Ranveer Allahbadia - Nitin G

1) Ranveer asks Nitin G about how he would introduce himself to a 13-year-old American kid who asks what he does. Nitin explains that he primarily reports on the history and texture of wars, covering conflicts and insurgencies in places like Kargil, Sri Lanka, and the Northeast region of India. He shares an incident from the late 90s, when he became conscious of his inhumane attitude towards death after his son asked him who killed Mother Teresa, believing that someone must have killed her since he constantly heard about killings due to insurgency. This prompted Nitin to be more careful in reporting the human side of insurgency and its fallout victims. Nitin also talks about the most shocking incident he encountered, where an insurgent leader's brother and his relatives were massacred by an unknown group, leaving a three-year-old toddler splashing in a pool of blood.

2) Nitin discusses the distinction between different groups fighting political causes in India. Specifically, the insurgency in Northeast India was mainly about seceding from India or separating from a community or ethnic group or region. They didn't indiscriminately kill people and would only target security officials or decision-makers associated with discrimination against their group. The speaker also explains that due to the opaque nature of insurgencies and counterinsurgencies, groups of vigilantes who were pro-government were formed and would sometimes kill the insurgent or their families. Governments often used various methods to subjugate the insurgents, such as offering them money or giving them a political role, and it wasn't limited to the use of violence.

3) Nitin talks about the communal riots in India, stating that riots were rampant, and he remembers the riot of 1969 when he was only seven years old. He mentions how the Congress, Muslim League, Jinnah, and other political parties were always looking for their own benefits, and states that India was like Mexico back then. He also discusses Nehru's rule and his assumption in international relations, mentioning that he wanted India to be a moral force without realizing that real authority comes only from hard power in terms of army and military, which he neglected.

4) Nitin discusses how Nehru had a desire to be a world leader and project India as a moral force, but had a mistaken notion that India won freedom through non-violence, despite the extensive violence that occurred between 1920 and 1947. Nehru was suspicious of the military and did not allow them to expand or acquire the necessary resources to fight a war. Nitin G. believes that Nehru misjudged China and had a romantic view of the Chinese, which ultimately led to India's defeat in the 1962 Indo-China War. Nitin G. blames Nehru for the cautious approach India took towards China and the historical legacy that made India more focused on dealing with Pakistan.

5) Nitin discusses how Indira Gandhi grew into her role as a political leader thanks to good advisors, her innate nature, and experience gained from her father's 17-year tenure as prime minister. However, her increasing success led to isolation when she was surrounded by her younger son Sanjay Gandhi, who was a political goon and controlled appointments with her. Indira was unseated after engaging in electoral malpractices such as attempting to hack the voting system, which became an art of political parties known as Booth capturing.

6) Nitin discusses Indira Gandhi's downfall from being a strategic decision-maker and peak popularity in 1971 to her dictatorial tendencies in the later years due to factors, such as losing elections and becoming isolated and dependent on her controlling younger son, Sanjay Gandhi. Following his mysterious death, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira's oldest son, entered politics. The speaker notes Indira’s strategic accomplishments but believes her later dictatorial tendencies stemmed from her isolation and her feedback mechanism being controlled by only one or two people.

7) Nitin discusses the policies of the Indian government during the time of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which revolved around keeping people poor to control them and lacked genuine empowerment through education. He credits Prime Minister Narasimha Rao for opening up the economy, which saved the country from potential doom. Nitin also shares his observations on the idealistic but impractical approach of Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as prime minister and how he let his legacy slip due to wrong decisions and bad advice. Nitin clarifies that he is not pro-BJP or pro-Congress but is simply giving an objective perspective as a lived-through observer.

8) Nitin discusses the difference between Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, stating that while Rajiv had the experience and know-how to be a successful politician, Rahul lacks ministerial experience and an understanding of government implementation. He also mentions that he is often asked about his knowledge of history and politics, and how he came to report from Kargil during his career as a journalist.

9) Nitin explains that the high point of his reporting came after the war, when he dug out uncomfortable stories that raised questions about intelligence failure and the government's actions. Although there were some tough stories to cover during this time, the experience gave him a higher profile and eventually led to a job offer from NDTV. He also reflects on the bravery and discipline of soldiers in the Indian Army, who go beyond their call of duty and put their lives on the line for their country.

10) Nitin discusses a dangerous situation he found himself in while detained by insurgents in Tripura in 1999. While being held, Nitin kept a level head and tried to act as a mediator between his captors and himself. He feared that the insurgents might harm him for publicity, similar to a previous incident in which an NGO worker was killed for publicity. The insurgents fed him local rice, fish, and dal and even gave him a scarf as they realized this was a misunderstanding. Nitin goes on to talk about how the Northeast has changed over time.

11) Nitin discusses the neglect the Northeast region of India has suffered due to a lack of development and connectivity. This began with partition when the physical links to the seas were cut, creating a separate country. He goes on to talk about the different Prime Ministers who have governed the region and their actions towards its development. Jawaharlal Nehru is called a benevolent dictator who ignored the need for progress in the region while Indira Gandhi is said to have created a class divide through monetary incentives. He believes Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh did the most for the Northeast, with the Modi government continuing their initiatives and focusing on infrastructure development, connectivity, and education.