NL Hafta

On this week’s NL Hafta, Abhinandan is joined by Anand Vardhan and Raman Kirpal, with Manisha joining in on the phone from Bangalore. The discussion is kicked off with the Karnataka elections, with Manisha weighing in on the scenario at the local level, saying that the Mandya district held strong support for Kumaraswamy. Talking about the massive coverage of the elections, Anand attributes it to the proliferation of media, and the resulting “over-coverage” of certain issues, adding that it leads to exchange and oversupply of narratives. Raman asserts that he is sure the 2019 elections will see Rajasthan or UP being the deciding factor. The panel has a good laugh as Manisha reveals that BJP leaders like Sambit Patra are doing road shows in order to garner support. She brings the topic to a close, saying that multiple narratives exist in Karnataka with regard to the elections and it is difficult to single out just one. Abhinandan then brings up the recent case in Gurgaon, when there were protests against people offering namaz on the streets. Abhinandan finds it unnecessary and Anand agrees, adding: “The state government had no business making a statement on this issue.” While acknowledging the availability of separate spaces for offering namaz at hospitals and airports, Raman says there have been “no formal complaints in the past”. Manisha concludes the topic by adding: “It’s got nothing to do with obstruction. This crackdown is about religion and showing Muslims their place.” Anand brings up a “news which didn’t gather much attention” in the media, in which a Dalit funeral procession was stopped from going through a Muslim area in Tamil Nadu. Raman feels there is no connection between this and the namaz incident in Gurgaon. Abhinandan brushes off the topic by adding: “A Khattar equivalent is not there.” The “Angry Hanuman” sticker at the back of the cabs caught the panel’s attention. Abhinandan feels it is “used as a symbol of identity”. Anand seems in disagreement over the conspiracy theory behind “Angry Hanuman” and says “you need to have a preconceived notion to see it like that”. Manisha, who is in the ‘Land of Angry Hanuman’, talks about Ram Sena in Karnataka using the photo “as a propaganda”. Abhinandan says the ‘angry’ face is not of relevance to him, but the way it is being used is a matter of debate. The “sheer contempt on the Centre’s delay” over transferring the water of the Cauvery in Karnataka takes the next spot on the agenda. Manisha and Abhinandan feel it is an issue that is rather less discussed in the Karnataka election campaign. On the Iran nuclear deal, Anand feels “Mr Trump has unexpectedly delivered not badly on foreign policy” while walking out of the deal. Raman applauds Iran for the way the Iranian President “handled it really well”. Abhinandan adds: “Trump likes to cock a snook or show a middle finger to what you’d call the presidential way (of) decision-making… he thrives on that”.