This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by The News Minute’s Anjana Meenakshi and Newslaundry’s Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.
Anjana talks about her report on Isha home schools being run by Jaggi Vasudev, where alleged cases of molestation and sexual assault unfolded. She explains how these misconducts led to traumatic experiences for some, but there is a lack of a grievance redressing mechanism within the organisation. She finds the functional body of the school to be an absurd way of spiritual business.
Shivnarayan reported on the legal fight between electronic companies and the government in the Delhi High Court over the new e-waste policy. Some electronic companies like Havells, Voltas, Dainkin, Hitachi, Bluestar, LG, and Samsung challenged the Indian government’s 2024 amendment to e-waste management rules, where the government fixed the minimum and maximum price caps for recycling their waste to meet their recycling targets. Companies argue that the government’s decision is arbitrary.
Tune in.
Timecodes
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:23 - Isha home schools
00:16:38 - E-waste case
00:30:11 - Recommendations
Recommendations
Anjana
Supreme Whispers: Supreme Court Judges
Shivnarayan
‘Thought they were Army, but they opened fire’: Survivors recount Pahalgam horror
Sumedha
A storm brews at Isha Foundation: Sexual assault allegations and countercharges
Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.
Sumedha: Order. Order. Hello and welcome to another episode of Reporters Without Orders. This is the podcast where we discuss what made news, what didn't, and something that absolutely shouldn't have. And today I'm joined by two of my colleagues.
One is. Rahi from News Laundry, and the other is Anina. Minchi from our partner organization, the News Minute. Hello? Hello, Anina. How are you? I'm well. How are you? I'm also good. So you're joining us from hva? I am, yes. Okay. Uh, so we'll start the podcast first by discussing Angina's story, which is on Isha Foundation.
The headline reads a Storm Bruise at Isha Foundation, sexual Assault Allegations and Counter Charges. And this is the first story from the News Minutes. The Spirituality Industry, uh, series, which is about the series, is about a deep [00:01:00] reporting project in which they look at various religious cults in the country where they get their funds from, their secrets.
And why they are attractive amongst certain age groups and communities. So, hello angina. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. Yeah. I suppose this story has taken, uh, has been, you have been reporting on this subject from a very long time, and it has finally come out.
Anjana: It has been a few months.
So we started looking at it, uh, mid-October, around October 18th. Okay. And, uh. That was when the first press conference was held by a couple from Ary and they held the press conference in Hyah. Then we sat and we heard them out and uh, I think the interesting part of it was at the end of their press conference, there was, uh, they set up a WhatsApp call and we could hear one more lady speak about how the daughter was assaulted.
So we said, all right, we need to follow this through, and then began the series of phone calls to. [00:02:00] Parents back and forth, and this went on, on and off. Continually, uh, until the end of January. So it was three, nearly three months that I've worked on this. Yeah.
Sumedha: Oh, okay. Three months. So there was also recently a video put up by, uh, Shamira Singh, who is, uh, a digital content creator, and he has also spoken about the, uh, sexual harassment allegations against employees of Isha Foundation.
And then that video was also pulled down. So is it the same cases, your stories about the same cases? There are
Anjana: overlaps with what Chami Sing has reported and, uh, what I have written about. Of course, I think, uh, because the format is one of text. Yeah. And it did allow me to go into more detail as two things, which were said bit and Bobs of conversations which took place between, uh, the alligators and, uh.
Either employees of the Isha [00:03:00] Foundation or Jackie himself. Uh, so that the format in which, which I operate with gave me that leeway.
Sumedha: Right. But yes,
Anjana: the cases are more or less there has been overlap bearing one major case. There has been an overlap. Yeah.
Sumedha: Because the story is behind the paywall, which means that people will have to subscribe to the news minute to read the story.
So we cannot, I think, uh, give away a lot of information. But for people, for those who have not been following this information, could you please share with us what are the sexual harassment allegations about and who are they, uh, against whom they are?
