Newslaundry Podcast

Central government has decided to sell debt-ridden Air India. Will the government have to 'pay' to sell Air India? Govindraj Ethiraj, journalist and founder of IndiaSpend.com, joins the regular gang of Hafta as we discuss Air India's fate. Abhinandan Sekhri, Madhu Trehan, Anand Ranganathan and Manisha Pande, along with our guest, also discuss the presidential picks by both the governing coalition and the opposition; the Modi and Trump meet: how fruitful was it for India? And, finally, has India become 'Lynchistan' or was it like always this? Is data being used to justify the lynchings under the current regime? Listen up, there's a song dedication in the end too. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here’s a little sneak peek of the complete episode where we discuss the government's decision to sell Air India, presidential picks of both the governing coalition and the opposition, has India become 'Lynchistan' or was it like this forever? and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Samar Khan and Rahul Puri are back with their weekly round-up of sports. They both have great respect for Anil Kumble but Samar feels that unlike football, cricket is a captain's baby. On the other hand, Rahul says that it is not Virat Kohli's job to keep coming up with choices for a team coach. It is BCCI's job to select a coach and every person has his job roles. On the John McEnroe vs. Serena Williams row, Samar Khan says that it is futile to argue on the fact that women's tennis can bring the same revenue as men's tennis while Rahul feels that this is the case with every sport, not just tennis. In the world of football, Samar feels the main players do not take the Confederation Cup seriously.All this and more on this week's Just Sports. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri review Salman Khan's Tubelight and how it failed to do well at the box office despite being an Eid release. The two also discuss the trailers for Madhur Bhandarkar's Indu Sarkar, Arjun Rampal's Daddy, as well as Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma's Jab Harry Met Sejal. They weigh in on the new Netflix documentary, Nobody Speak, on the trial between Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media and how it brought down a media empire. And who is Banksy? All this and more discussed and dissected in this episode of the Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here’s a little sneak peek of the complete episode where we discuss National Democratic Alliance’s presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind, 15 people arrested for sedition in Madhya Pradesh for celebrating Pakistan’s Champions Trophy victory and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The National Democratic Alliance announced former Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind as its presidential candidate in the run-up to presidential elections next month, leaving the till-then united opposition in disarray.Journalist and author Urmilesh joins Madhu Trehan, Anand Vardhan, Manisha Pande and Atul Chaurasia to discuss how media was left wondering on Modi-Shah’s choice for the next president of the country. We also discuss, 15 people arrested for sedition in Madhya Pradesh for celebrating Pakistan’s Champions Trophy victory, BJP spokesperson’s complaint against journalist Rana Ayyub for criticising its presidential pick and protests in Darjeeling and a lot more. Listen up! There’s a song dedication too. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Samar Khan and Rahul Puri are back with their weeklyround-up of sports. Samar feels that the initial Pakistan defeat iswhy they came all guns blazing this time around. They also think thatVirat Kohli needs to work on his captaincy skills a little more . Inthe world of badminton, they discuss how India is becoming a realforce in badminton thanks to Pullela Gopichand's coaching plus Rahulfeels that Gopichand knows how to create world class players. All thisand more on this week's Just Sports. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“I have not seen a liar Chief Minister like him [Shivraj Singh Chouhan] in my entire lifetime,” Shiv Kumar Sharma said. The farmer leader has reason to be upset and angry at the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: The Chouhan government, he said, has made hundreds of announcements in the past but never implemented it.Sharma is the 66-year-old who has led the farmers’ protest in Madhya Pradesh, which turned violent. Also known as Kakkaji in MP, Sharma called Chouhan a “darpok (coward)” CM.The chief of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (RKMS), Sharma charged that the Shivraj government has failed to address the agrarian crisis in the state over the last 14 years. And as a result, “due to this building pressure on farmers, the cooker had burst.”On his radar are both the BJP government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)’s farmer body Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS). According to Sharma, the BKS struck a deal with the state government and unanimously called off the protest. By doing so, they have cheated the farmin

