As 2018 comes to a close, The Wire‘s staff shares its pick of articles and videos from the year. Read Part One here and Part Two here.
1. Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Senior Editor
Watch | The Original ‘Anti-Nationals’: Subramanian Swamy and Today’s Sangh
I liked Raghu Karnad’s video for two reasons: One, the quality of research and timely intervention in a high-decibel, lopsided debate. Especially for millennial audiences, the references to our contemporary history will help them formulate their own ideas on nationalism and the issues of our times.
Two, it’s rare that the audio-visual medium dives into such nuanced intellectual debates. Not only it did do complete justice to it, but Raghu’s animated, engaging presentation was icing on the cake.
2. Sidharth Bhatia, Founding Editor
One of 40 ‘Naxals’ Killed in ‘Encounter’ Was A Child, Say Villagers, 7 More Missing
The ‘encounter killing’, especially where it involves ‘Naxals and Maoists’, is now part of our news narratives. But there are real human stories behind these campaigns, and because they happen in remote areas, we rarely get the granular details. Our reporter Sukanya Shantha travelled in the interiors of Maharashtra to a village whose children were killed by the police for allegedly being Naxalites.
3. Jahnavi Sen, Executive News Producer
For Manual Scavengers of Rajasthan, Rehabilitation Was Only on Paper
Shruti Jain’s article on manual scavengers in Dausa did a great job of highlighting how one-time compensation cannot be counted as occupational ‘rehabilitation’. Most of the people she spoke to had continued on in the caste-based occupation after receiving the government’s payment of Rs 40,000, because they still needed a way to earn a living. Her report was particularly effective because of her use of multiple mediums – text, video and images – to explore the story.
4. Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta, Deputy Editor and politics
Why Don’t We Share a Hearty Laugh or Meal With Fellow Train Passengers Anymore? and The Spirit of Being Young
These articles come at a time when we value Facebook posts more than actual conversations. Professor Avijit Pathak took us back to a past era, when we found excitement – and meaning – in the mundane. He reminds us about the joy of interacting with a stranger without the fear of being judged.
We realise how living in a consumerist age can prevent us from diving deep into the beauty of life in all its complications. We constantly want greater freedom and think we are different from others, but forget to ask whether our heightened self-importance cages us in our narrow worlds.
5. Anuj Srivas, Business and technology editor
A Pakistani Spy and Lord Hanuman Walk Into an Aadhaar Centre. What Does the UIDAI Do?
This reported story on how Aadhaar numbers were issued to a Pakistani spy, and someone else claiming to be Lord Hanuman, perfectly encapsulated how India’s biometric identification system had gone horribly wrong.
The piece has it all: the misuse of Aadhaar, a flawed system with predictable consequences, and a clueless UIDAI that is always a beat or two behind in grasping the extent of the problem. Recognising the problems in India’s unique identification system is a matter of connecting the dots, and nobody did it better this year than Anand Venkatanarayanan.
6. Amanat Khullar, Deputy Executive News Producer
How Is Modi’s Swachh Bharat Dealing With the Public Health Crisis of Open Defecation?, UP Is Fudging Numbers Under Swachh Bharat to Achieve ‘Open Defecation Free’ Goal and In Several UP Villages, Toilets Exist Only on Paper
Kabir Agarwal’s series on open defecation in Uttar Pradesh stood out for me. Kabir has a knack for making the reader feel like they are embedded in the story, which he does here as well through his extensive reporting. The three-part series brings out the issues with the crucial Swachh Bharat Mission, with evocative narratives of false government claims and the daily struggles of people on the ground.
7. Mahtab Alam, Executive Editor, The Wire Urdu
Are Young Adivasis in Odisha Losing Life-Skills Through Schooling?
I recommend this report by Parul Abrol, which succinctly illustrates what is wrong with our educational system vis-à-vis marginalised communities, especially Adivasis. The story is also instructive, explaining that until we take local needs and cultures into account, the agenda of ‘mainstreaming’ is not going to work – no matter how good our intentions.
8. Akhil Kumar, Labour editor
Labour Reform is Fine But Who Holds Employers to Account When Government Fails?
I rarely come across labour stories that focus not just on an issue but reveal an expansive, bigger picture of the state of labour reforms and ground realities. While the centre of Orlanda Ruthven’s piece is an IVR service for workers, it contextualises the overarching problems they face.
9. Aleesha Matharu, Assistant Editor
‘Where They Burn Books, They Will Burn Men as Well’
Anjan Basu’s articles have the power to transport readers to another time while still keeping them rooted to the present. Here, in reaction to the rise of “sinister slogans” against the academia and the rewriting of history books, he brought to the fore the uncanny similarities between India today and Germany in the past. History is littered with cycles of violence, and Basu’s piece is a warning about what horrors another such dark episode might hold.