Anjana: Sure. So one, this is primarily not the Isha Foundation per se, and I think that's important to clarify.
Okay. This is at the Isha Homeschool because under the ambit of the Isha Foundation, there are several, many organizations. They have, uh, Anisha Institute in McMan will in Tennessee, in the United States, for instance. Right. They have, uh, two [00:04:00] schools in, uh, Khor. So there are very many Isha subsidiaries, if you will.
Uh, I looked at the Isha homeschool allegations. So one was, uh, the ary couple who spoke about how their, uh, son was, uh, molested by a fellow classmate. The second is pertains to a couple who's now based in the United States, an Indian couple who has alleged that their, uh, 7-year-old, uh. Daughter when she was enrolled at Isha Homeschool a long time ago, right?
Was assaulted by her teacher and there has been a complaint, which has been registered with the police in the Straka. The third has to do with the foreign, uh, volunteer who worked with Isha Homeschool who said that one of the people employed at Isha Home School and at the very top of the Isha Home School, uh, had.[00:05:00]
Molested him, misbehave with him. Hmm. So these are the broad allegations. We also look at a couple of other things, both pertaining to what volunteers have said, brainwashing and right, the use of, uh, things called ra, which is one of those objects of articles which Isha sell and promotes, uh, to say that this is spiritually healing and important and how this entirely feeds into how their spirituality business is.
Often to, to a sense of calm, serene, but at the same time also making a case for the absurd. So I think that is broadly what the story tries to cover. I mean, these are
Sumedha: not recent
Anjana: cases, right? No, they aren't. All of them aren't recent cases. So a couple of cases are deep back, a little. So it's between, uh, ranges from 2014 to 2019 to 2023.
Right. So, uh, one case is a lot older. It's in the early two thousands, [00:06:00] so it has been covering across timelines, but it also has to do with the fact that the reason, for instance, why the story took three months to do is because we had very many phone calls and, and, uh, I've had immense assistance from the and who's.
It was a News minute employee who walked me through it and rather handheld me through. But, uh, it took so much time because we had to go back, reconfirm details.
Sumedha: Hmm. And
Anjana: when you have been through what you identify in your own words as a traumatic experience
Sumedha: Hmm. And
Anjana: then it takes time for you to A, come to terms with it and b.
Be able to talk about it intelligently. Right? Which is what has happened, right? So that's exactly why it is across timelines. And then it became a sort of movement because they thought theirs was a soul story and then they ended up speaking to other. People who were involved with the Isha homeschool and they found out that, okay, [00:07:00] yours is not a soul story.
This has happened to you. Hmm. This has also happened to you. Hmm. So they band it together, so to speak. Right. And then it took off from there. Yeah.
Sumedha: Right. And what are the families saying why it has taken them a lot of time to come out?
Anjana: There are different reasons. One is that they said that. Uh, for instance, one parent, uh, and it was a very standout line.
It was alarming that, the way she phrased it, but she was very earnest about the fact that for a long time I had to convince myself into thinking that either the people at the top did not know, or on some level, that this was some karmic retribution, which my son had to go through, that this was some sort of karmic click.
Which is why I couldn't come to terms with the fact that what was happening was unfair, because really Leticia, or be it, uh, they both are the institution and the person are held on such a hyper pedestal. Hmm. That it's really hard, uh, for [00:08:00] people to come to terms with the fact and shake off. Uh. Uh, the possibility that there could be some nefarious activities at play, right?
So even when it came to their own kit and kin, they struggled with that. That's why it took them time, is the broad answer I can give you without giving away too many details for that a anybody and everybody has to strap to the news minute and read the story. But yeah, it, uh, it was, uh, just a lot of conversations about how people played into.
The belief that was sold to them, and then they were, they were not able to snap out of it.
Sumedha: Uh, does claims like this make, uh, reporting difficult? I think Go ahead. Because you're walking this tight trope of, you know, like, like I believe it's already very tough to, you know, report on sexual assault allegations and plus this has an added mixture of those spirituality.
