It might be a case of biting the hand that feeds you in admitting this, but journalists seem to be getting a bad rep these days. There is an increasing view that certain sections of the media act in a partisan manner. It's not our case here to argue the merits of this vilification. But the fact remains that the blind trust that people placed on reporters and editors from a bygone era is now entrusted with a pinch of salt.

That's where protest poetry comes in to save the day, feels EPR Iyer, the front man of Underground Authority, one of the country's best-known rap-rock acts. He's released a new album in a solo avatar. It's got a simple title, Protest Rap, but deals with complex issues such as the need to uphold the values of a democracy. There's one track called Abki baar kaun, for example, that asks searching questions about the alleged tampering of electronic voting machines and the perceived loss of the CBI's independence.