Western media must be fair to India

Western media represents just one-sixth of humanity. It has little understanding of the massive humanity living in India. Much of its criticism can be attributed to its lack of understanding of Hindu nationalism.

A well-established truth in the contemporary political world is that a free press can exist and survive only in a democracy and perform its fundamental function-that is, to inform the public about the matters related to the larger common good. The media must hence report and interpret the facts of common interest objectively in a non-partisan manner.

Regrettably, a general trend in an influential section of the media in the politically developed West has been to show the state of democratic India in a poor light. The functioning of such a section of the media in the UK and the US, the world's two leading democracies, is a case in point.

In this column, enough has already been said on the designs of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) behind its recent documentary "India: The Modi Question". Some time back, in a piece, The Guardian said that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in India in 2014, Hindu nationalism had come to entirely dominate the Indian political landscape. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of which India's current Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a member since his younger years, believes in Hindu nationalism. At the core of the RSS ideology is "a belief that Indian national identity and culture are inseparable from the Hindu religion."

The piece also claims that India's ruling BJP today is closely linked with the RSS. The latter works to spread the ideology of 'Hindutva'. It is the leader of the "Sangh Parivar'', an umbrella group of Hindu nationalist organizations which have been "associated with communal violence." The piece insists Hindutva is about "the hegemony of Hinduism in India and the establishment of the country as a Hindu, rather than secular State." The Hindutva ideology has been associated with "fascism due to the purist racial elements of the movement and its association with intolerance of minorities, in particular Muslims."

Just a few weeks after American President Joe Biden took over the White House in Washington DC, Time magazine asked how long his administration would pretend that Modi's India was being "a democratic ally of the US."

It was only in December last year that India took over the G20 Presidency from Indonesia. But The Washington Post quickly jumped to carry a story saying India is in danger of missing its G20 moment.

Observers say there is no reason for the Government of India to lose its sleep over such negative reports appearing in the Western media. In tune with the essence of Hinduism, democracy and our Constitution, the Modi government would do well to continue its focus on the multifaceted development of all citizens, including the minorities, in the country.

As for the criticism of India in the Western media, it cannot be accorded much attention. The Western media represents just one-sixth of humanity. It has little understanding of the massive humanity living in India. Much of its criticism can be attributed to its lack of understanding of Hindu nationalism.

Hindu nationalism is not at all linked with any particular religion. Hinduism refers to an ocean of belief systems-orthodox as well as heterodox-that have flourished in the land of India. It allows one to choose one's own belief out of them.

India's secularism is intact. Like all its predecessors, the current Modi government in India remains committed to the protection of minorities in the country. India has a population of more than 200 million Muslims. They have an atmosphere for their fullest development. They speak numerous languages, have diverse culinary tastes and myriad choices of traditional attire. They maintain the strong cultural and linguistic heritage of the regions they have been living in for generations.

So is the scenario for about 30 million Christians in India. The majority of them are in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Manipur and Mizoram. They follow Catholicism or Protestantism. They have different denominations, such as the Syrian Church, Armenian Church and Anglican Church, among others. All of them are, by and large, able to practice their faiths without any fear across the country.

India is a stable nation. There has been a state of relative peace and harmony across the country. In contrast with the apprehensions voiced by a section of vested interests in India and abroad, there has occurred no mass violence in Kashmir after the revocation of its special status.

The observers suggest that finer elements in the Western media would do well to take to self-introspection and address the aberrations in their approach towards India. India is the world's largest democracy. It deserves to be reported and written about in an accurate way.

The media ought to bear in mind that with the advancement in science and technology, human consciousness has attained a much higher state. People have better access to the real facts. There is no point suppressing or distorting them.

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.