Anjana: No, it's difficult. It's, um, as difficult as, uh. In the sense that it, does it take an [00:09:00] emotional toll on you? Sure, but I, I think it's also more than discussing the difficulty of it. I a, I personally have been very lucky to have editors who helped me out, but it was also very humbling experience
Sumedha: too. Right?
Anjana: Because apparent until then you deal with technical. You don't have a background in economy, you think you can work with the budget.
Sumedha: Hmm. And you
Anjana: figure it out. You watch a few YouTube videos, you talk to a few people and you figure it out. Right?
Sumedha: Yeah.
Anjana: But when it comes to something like this, you think you'll be able to do it, and then you struggle a little and then you realize that it's not a piece of cake.
That going back, talking to people, making them comfortable enough to speak to you, right? All of that is a lot more. And they're trusting you with it. Yeah. Regardless of how inconvenient it, inconvenient it is for you on some level you do owe them the patients and respect, which is necessary and uh, that's there.
But it was an extremely humbling [00:10:00] experience and it's also something you have to treat with a lot of respect because. A lot of people go to Isha, go there, go there to quit smoking, go there to quit drinking, and they come out here.
Sumedha: Yeah.
Anjana: It's not like just a godawful uh, area. Right. A lot of, there is a reason the institute has managed to cultivate the kind of following it has.
So when you put the two against each other, you realize that there is a lot of need for nuance and balance and. Just anger in vitriol doesn't help. But overall, it was an extremely humbling experience. One.
Sumedha: Right, right. So, uh, coming back to the cases, so, so these families, had these families reached out to people in Isha Foundation or Isha Home about Yeah, they, all
Anjana: of them.
Okay. They kept trying to communicate and that was the first thing they did. Right. Because they didn't believe that. [00:11:00] Uh, the foundation would be unresponsive. So they had full faith in the foundation even after the fact. So they reached out and then once they started to see how the foundation responded, is when they realized, okay, this is heading nowhere.
And that's when they contacted the media, that's when they went ahead with police complaints. Hmm. Or, uh, arbitration, what have you.
Sumedha: So they have not received any response from the Isha Foundation.
Anjana: Or in some cases they have, I didn't see the response. It was either your classic, uh, non-denial denial in some cases.
Sumedha: Hmm.
Anjana: Or, uh, it had to do more with, we've handled it, it's been taken care of, but it, the nature of the legit crimes are such that you can't just see it's been taken care of. There has to be a redress system, like for instance. If there is sexual misconduct, especially involving children, then you have to have a better grievance system at in place [00:12:00] more than just say we have handled it internally.
Right. You can't just handle things like that internally. Right. Yeah. And that's why there's a mechanism at play outside. There's a police, there's an administrative set up available. Um, so once they realize that. Nothing, which in their communicate with ish, uh, Isha Homeschool resulted in the kind of, uh, outcome they were looking for.
Justice they were looking for is when they slowly like, banded together and said, okay, maybe the media can help us out.
Sumedha: So angina, what's the status of these cases?
Anjana: One is an arbitration, which is taking place between one volunteer and the Isha Foundation and, uh. Not, uh, it's better not to be discussed too much.
But, uh, in the other two, uh, child sexual assault allegations, uh, complaints have been given. One, a fire has been filed. The other we still have been waiting on [00:13:00] for a while now. So one, um, first information report in one case has been registered and, uh, uh, we will be checking up and following through and seeing.
The police does in Kha. Hmm. But, uh, the second case that hasn't been, and if I should ask them all
Sumedha: right. And why is that,
Anjana: your guess is as good as mine. I wouldn't be able to comment on why the police hasn't gone ahead with it. But there are like, uh, difficulties at play. The, or, uh, there are women's groups who have met with, uh, chief minister.
Uh, and case talent and have submitted a representation. So all that has been happening on the back foot. Tamil Media has been reporting on it very, very, very, uh, uh, rigorously, but, um, there is no clear cut answer as to why the hor police hasn't gone ahead with the second file.
