Sajida A Zubair
INDIA, a nation once proud of its diversity and secularism, has increasingly been torn apart by growing Islamophobia. For the country’s Muslims, the current climate is marked by fear, suspicion, and marginalisation. This has been fuelled by certain sections of the Indian media, euphemistically called “Godi Media,” for their proximity to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The role of the media in vilifying minorities, especially Muslims, is not just a matter of bias; it has become a deliberate and systematic campaign to amplify divisive narratives that feed into the larger agenda of Hindu nationalist politics.
One of the most eye-opening revelations on the toxic role the media has been playing in fomenting Islamophobia, ironically, came from a senior RSS leader and former Rajya Sabha MP, Prof Rakesh Sinha. Speaking at a seminar on “The Future of Muslims in Today’s India,” hosted by Urdu weekly, Nai Dunia , Sinha, shared a disturbing incident that sheds light on the practices of Indian media channels. According to Sinha, certainly no friend of the usual suspects, a prominent news anchor once advised him to use inflammatory language against a Muslim panelist, specifically targeting his beard and skullcap, to ensure a “more interesting” debate that would “trend” on social media. The anchor apparently suggested to Sinha that ridiculing the beard and headgear of the Muslim man would make the debate a “hit.”
This incident, as narrated by Sinha, is the epitome of how some media houses, especially those with strong links to Hindutva ideology, have systematically been fuelling Islamophobia. The anchor’s request to use abusive language in a debate to provoke a heated exchange wasn’t just about sensationalism — it was about spreading hatred and dehumanising a minority group. The aim was clear: creating a spectacle that would divert attention away from rational discourse and amplifying communal animosity.
Such incidents are not in isolation but form part of a larger trend in which media anchors, acting from the motivations of commercial interests and political allegiance, hijack debates and discussions to fulfill a divisive political agenda. The term “Godi media” was coined to describe this alarming trend — media outlets functioning as the mouthpieces for the BJP and RSS, often telling stories that demonise Muslims, Christians, and other marginalised communities. In this environment, Muslims are often portrayed as the “other,” a threat to the nation’s identity, often painted as anti-national or complicit in terrorism.
This has led to severe effects in that media vilification over a long period. According to the Media and Communication Studies department report at Jamia Millia Islamia University, hate speech in Indian media has directly led to increased violence against Muslims. From 2016 to 2021, there were reported cases of more than 250 hate crimes against Muslims, including lynching, mob attacks, and communal riots. A 2020 report from the National Campaign Against Torture revealed that 57% of all mob lynching cases in India involved Muslims as victims, a chilling reflection of the deep-seated hostility that media outlets have fanned.
Normalising hate speech in Indian media makes it challenging for Muslims to roam public spaces freely without fear of harassment. Online trolling, physical attacks, and discriminatory behaviours against Muslims have been on the rise, with men often facing harassment due to religious attire, beards, and skullcaps. The very things that should be a source of pride and identity have been weaponised in the culture wars that certain segments of the media are waging against them.
The fear felt by Muslims today is not just a consequence of physical violence but also a psychological toll. Such constant depiction of Muslims as enemies in their own land has led to a climate of fear and alienation. According to a 2023 survey by The Wire, 71% of Muslim respondents felt they were less secure in India today than five years ago. Added to this insecurity is the feeling of underrepresentation in important institutions, whether it is in politics or in the media, where Muslims are woefully underrepresented.
What is more disturbing is how these divisive narratives are shaping public opinion, especially among those who may have otherwise been neutral or uninformed of the ongoing discrimination. Rakesh Sinha’s revelation — that he ceased participating in a media channel after this incident — signals a shift in the conscience of even those who were once part of the problem. Sinha’s refusal to engage in hate-filled debates, despite the promise of media attention and social media virality, demonstrates that the impact of such toxicity is not lost even on those who have been deeply embedded in the ideology of the RSS and BJP.
That’s the shift in conscience. There is hope in such a scenario: the more members of the media-politics establishment start speaking against the dangers of Islamophobic narratives, the sooner the tide could turn. It remains a challenge to hold the media accountable for their role in perpetuating communal hatred. Urgent reforms in the management of the media are urged by activists and political commentators, making it a force for unity rather than division. The call has been made to the press councils, journalists’ ethics bodies and civil society groups to come together in demanding that media outlets should work within journalistic integrity while promoting social harmony rather than stoking fear and division.
The present-day fear the minorities live with is not an aftermath of what has been orchestrated by fringe elements, but the fruit of the orchestrated efforts put in by influential media houses to further the agenda of hate. This can no longer be brushed under the carpet and portrayed as mere coincidence. This is a manufactured reality to hold onto political power. So long as media organisations continue to accede to this kind of tale, minorities will continue to suffer a life sustained by fear and not just at the hands of violence but rather at the sound of silence; dehumanising and erasures from the public consciousness of that nation.
The time for a reckoning has come. India needs to understand its role through this interface and work towards building back a society where minorities can feel safe, valued, and respected as equal citizens in their homeland.
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Sajida A Zubair is an accomplished educator and counselor. The views expressed here are the author’s own and Clarion India does not necessarily subscribe to them.
