proof. It's as if every statement that a politician makes is 100% true in this country, and Rahul Gandhi has done something different. It's an absolute waste of time. It doesn't matter whether Gandhi is inferring something or giving proof. The whole issue is that there's a discrepancy, which ECI did not clarify, and neither did it take it seriously enough, which in a functioning democracy they should have done so suo moto. Further, at least even in dysfunctional democracies like ours, they should have done a proper investigation once Rahul Gandhi raised allegations, and instead, we saw what a shit show they held. This was the first time I felt that NL could do a better job.

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