Sumedha: Yeah. So has there been any internal investigations, internal proof, because your story does mention that there, [00:14:00] there was an internal probe which highlighted that, you know, there was some things which were wrong at Isha Foundation.
So there was a, sorry, Supreme Court report.
Anjana: Yeah, so this was after co the court's intervention that the collector had to go and, uh, speak to people at the Isha Foundation and. What they spoke was that the children felt safe, more or less. So that is not something you can predict the Isha homeschool for because the children were more or less happy and okay, at least as per the administrative version of things.
But they did have a proper grievance, uh, redress and mechanism in place, which you and I would call internal company, right? Yeah. So they have that in place to ensure that if, if. Something happens, then what do you do? Which every school should have.
Sumedha: Exactly.
Anjana: So they didn't have that, uh, it wasn't really a functional body, which is where the problem arises.
Sumedha: Oh, okay. [00:15:00] So there were no internal complaint committees as enacted by the Porsche? They weren't functional
Anjana: existed. Okay. That was the problem. They didn't, uh, they weren't functional. Right. So they won't have a. Because it's a school, but a school is supposed to have some form of, uh, of its own. Yeah. But
Sumedha: we didn't
Anjana: have that, even as guidelines and stuff, they didn't have that in place.
Sumedha: Right. So what has been Isha response to your queries? Isha has denied delegations.
Anjana: Right? Isha has had, uh, to, they created, they've engaged completely, they have responded quickly, but they've, uh, said that there is, um. Either they've stated that the allegations are baseless. One, Isha volunteer told us on the condition of anonymity that uh, this was coming from a place of wanting to target the foundation and target, uh, Subru as, uh, ju they was known.
[00:16:00] Right? And that is where it's being built up. But beyond that, it's, as things stand, it's uh, they said, they said so. Once the police investigation comes through, if it, if and when it does, there will be more for us to talk about, but as of the moment, it's both clan sticking to their own worst.
Sumedha: So now this brings us to she's story on a code battle between electronics giants and Narin Modi government's e-waste policy.
So, Shiv, what is your story about? I think this is the first time, you know, we are, you are putting on e-waste,
Shiv: uh, before I tell you, uh, about the. Court battle, which is being fought in Delhi High Court. Lemme tell you first we need to look at the India's, uh, look at India's waste Management policies and rules and acts.
Mm-hmm. So for each kind of waste, whether it's plastic or e-waste or, or or battery, India [00:17:00] has separate rules for, uh, these kinds of waste. So now let's focus only on e-waste, uh, policy in India. Hmm. So. Any company which produces e-waste, um, I mean, I mean laptop or, um, smartphones or home appliances, right.
That run on, on electricity. Uh, each product has its lifecycle. Hmm. So the government has decided that the lifecycle for a laptop is 10 years, for smartphone is five years. I'm just giving example. I, I may not be correct, but mm-hmm. This criteria has been set by the government. So any company which produces, uh, these, uh, uh, these electronics items, they have to ensure that their end of life products are recycled.
Right. So this is, this is, this is their statutory obligation under e-Waste Management rules.
Sumedha: Hmm.
Shiv: So how they are going to do it. Uh, so now let's talk about the rules. [00:18:00] E-Waste Management policy came, uh. First was introduced in 2011. Then there were new rules in 2016. There were another, there were another set of rules in 2022.
Sumedha: Mm-hmm.
Shiv: And now the latest, uh, amendments happened in 2024 last year.
Sumedha: Mm-hmm.
Shiv: So. These companies which have gone to Delhi High Court.
Sumedha: Mm-hmm.
Shiv: They have challenged Indian governments new Amendments of 2024 under these A Amen Amendments. The government has told these producers like lg, Samsung, he Hitachi that, uh.
If you want to meet your recycling target, what you can do, uh, of course you, you, you, you can contact a recycler and the recycler can recycle, uh, ewas your e-waste target. Uh, and then you can, that's how you can meet your target. So what a recycler can do, recycler can give EPR certificate, that's called [00:19:00] extended producer responsibility.
