Hafta letters: NL’s coverage of SIR protest, question for Anand and violence in Manipur

Erbil

Hi!

I loved your coverage of the protest. Thank you.

The way Rahul Gandhi and the opposition have come together has been quite something. Seeing him share the stage with other opposition leaders has all been commendable. Rahul Gandhi is a politician who understands optics. So I can’t help being a little sceptical.

Why hasn’t he shown up at the protests CJP called? Couldn’t the Chennai events have been rescheduled, or at least Congress or Youth Congress workers sent in his place?

Sometimes it feels like he’s giving CJP space; other times, it feels like he’s waiting on the sidelines, ready to step in when CJP fails.

Maybe I’m being overly cynical, but I’m struggling to make sense of it all. You’ve seen far more protests and politicians than I have. Should we focus on the momentum building right now and hope it ultimately works in the people’s favour?

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Karthik

We need a discussion on police brutality in general. What allows the beat cop to torture his own fellow citizen? Is there no training to teach them how to exercise restraint? Or is it a reflection of our sado-masochistic society? Where do we derive excess pleasure by humiliating the other? And given a choice, we would humiliate rather than respect the other. In my view, it is a sick society where state institutions act not as protectors of individual rights but as a means of continuing a hierarchical society with institutional legitimacy.

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Anonymous

Hi all,

A shoutout to Basant Kumar for his investigation into Uttarakhand Global Investment!

My 70-year-old FIL is a successful doctor, highly educated, and an ardent AT viewer. Clearly, education and media literacy don’t always go hand in hand!

He’s staying with us for 2 months, and I cheekily played the report on YT. He was shocked by the potential corruption and BJP links.

After 30 mins, he asked, “Who are these NL people? The information seems legit!” That was my opening to explain how NL differs from mainstream TV media.

Later, while watching AT Live on YT, I pointed out the pan masala and Patanjali ads and questioned whether AT would ever critically report on its advertisers’ products and misleading health claims. To my surprise, he agreed: “Haan, AT thoda partial toh hai!”

My wife and I celebrated this small victory! Of course, he’ll probably go straight back to AT when he returns to Mumbai.

I find investigative reports work better than Newsance with him. Otherwise, it’s “Modiji ka mazaak kaise uda sakte hain!”

Keep up the great work!

Regards,

Anonymous

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Karthik Prasad

This is a question for Anand. I have always found your answers very lawyerly (in a good way) and rigorous. I try to read your recommendations diligently. Following what Abhinandan said during one of the Haftas about Anand being pro-bureaucracy, I would like to ask whether he still believes the SIR fiasco was due to malicious intent or simply bad execution. After the recent Express news reports and Mr Ashok Lavasa’s op-ed in The Hindu on Oct 13, I can't find any rational explanation other than a politically motivated act by an institution that's supposed to be independent.

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Prakash

Did the Hafta panel forget to discuss the Flydubai terror attack? Even the solitary article on the NL website, its tone and content, is quite questionable. Maybe the panel can elaborate; I am trying hard not to jump to conclusions.

Regards,

Prakash

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Rambilas

Dear Newslaundry Hafta Team,

Delhi and Manipur: When Violence Becomes Routine

After Oct 10, I felt surprised and confused by the government’s response to the planned protest in Delhi, where thousands of security personnel were deployed. I understand that the authorities may have feared the protest could turn violent, although I do not know whether it would have. Still, this made me wonder: why don’t we see the same urgency and scale of mobilisation to stop the continuing ethnic violence in Manipur?

I understand that the conflict in Manipur is complicated and that lasting peace requires the communities involved to reach an understanding and overcome their hatred. But I believe government intervention is crucial to protect lives and stop violence before reconciliation can take place. Why does the violence continue to claim lives despite government intervention and security deployments?

Something else troubles me. I have gradually become accustomed to reading news from Manipur about five or ten people being killed over a period of days or weeks. It has started to feel routine, much like the news I read about Palestine. The fact that repeated reports of people losing their lives can begin to feel normal is disturbing in itself.

Is this happening partly because these issues receive less sustained attention in the media and in public discussions? Or have we, including the government, gradually become accustomed to violence that continues for so long?

My question is: Why does the response to a planned protest appear so immediate and forceful, while prolonged ethnic violence continues to claim lives—even as the Modi government portrays itself as a strong government on national security? And when did the deaths of ordinary people become so routine that we risk becoming indifferent to them?

Regards,

A 22-year-old student 

Separate Questions / Requests (Unrelated to the Letter Above)

Extra Question: I came across your Uttarakhand report video on the INC YouTube channel. Did you give them permission to use it, or did they use it without your permission?

Separate Request: Could you publish a short report on the sexual harassment allegations involving the Congress MP from Manipur, covering the student’s allegations, the MP’s counterclaims, and any available evidence or official action in the case?

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