Vivek Kaul, author & economist, speaks to Anand Ranganathan about his new book, India's Big Government: The Intrusive State & How It's Hurting Us. Kaul talks about the Indian economy, employment and labour reforms. He also speaks on loan waivers to farmers -- is it a feasible solution?Also, how much of the maxim "government has no business to be in business" holds true today? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here’s a little sneak peak of the complete episode where we discuss Amit Shah's chatur Baniya remark, farmers protests, loan waivers announced by the state governments and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party's president, called Gandhi a 'chatur baniya' and that kicked up quite a storm in the media. Did Shah's remark get unnecessary media attention or was it important to discuss the implications of it considering the position he holds? T R Vivek, journalist and author, joins the Hafta gang to discuss this, along with Ramachandra Guha's column in The Indian Express stating that Gandhi had transcended caste and a rebuttal to his piece by Newslaundry columnist Tejas Harad. Abhinandan Sekhri, Anand Ranganathan, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan, along with our guest, Vivek, discuss the Cauvery issue, farmers protests in Madhya Pradesh and loan waivers announced by the state governments. Are loan waivers a feasible solution? The team also discusses Information & Broadcasting ministry's decision to deny certificate to three films for screening at Kerala festival and more. And there are two song dedications too. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri discuss the Rajkummar Rao and Shruti Haasan starrer, Behen Hogi Teri. Is it worth a watch? They also discuss the trailers of Akshay Kumar's Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Kushan Nandy's Babumoshai Bandookbaaz and Marvel's Black Panther. CNN dumping Reza Aslan for his anti-Trump tweet also finds a mention. All this and more discussed and dissected in this episode of the Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Samar Khan and Rahul Puri are back with their weekly round-up of sports. Samar feels that Rafael Nadal is only a clay court legend but Rahul feels he is one of the all time greats. In the world of cricket, they think South Africa, as a team just dont seem to deliver. Their differ when it comes to the winner of ICC Champions Trophy. Samar bets on India while Rahul backs England. All this and more on this week's Just Sports. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On June 11, after more than 10 days of protests by farmers, the Maharashtra government announced it would waive all farm loans. Farmers demanding loan waivers have been agitating in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh as well, where the protests turned violent resulting in the death of five farmers in a police shooting.In light of these developments, Newslaundry spoke to economist and former professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Arun Kumar on the reasons behind demands of farm loan waivers, the impact of demonetisation on the agrarian economy and the “asymmetry” in response to farm loans and corporate loans. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Historian Rana Safvi talks to Newslaundry about Dastan-e-Ghadar, an eyewitness account of the Revolt of 1857 by Zahir Dehlvi, who was an established poet as well as an official of the Emperor’s court. Safvi describes the communal harmony in the city prior to the revolt. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Quartz Asia bureau chief Tripti Lahiri speaks to Vivek Gopal about her book 'Maid in India’ that explores the murky, unregulated world of domestic work in India. She discusses the shift in prevailing attitudes regarding labour, its often gendered recognition and ways in which power dynamics are internalised. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Arun Shourie, former Union Minister, economist, journalist and author, discusses his latest book Two Saints: Speculations Around and About Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharishi. The concept of the book is to bridge the gap between inner consciousness and science. Shourie explains his attempts at understanding faith and the psychological impact of belief. He and Trehan talk about scientific explanations for near-death experiences and the role of the human mind in supporting such acts. Shourie explains how "the government has become an event management company." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here’s a little sneak peak of the complete episode where we discuss CBI raids at Prannoy Roy's residence, farmers’ protest in Madhya Pradesh and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The week started with the news of Central Bureau of Investigation raiding the residence of NDTV Co-Founder Prannoy Roy. Questions were raised on the motivation of the raids -- is the government trying to muzzle dissenters? Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor of The Wire, joins us as we analyse the CBI's case against NDTV. We also discuss Arnab Goswami's strange obsession with The Wire. Abhinandan Sekhri, Anand Ranganathan, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan also discuss farmers’ protest in Madhya Pradesh, Trump pulling out of the Paris agreement and more. And there's a song dedicated to Rahul Gandhi! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.