Certificate to producer. Producer is any company. So for that. Producer has to pay money to recycle because they're getting their targets, uh, they're meeting their targets through recycle, right? Mm-hmm. So now the, the producers are saying that now under these amendments, 20 22, 24 amendments, the government has set.
Minimum and maximum prices. Hmm. Suppose if a recycler is recycling, uh, one kilogram of ewas. So the government is saying that now recycler needs to get at least this much of price. For recycling one kilogram of e-waste. Hmm. Now, producers are saying that government cannot decide how much we have to pay to recycle for getting e-waste recycled in order to meet the target annual target.
Hmm. So suppose if LG is producing, say, 40,000 tons of e-waste bringing, [00:20:00] um, product in the market. So the government said like, you have to, your annual target is 10,000 tons, for example. So how they're going to meet this recycling target? That they need to ensure that 10,000 tons of, uh, uh, e-waste is recycled.
So what they do, they would get it done through recyclers.
Sumedha: Hmm.
Shiv: So recyclers can do on their be behalf, behalf, right. It's done through EPR certificate. Right? So if you're a recycler, you can gimme EEPR certificate. I am producer, so that's how I'm going. I, I can meet my statutory obligation or a PR targets.
Right now, the producer is saying that the government cannot decide how much recycling needs to get from producer. Hmm. So they're saying it should be between the producer, I mean the company which is bringing waste to the market and the recycler who is processing the waste. Hmm. So it should be, it should be on the market forces.
Hmm. Like you can't set, decide that. Government can't decide that, that the recycler should get at least 10 rupees per kilogram [00:21:00] to recycle e-waste. So they are saying that it should be on the, on both the parties. Government should not interfere.
Sumedha: Right.
Shiv: So the go, so this is the, the crux of the problem, which has been challenged by, by producers and the companies that have gone to court are, I mean, first it was filed by s.
Uh, Havel moved the court November last year. Then he was joined by Volta Daikin, uh, Hitachi Blue Star has also joined, and there was hearing yesterday, which, uh, which was, uh, apple 22nd. Hmm. Uh, LG and Samsung have also challenged. The government's amendments, uh, to the 20 20 20 20 22 E-waste the management rules and subsequent guidelines published by Center Pollution Control Board.
Hmm. Now, there was hearing yesterday I also got some affidavits filed by the Ministry of [00:22:00] Environment and Forest and Climate Change and CPCB also. So the, these companies asked. Indian government.
Sumedha: Hmm.
Shiv: So on what basis you have fix the minimum and maximum prices for e for recycling? Right, so the Indian government's argument is that if we don't fix prices, then the recycling may not be done in scientific manner.
So if you're a recycler, right? If you're a recycler, if you are selling me EPR certificate, you are saying that I can do it in 10 rupees per kg.
Sumedha: Hmm.
Shiv: And, uh, the, the government's, uh, fear is that if you're doing it in 10 rupees or if you're. Undervaluing your recycling cost.
Sumedha: Hmm. That we then,
Shiv: it may not be in scientific manner, right?
Yeah. Or
Sumedha: maybe you're not following the entire process. You are bypassing some things.
Shiv: So it, uh, yeah. So to cost
Sumedha: For cost cutting.
Shiv: Yeah. For cost [00:23:00] cutting. So they're saying that it may, it may lead to environmental pollution. Until 2024 recyclers and producers could decide the, that at what price the EPR certificate certificate should be, should be sold or should be transacted.
Uh, so producers saying that there was no flow and the, in the previous EPR framework, previous rules, so before the setting up the price, fixing the prices. So if there were no flaws, why did you fix the prices? Mm-hmm. So you. Producer saying the CP P'S contention is. Contention is that to make sure that e-waste is recycled in proper way.
That's why you fixed prices.
Sumedha: Right.
Shiv: But these EPR certificates are issued under your own guidance.
