Hafta letters: Spineless strongmen, selective outrage, and the need for a more diverse NL

Drishti Bhattacharya

Dear Newslaundry team,

While listening to Sudhir Mishra, I agree with his point of view on trends in Bollywood and Bengali movies. 

But one thing I observe whenever a new movie is announced, or a first look is released on social media: a group of people start spreading negativity that the film will be a flop, even before the teaser and trailer have been released.

And those people love films like Kabir Singh and Animal. I don't know how a group of people like these types of movies. And the last movie I watched was Vadh 2; it's good in the murder-mystery genre.

Great work.

Regards

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Rohit  

I have a question regarding this strong man phenomenon that I have noticed in people who pose as strong, masculine men. They are scared when they have to stand up to popular culture or societal traditions, be it Savarkar to the British or Modi to Trump, or China, or even these Bajrang Dal types; they become submissive very quickly to established power structures. I have seen this in irl also, many who pose as strong, they are only strong when they bully someone on caste or gender binaries, they would not stand up to their families or fathers or their societal/family structure, no matter how toxic or bad that is. Why is that, and why do people gravitate to these types of men who don't have a spine, in my opinion.

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Sanghamitra

Although it was wonderful to listen to Sudipto, all three podcasts could have featured only Sudipto as the expert on UGC topics. As a long-time subscriber and NL & TNM ambassador in my circle, I would like to know about your efforts to make your team more diverse and to represent the voices of marginalised communities. Also, it is disappointing to see experts from marginalised backgrounds only when caste is in discussion, as if these experts would not have much to contribute to other social and political topics.

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Sachin

Hi NL Team, 

I genuinely want to know what’s wrong with RaGa. It frustrates me that they don’t raise issues that are truly relevant to the public. In the Air India crash, where 280 people died, the initial report blamed the pilots. It feels clear that the government and DGCA are trying to save Boeing. Recently, another AI pilot flagged the same issue, but DGCA stated there was no problem. My mother, who used to travel frequently by plane, now says she is afraid and would rather take a 36-hour train journey instead of flying. Yet what we see in Parliament is banners saying “jo uchit lage vo karo.” Why step onto their turf when national security is their strongest zone and public sentiment largely supports them on international matters? It shows a lack of understanding of public sentiment on Raga's part.

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Anonymous

Dear NL team,

Great episode #575. I was shocked that no one pushed back, including TMK, but I have never heard a more ignorant and unhinged statement than the one made by Jayashree. India is more impoverished and divided than at the time of independence. I think Modi's claim of being non-biological has more basis than this. India at independence was divided religiously (partition, religion definitions, conservatism), impoverished (literacy less then 10 percent now 81 percent, before green revolution and hand to mouth dependence on foreign aid, child marriage, polygamy, almost no women participation), linguistically divided, communist insurgency, wars with Pakistan, politically divided (multiple princely states wanting independence, many parties not accepting legitimacy of govt). I was shocked that no one pushed back on such a statement, even when AS mentioned Guha's book in the same conversation. I am expecting a response saying “Jayashree meant something else and I fundamentally misunderstood.” Nothing against Jayashree and love her passion, but something so unhinged should not be ignored.

Best,

Anonymous

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S. Srinath 

“Showing them up for who they are” 

Abhinandan used this expression to describe how he thinks about some of the interviewees on “I Agree”, and how it might come across as cruel to some. Now flip the tables and watch the latest interview of Vikas Divyakriti by ANI’s Smita Prakash. The interviewer’s biases were clearly on display, and Mr Divyakriti - in his usual soft-spoken and mild-mannered AND fact-based style - gave such a smack down of all the right-wing talking points spewed by Ms Prakash. It was such a polite yet “cruel” performance that ANI might ban Mr Divyakriti from their channel for the foreseeable future. 

Enjoy watching! 

Srinath Sampath

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Letter 2

As we wait for details of the proposed $500 billion US-India deal, recent agreements Trump signed in 2025 with the EU, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, and Gulf nations offer clues. These deals promise investments ranging from $200 billion to $750 billion into the US, often framed as broad “framework agreements” or MoUs lacking specifics or legal enforceability. For partner countries, such commitments may feel like strategic pressure. Still, for Trump, they serve a political purpose: showcasing massive incoming investments to his domestic base and reinforcing his “America First” stance against what he calls freerider economies. In reality, many of these headline figures may not fully materialise, as follow-through remains uncertain and partner nations may hope the commitments fade over time. The author half-jokingly suggests India could symbolically meet such targets with a far smaller investment – highlighting scepticism about the seriousness and structure of these grand announcements.

