In this episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, Leena Reghunath, are joined by TNM’s executive editor Sudipto Mondal, Mana Telangana editor Amar Devulapalli, and public health researcher Malu Mohan.
The panel first delves into the arrests of journalists Revathi Pogadadanda and Tanvi Yadav by the Telangana government. Amar Devulapalli says, “Arresting these two women journalists is very wrong. Revanth Reddy should have gone for a defamation case”.
While calling the language in the video in question “unacceptable”, Dhanya says she is fundamentally against the state arresting someone for it. “There are many other ways to handle it – defamation cases, clarifications, or press conferences. Instead, we're seeing the police being used as a weapon”.
Pooja likens the journalists’ arrest to an act of “dog whistling”, and raises concerns about its implications. “What kind of message is he [Telangana CM Revanth Reddy] sending to his followers – landed, feudal, powerful people – that when a journalist does something, you can ‘strip and parade’ them?”
Sudipto Mondal calls the use of threatening language like “strip and parade” a “scary” reminder of “what we have as an alternative to a fascist force might not be what we make it out to be.”
The discussion then shifts to the plight of ASHA workers across India. Malu points out that while state governments heavily depend on them for critical services like nutrition, maternal care, and child health, ASHA workers don’t even get the respect of being recognised as workers. On how ASHA workers have been neglected for decades, she says: “It’s a way for the government to say, ‘Yes, we’ll give you welfare services, but let’s find poor women from your community to do it, and let’s not pay them properly’”.
Dhanya underlines the hypocrisy of calling ASHA workers “heroes”, but not paying them for months.
Pooja emphasises, “It’s not just underpayment. It’s a structural problem”. She sees a full-time job being called “voluntary” as a convenient way to deny labour rights. “This is market economics meeting patriarchy”, she adds.
Leena notes, “ASHA workers don’t get reimbursed for transport, for phones, or even batteries. They use their child’s online learning device to collect health data. And we still debate whether they deserve to be called employees?”
Sudipto stresses on ASHA workers being the eyes and ears of the public health system. “If you genuinely want to empower the public health system, then ASHA workers should be the backbone…They deserve institutional support and respect”, he says.
Tune in for an in-depth discussion.
Listen & follow on Apple.
Listen & follow on Spotify.
Once a month, we will invite one TNM subscriber to the show. Write to us on what you would like to speak about to southcentral@thenewsminute.com
Send your thoughts, suggestions and criticism as well.
Audio Timecodes
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:34:00 - Support TNM
00:02:34 - Headlines
00:06:28 - Telangana arrests two journalists
00:37:08 - Plight of ASHA workers
01:07:15 - Letters
01:12:57 - Recommendations
References
Murders in Kerala: Patterns change, mental health and substance abuse major concerns
Who cares for the carers? Calling out the exploitation of ASHAs
Workers, not volunteers: ASHAs in India need formal status, better pay
Delayed pay, lack of retirement benefits drive ASHA workers to strike again in Kerala
ASHA Workers: Two Decades of Service, Still Fighting for Dignity
Investigating violence against Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs)
Recommendations
Malu Mohan
Amar Devulapalli
Leena Reghunath
Who cares for the carers? Calling out the exploitation of ASHAs
Hate factory: Inside Kapil Mishra’s ‘Hindu Ecosystem’
We Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs
Sudipto Mondal
History of Thiruparankundram Temple
Pooja Prasanna
Inside the manosphere luring young Indian men and boys
Dhanya Rajendran
Produced by Bhuvan Malik, edited by Jaseem Ali.
For now, this podcast is outside the paywall. We hope you listen, enjoy and send it to a friend. And remember, we have a host of other work too: news reports, podcasts, video stories and interviews, all exclusively for subscribers. Click here to subscribe for quality journalism that is truly in public interest.
Newslaundry is a reader-supported, ad-free, independent news outlet based out of New Delhi. Support their journalism, here.