Sumedha: So
Shiv: EPR certificate itself is a proof that E-waste, that a recycler has process is in environmental, uh, environmentally sound. Right. And it's, it's, it, it, it has followed all the [00:24:00] procedures. Mm-hmm. So the fixing of price would not ensure that EWA is cycle recycled properly.
Hmm. So they're saying that because a p certificates, yeah, a p certificates can be transacted only on the CCP CCBs portal.
Sumedha: Right.
Shiv: So, and, and recyclers and produced both have to be registered and by, by CPCB. So there is already regulation. On that you are registering, you, you are authenticating whether they have facility or not, right?
Mm-hmm. You're doing everything.
Sumedha: Mm-hmm.
Shiv: But the price cap is, is, is, is out of your purview.
Sumedha: Mm-hmm.
Shiv: And. And this argument of whether evac is recycled properly or not, price cap would not ensure that oh, EPR certificate, which is already con, which already confirms that it's done properly.
Sumedha: Right. I got it. So these
Shiv: are the two arguments, basic two arguments.
So the, so the fixing of, fixing of minimum maximum prices. Hmm. Of recycling. [00:25:00] Um. It's not only for e-waste, it's also for E. It's all also for batteries,
Sumedha: right? It's for the entire recycling industry,
Shiv: recycling, uh, electronics,
Sumedha: product
Shiv: electronics, and batteries. Uh uh. So, so the gom, so yeah. It's for everyone,
Sumedha: right?
Yeah. So I had reported on this like one story, which was like, I think two years back where I'd found out, I mean the Shaws came into market that thinking that, you know, they'll be able to bring down the pollution levels in Delhi. Mm-hmm. But what I had found was that they were ended up polluting the environment more because the way those, uh, the process of recycling those batteries was not followed properly.
So, right. But those factories are, you know, like are, are being operated in the, in dehi NCR and you can, anybody can visit those factories and see that, you know, like how the recycling is done and the people who are actually part of recycling those batteries, you know, like they, they, they, they won't be wearing gloves, those workers won't be wear wearing gloves, so they will end up, you know, [00:26:00] like contaminating their food and it'll contaminate the soil water around those factory units.
So,
Shiv: mm-hmm.
Sumedha: Yeah. So what are the experts saying on this issue?
Shiv: First, let me tell you that India is the third largest producer of e-waste. And, uh, if I'm correct, uh, until 2023, uh, uh, 20 22, 23, um, the government, uh, informed parliament that India recycles only one third of its waste e-waste. The rest of it is processed by, uh, informal sector, of course, which is causing pollution to the environment.
Uh, as far as experts are concerned, of course, uh, uh, it depends which side you're talking to. Um, so the recycling people from recycling industries, uh, industry, uh, are saying that, uh, uh, the price fixing would help them, um, in their business, uh, because, uh. So if I could give you example of, uh, recycling costs for home appliances.
Hmm. Uh, electronic items. So, so there are seven categories. So the [00:27:00] government has set for each category set, uh, how much. The minimum cost the recycler should get for, uh, processing one kilogram of U based. So, so there is one categories of laptops and smartphones. IT products, one is of home appliances. So suppose for washing machine, refrigerator, aircon, the government has fixed the 22 rupees per kilogram,
Sumedha: right?
Shiv: Uh, so. When a producer goes for EPR Certificate and producer responsible certificate to get it from a recycler, so for washing machine right home appliances. So recycler should get at least 22 rupees per kilogram.
Sumedha: Hmm.
Shiv: Right. So earlier, uh, before these amendments, um, uh, recyclers told me that, uh, they used to sell EPR certificate for say, 10 rupees per kg.
Hmm, 15 rupees per kg. And they're saying that their, uh, their operational cost is 17 rupees per kilogram for, for this category. I'm talking, talking about. [00:28:00] To make viewers understand, um, the pricing.
Sumedha: Mm.
Shiv: So they're saying if it's 22 rupees, of course it'll bring more money to us and we can also scale up our, uh, our business.