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Redrosa Tales 

Dear Team,

This is with reference to your Hafta 575 episode, particularly the segment with TM Krishna. There were moments in the conversation when I was unsure what the topic was; many topics of current significance were discussed, but it was difficult to keep sight of the reason this segment was included in Hafta. 

Just to clarify, I have great respect for your work and that of TM Krishna, too, but I felt the session was meandering more than usual, and it was difficult to focus on the topic at hand. 

For future book launches and related sessions, consider spinning them off into separate interviews/segments. 

I use Hafta to stay up to speed on the week's events, and this HAFTA was longer than usual. In a world where we are all time-poor, a little focus could help both the Newslaundry team and its subscribers. 

Best wishes. 

Red Rosa. 

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Amrita

Dear NL Hafta Team,

Listening to TM Krishna is a pleasure, but the critique of elites lacks a forward-looking vision. Equality is a baseline; on its own, it does not inspire, and it often asks those who have progressed, for varied historical reasons, to feel embarrassed rather than involved. The political right succeeds by offering participation in something larger than oneself: something that can unite rich and poor, even if the outcome is not that.

On democracy: nearly all democratic societies did not arrive there through democracy. Most organised societies first required centralised power to coordinate and stabilise, and only later adopted the language of democratic values. In that context, criticism of current India feels like demanding the cure while refusing the medicine. Better medicines should be sought, but until then, acknowledging the realities of building organised societies is the only way to figure this out.

Cheers,

Amrita

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Dhiraj Krishna Kumar

Hi NL Team, 

I’ve been a subscriber long enough to say that I would be a millionaire if, every time I had heard Abhinandan praise the strength of the American system on Hafta, I had deposited £100 in the bank. Looks like Orange Man has been able to circumvent everything! 

Anyways, pot shot done. Now to the real purpose of this email. 

About 7 years ago, you published a fantastic piece by Sweta Godhavarti on the ‘us vs them’ phenomenon from a neurological perspective. 

I would love to have her and other Neuroscientists to analyse how Trump is really getting away with all this bullshit from a psychological/neurological perspective. Why are others really succumbing?

I won’t be surprised if the conclusion is that we are just animals at the end of the day. Rules-based order is just a myth. 

Just an idea, if you think it’s useful. 

Best Wishes,

Dhiraj 

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Soup Yeller

I’m disappointed by how protests in Iran are often framed through the lens of “regime change” fears and reflexive “US bad” narratives. In the past decade alone – Bloody November, the Mahsa Amini protests, and the current unrest – each uprising has followed a grim pattern: nationwide internet shutdowns lasting 7–15 days and death tolls estimated between 500 and 3,000, figures made impossible to verify due to blackouts. Human rights groups have repeatedly said these shutdowns are used to hide the scale of killings.

Yet, coverage that should focus on what may be among the worst state massacres of civilians instead pivots to critiques of US intervention. For many on the left, moral outrage seems selective – intense for Gaza, muted for Iran because it sits in the “US bad” camp. Questions journalists should ask – why Iran imposes total information blackouts, how unarmed civilians can resist a regime willing to shoot them, and why international attention is denied – are sidelined.

There is a serious conversation to be had about intervention and its limits. But telling Iranians to “figure it out themselves” while downplaying their suffering does a disservice to their cause and reduces their struggle to a footnote in anti-imperialist rhetoric.

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Soup Yeller 

I finished watching episode 573 and found Jayshree’s comments on Iran deeply troubling. While I understand her framing of Kashmir as occupied, the analogy actually exposes the problem. Imagine India carrying out mass killings in Kashmir, shutting down the internet, silencing domestic media, and then allowing a tightly monitored foreign journalist to echo state narratives. That’s effectively what Iran has done – yet this reality was barely acknowledged, with protests reduced to a footnote. Iranian actress Nazanin Nour has explained this clearly.

What concerned me most was the lack of pushback from Manisha and Abhinandan, despite the episode being framed as a debate. Jayshree and Suhasini’s approach felt dismissive and veered into blaming everything on the US, Mossad, or Netanyahu. While external actors may have interests, that cannot justify ignoring the suffering of ordinary Iranians. This risks becoming apologia rather than analysis.

