Sachin Kalbag, former editor of Mid Day and currently working on launching The Hindus’s Mumbai edition, joins us for this episode of NL Hafta. Kalbag tells us his plans to customise the newspaper to cater to Mubai’s voracious appetite for “entertainment” and yet stay true to The Hindu’s core values of good journalism. We also debate whether Svetlana Alexievich, the first person to be awarded the Nobel for literature, got the award for her body of work or for her politics. Then we discuss why politicians would never say anything that would antagonize their core support base. Also: the never-ending Delhi versus Mumbai debate, spokespersons going against their party positions and more.

Links:

Rajyasree Sen’s column in The Economic Times: http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-commentary/je-suis-beefeater-why-public-declaration-of-beef-love-is-also-deeply-polarising/

Mayank Jain’s account of being detained by Delhi Police: http://scroll.in/article/759920/law-wont-protect-sinners-like-you-scroll-in-reporter-covering-beef-protest-detained-for-seven-hours

Mohan Guruswamy’s piece on Asaduddin Owaisi: http://www.dailyo.in/politics/asaduddin-owaisi-azam-khan-secularism-un-muslims-in-india-aimim-bahadur-yar-jung-clerics-and-maulvis-hyderabad/story/1/6683.html

Khurshid Kasuri’s interview with Karan Thapar: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/programme/when-we-tried-to-reduce-violence-india-gave-us-no-credit-khurshid-kasuri/1/490994.html

Khurshid Kasuri’s book launch moderated by Nidhi Razdan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm1YYu7YCVg

Mid Day being the first Indian publication to publish a gay matrimonial ad: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/11617182/Indias-first-gay-marriage-ad-Mumbai-mother-seeks-vegetarian-groom-for-my-son.html

Newslaundry story on Mid Day rejecting a gay matrimonial ad: http://www.newslaundry.com/2015/09/29/mid-day-rejects-a-gay-matrimonial-ad-what-explains-its-u-turn-on-lgbt-rights

Produced by Arunabh Saikia