Hafta 294: Covid-19, Sudarshan TV, and the Delhi riots investigation

NL Hafta

This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri and Raman Kirpal are joined by Abantika Ghosh, journalist with ThePrint and Revati Laul, an independent journalist and author of The Anatomy of Hate.

The discussion begins with the current situation of Covid-19 in India—from the sero surveys to the possibility of a vaccine in a few months and if it will even be reliable. Abantika pointing towards the failure of the lockdown says,“The claim that lockdown saved lives is not accurate.” The panel talks about people’s growing negligence towards the pandemic. Revati talks about the Covid situation in her neighbourhood stressing on the low number of tests.

The panel then moves on to Sudarshan TV’s problematic show, ‘UPSC Jihad.’ They discuss the Supreme Court’s intervention in the matter and the reasons why hate-ridden shows are not censored by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and National Broadcasters Association. The panel, highlighting how an atmosphere of hate has been created over the last few years, also explains how this is just not a media-related issue. Revati weighs in saying, “We have to agree that hate is the most contagious thing and it is much easier for the media to sell hate.”

The conversation finally switches to the arrest of Umar Khalid and the 17,000-page chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police in the Delhi riots case. Raman believes the police have already “built a narrative” and it is on the basis of this very conspiracy theory that they are investigating the Delhi riots.

All this and more, only on this week’s NL Hafta. Tune in!

Timecodes

00:00 - Introduction and headlines

09:06 - Mishandling of Covid data and vaccine skepticism

26:01 - Subscriber letters

30:28 - Suresh Chavhanke's bigoted show, media regulation, and politics of hate

59:49 - Subscriber Letters

01:03:54 - Umar Khalid's arrest and the 17,000 page Delhi riots chargesheet

01:12:54 - Subscriber letters

01:22:46 - Recommendations

Recommendations

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Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Revati Laul

India in the Persianate Age

Raman Kirpal

The Social Dilemma

Abhinandan Sekhri

Waste Land

Nearly seven months after Delhi violence, a continuing attempt to target dissenting voices

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