I raise this because Newslaundry has previously shown nuance – such as refocusing on air pollution despite political noise. I worry that, in Iran, that balance was missing. More broadly, I hope Newslaundry reflects on ideological drift, editorial diversity, and safeguards against audience capture, ensuring uncomfortable truths are still pursued even when they alienate subscribers.

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Vijay 

Hello Hafta Team,

Hafta is my regular weekend listen, and I really value the discussions. I especially appreciate Anand’s perspective – I initially saw it as merely contrarian, but now I see it as adding nuance and depth. Often, it seems he has more to say, but time constraints limit the context. I’d love a biweekly or monthly explainer-style show with him to break down complex topics for casual listeners. I’m also curious whether he finds law-related news accessible to general readers, as I personally find legal and economic reporting the hardest to follow.

I’ve noticed more focus on international news lately. Given ongoing developments in the US and crises in neighbouring countries, how do you prioritise domestic versus global coverage? For instance, the delay in BMC elections for three years deserved discussion.

It would also be interesting to track whether “triple-engine” governments in Delhi and Mumbai improve governance over time. Letters biweekly would be great too.

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Srinivasan, Rama 

Given that I am, at times, critical of Abhinandan Sekhri's comments on gender and sexuality, I thought it was important to write this letter of appreciation for the Barkha Trehan interview. I loved how he kept escalating the conversation with outrageous remarks like “women are too lazy to be born” and watching Trehan go along with everything. Given that there are so many delulu people out there, it is sad that we do not have more episodes of I Agree. On a very different note, The News Minute's profile on Sridhar Vembu was also great food for thought. Great week to be a Newslaundry/The News Minute subscriber. 

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Soumya 

Hi, NL team! I have one question and one suggestion for Anand. 

The question is what Anand's views are on the ongoing arguments related to the constitutionality of SIR in the Supreme Court?

Suggestion: he could host a small episode, similar to what Pooja does in LME, on matters taken up by the Supreme Court, especially those before constitution benches. It would help us subscribers understand the law, what the constituent assembly thought while making a law, and the nuances one must consider in present-day society.

P.S. Keep up the good work, NL team.

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Anonymous 

It's understandable to have differing opinions, and it's completely fine for Anand to take a seemingly staunch "Pro-Establishment" stance on every topic discussed. The unfortunate reality here is that after a point, it becomes predictable. 

If there is a particular topic and I already know what the panellist is going to say, that hurts the overall product's value, right? 

In Hafta 572, from 29:30 onwards, Anand completely dismissed the whole blowback when it comes to the dynamics with Bangladesh, but never really explained why that was the case, as the Pakistan examples are just not accurate. 

Hope this isn't offensive to Anand. Cheers!

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Electric Piya

Hello, NL team!

I’d been a lurker consuming the free content for a few months and finally decided to get a subscription a couple of months back. I’m really glad I did, because I get to hear the team’s views and ground reports on issues that truly matter. I’ve been enjoying Hafta each hafta, and I’m always intrigued when Abhinandan talks about football or Shardul about gaming. 

I feel pop culture is a great gateway to bring people onto the platform. A&A is a great example of that. What do you think, is a sports and gaming show long overdue?

Lastly, keep up the great work. Love to each and every one of you!

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Simar

Hi Hafta team,

In the last subscriber take, one letter discussed the Indian startup ecosystem. I have been curious about that ecosystem for a long time. From Shark Tank India going into S5 and claiming it is now cool to be an entrepreneur in India; to unicorn founders praising the government claiming it has done a lot for developing the ecosystem; to the letter you got pointing out how the ecosystem is still in a “baniya” network; I would really like to see a deep dive from the NL team on this ecosystem. It could be in the form of a Let's Talk About or an NL Sena. If we are to believe that startups will fuel India’s growth ambitions, I would love to hear inside stories from NL.

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Revanth

It is disheartening to see attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, but more troubling is the outrage against those who speak against the genocide in Gaza, accusing them of being selective. People should be encouraged to take a stand, not criticised for what they cannot address. No individual can speak against every injustice, and such accusations often reflect existing prejudice against Muslims. 

The two situations are structurally different. The genocide in Gaza is state-led and internationally backed, making public pressure essential. Violence in Bangladesh stems from extremist groups exploiting governance failures and is not state-endorsed; it requires institutional revival and not outrage against the whole country. It is alarming that this misplaced outrage has reached positions of power, such as the BCCI urging KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman solely for being Bangladeshi. These ears somehow shut for environmentalists, but become quick decision makers for religious extremists.

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