Mm. And, uh, it'll also ensure that the, that producers don't go to informal sector or producers don't go to Right. Uh, to, to those who are recycling, uh, un recycling in unscientific manner. Hmm. So the, the formal sector will, will, would, would get. Get boost
Sumedha: right.
Shiv: Uh, by this new price rule. Uh, producers contention if you, if you speak to experts from the producer side, they would say that, uh, uh, it's against the free market, uh, rule and the government should interfere with it's necessary.
Uh, government should regulate recycling. Industry. Government should look because a p certificate itself validates that. That it is approved by CPCB or State Pollution Control [00:29:00] Board.
Sumedha: Right, right.
Shiv: Because a P ate can't be sold outside that portal.
Sumedha: Mm-hmm.
Shiv: So the government has regulation on a p certificate recycling industry, the pricing ca, the fixing the.
The, the recycling price is not going to solve the matter. Right. So they're saying that, that the of d which matters government is government is, uh, through backdoor government is leaving it on the producer.
Sumedha: Mm.
Shiv: Uh, to make sure that that evac c recycled properly.
Sumedha: Right. It's
Shiv: responsibility the government to regulate.
Right.
Sumedha: Right. So the exports are quite polarized.
Shiv: Of course they're, they're polar rice. Yeah. Uh, but, but there, there are a lot of gray areas, uh, in, in, in, in this whole debate, I think, uh, which will, uh, uh. Uh, I think more and more manufacturers will, will, uh, challenge the government. So far, only six manufacturers have challenged the government.
And they're all big ones. All big ones. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Sumedha: Uh, okay. So this brings us to the last segment of our podcast, which is about the recommendation [00:30:00] segment where we ask our guests to recommend any podcast, any book, or any article which they have recently read, uh, for our audiences. So what would be your recommendation?
Angina.
Anjana: Okay, so I am, um, reading two books as of the moment. One is I'm rereading a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens because I feel like when I first read it, when I was a lot younger, I
Sumedha: yeah,
Anjana: didn't read it as well as I would've liked to. Uh, and uh, the second is supreme whispers by of the Truth, which I'm reading with a pen in hand.
It's discusses various judges and landmark judgements before and after the setting up of the Collegium system. And, uh, but these are primarily what I'm trying to do because, uh, it's just a break from scrolling food reels on Instagram, which I have. Fallen into the trap of doing very, very much.
Sumedha: Uh, so she, what is your [00:31:00] recommendation for the week?
Shiv: I would, uh, recommend, uh, um, a, um, series of stories that, that, that we are doing in the week of, uh, what happened, uh, at, um, 25. Tourists were killed by terrorists.
Sumedha: Yeah. At the time of recording this podcast, recording this podcast, at least 25.
Shiv: Yeah, at least 25. Um, number could be here and there. Mm-hmm. Uh, so, uh, um, sum and, um, and PR and, uh.
Few colonists are also writing articles for us, so please keep an eye on News Laundry's website and we'll, right, uh, we'll keep publishing stories related to, um, the horrendous attack in Kashmir.
Sumedha: Yeah, and my recommendation is, one, I think everybody should read Angina's story on Isha Foundation, which is a strong abuse at Isha Foundation, sexual assault allegations and counter charges.
And I, because I believe that. It has not been easy to do to bring you stories like [00:32:00] this. And the other report is by hel from the caravan who has written about church and state the UPI police and sans persecutions of Christians in Pradesh. I think we read a lot about the persecution of Muslims, uh, but this is one of the very few detailed.
Uh, reportage on the persecution of Christians, and I will also appeal to you to please subscribe to the News Minute and News Laundry. Please take a joint subscription because in, uh, uh, we have been bringing you a lot of investigative stories. Like a couple of months back, we broke the story of the Kirin Wei tapes, and we would like to do more such investigations, but we cannot do it without your support.
So here's a QR code which you can scan and become our subscriber. And with that, this podcast is Adjourned
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