‘Cows, curry and caste,’ that is how British media perceives Indians and Hindus, reveals survey

The British media’s portrayal of Indians and Hindus has come under scrutiny in a recent survey, shedding light on the prevalent biases and misrepresentations faced by members of the community in the United Kingdom. According to a comprehensive study conducted by INSIGHT UK, an organization dedicated to addressing the concerns of the British Hindu and British Indian (BHI) communities, the media tends to perpetuate stereotypes with a “colonial” focus on subjects like “cows, curry, and caste.”

The survey, spanning the period from November 2022 to February 2023 and encompassing 2,061 respondents, unearthed startling revelations about the extent of prejudice faced by the community. A significant 59% of participants reported either witnessing or personally experiencing bias due to British media reports on Hindus and Hinduism. This bias, as reported by approximately 70% of respondents, stems from negative perceptions of India and Indians perpetuated by the media.

Moreover, an overwhelming 89% of survey participants expressed a belief that the British media lacks impartiality in reporting matters concerning the Hindu community, with an additional 91% stating that coverage of India is not balanced.

In terms of trustworthiness, the survey highlighted a deep-seated distrust in certain news sources. Notably, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) emerged as the least trusted, with more than 90% of respondents considering it the most unreliable source of information related to Hinduism and India. Following closely behind is The Guardian, which also garnered a significant lack of trust, as mentioned in the survey report. Both outlets were noted for having the “highest number of complaints raised against them by BHI community members,” where BHI refers to British Hindu and British Indian communities.

The significance of these findings is underscored by the sizable presence of BHI members in the UK, with the 2021 census indicating 1.03 million Hindus and 1.86 million Indians in England and Wales alone. The survey results bring attention to the urgent need for media outlets to reassess their representation of these communities and strive for more accurate, balanced reporting to counteract prevalent prejudices.