This Week in Explainers: What’s Dunki? And how do thousands of Indians enter the US illegally?

In India, this week was about blasts and breathlessness, dirty politics and Dunki. Monday started on a sombre note as we reported on the attack in Kerala at a prayer meeting, in which three people including a 12-year-old died. In Delhi, the same old story repeats. It’s November and the winter brings with it bad air. Pollution has gone from poor to very severe in a matter of days. Like the air, even the politics in the Capital turned toxic. The cash-for-query row involving Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra refuses to die down. She appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee only to storm out of it. We’ll tell you what happened there. In Mumbai, there were reasons to celebrate – superstar Shah Rukh’s birthday and a sneak peek into his upcoming movie Dunki, a Sachin Tendulkar statue at Wankhede stadium, and India’s stunning winning against Sri Lanka. Just like a wow! All this and some more in our weekly round-up of explainers. 1. On Sunday, reports of a blast at a prayer meeting near Kochi rocked India. The targets were Jehovah’s Witnesses, a sect of the Christian denomination. Behind the attack was an estranged member of the group, Dominic Martin. He thought the faithfuls were “anti-national” and wanted them to “rectify” their stance. But who are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and what are their beliefs? We take a deep dive. 2. The other distressing development comes from Delhi. Masks are back. The air is choking its residents and stringent measures have been announced. But why have Delhi winters become synonymous with smog and haze? What’s its air carrying? And is stubble burning the only reason why the Capital and its neighbouring areas struggle every November? We explain Delhi’s big bad pollution problem. [caption id=“attachment_13346092” align=“alignnone” width=“643”] Students wearing anti-pollution masks cross a road amid hazy weather conditions, in New Delhi on 3 November. Delhi-NCR’s air quality neared the emergency threshold on Thursday, prompting an immediate ban on non-essential construction work and the closure of primary schools in the capital. PTI[/caption] 3. From pollution, we move to politics. A lot of drama unfolded as Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee in the cash-for-query row. Last week, we explained what this panel is about. This time, we tell you what happened at the gathering. The firebrand Bengal leader walked out, saying she was asked “filthy questions”. She described the episode as “proverbial vastraharan (stripping)”, referring to the humiliation of Draupadi by the Kauravas in an open court. We tell you what happened in this chapter of the political Mahabharata. [caption id=“attachment_13346102” align=“alignnone” width=“567”] TMC MP Mahua Moitra reacts to a reporter’s question as she walks out of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee meeting, at Parliament House complex in New Delhi on 2 November. She said that she was asked ‘filthy questions’ when being probed for the cash-for-query row. PTI[/caption] 4. Sometimes history repeats itself. And sometimes we find ourselves stuck in the past. A Supreme Court judge would agree. Justice PS Narasimha told a senior lawyer to stop calling him “My Lord”. “How many times you will say ‘My Lords’? If you stop saying this, then I will give you half of my salary,” he said. The statement grabbed headlines and put the spotlight on the colonial-era term. But why are judges referred to as “My Lord?” We take you back in history and then talk about the debate around the usage. [caption id=“attachment_13346122” align=“alignnone” width=“646”] A Supreme Court judge asking not to be referred to as ‘My Lord’ in court has shone a spotlight on the term and reignited the debate on its use. File photo/PTI[/caption] 5. Another interesting story unfolded in a court – a family court in Delhi. While granting divorce to a couple, a judge said that it was time to make prenuptial agreements compulsory in India. But what are these pacts signed before marriage? And will they make divorces less messy? We discuss it in this piece and also tell you all about some bizarre celeb prenups. (Don’t miss the one signed by Beyonce and Jay-Z). 6. If we are talking about celebrities, how can we forget Shah Rukh Khan? It was the actor’s birthday on 2 November and as Bollywood tradition goes, a big announcement of a big project came. The trailer of King Khan’s upcoming film _Dunki_ dropped. Wondering why that would interest us. It’s SRK, duh! But that’s not all. The Rajkumar Hirani film is based on “donkey flights”. Never heard about them before? It refers to routes used by Indians to illegally enter the US, the UK and other countries. Is this a scam or do people opt for this option knowingly? We tell all about it in this explainer.

A story of simple and real people trying to fulfill their dreams and desires. Of friendship, love, and being together… Of being in a relationship called Home!
A heartwarming story by a heartwarming storyteller. It's an honour to be a part of this journey and I hope you all come… pic.twitter.com/AlrsGqnYuT

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) November 2, 2023

Interestingly, the trailer comes at a time when there is a lot of buzz around illegal Indian migrants. Our most-read story of the week tells you how thousands are flooding the US without visas, living the American dream but by breaking the law. That’s all the headline-grabbing news from India. Our recommendations should make for interesting weekend reads. And if you want more, this is the page you should bookmark.