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‘BBC Least Reliable Source For Information On India, Most Biased Against Hindus’: Survey Points Out Prejudice Faced By British Indians
Bhuvan Krishna
Jan 02, 2024, 06:21 PM | Updated 06:21 PM IST
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A survey conducted among the British Indian and Hindu community has revealed that many individuals are facing prejudice due to misrepresentation in UK media, characterised by a "colonial" focus on "cows, curry, and caste" as reported by Times of India.
A majority of participants, 59 per cent, stated that they have personally witnessed or experienced prejudice stemming from British media reporting on Hindus and Hinduism.
Additionally, 79 per cent indicated that media reports on Hinduism contributed to negative perceptions of British Indians.
The nationwide survey, conducted by INSIGHT UK, involved 2,061 respondents representing British Hindu and Indian communities.
A significant portion, 81 per cent, mentioned that UK media reporting on India resulted in negative perceptions of British Indians.
Furthermore, 70 per cent reported experiencing or witnessing prejudice due to how the British media reports on India.
Among the survey findings, 91 per cent of British Indians and Hindus expressed that reporting on India in the British media lacks balance, and 89 per cent believed that the UK media lacks impartiality when reporting on Hindu-related matters.
Notably, the BBC was perceived as the least reliable source of information concerning India by 90 per cent of respondents, and 91 per cent considered it the most biased against Hindus, followed by The Guardian.
Both outlets received the highest number of complaints from Hindu and Indian communities, with 98 per cent of complainants dissatisfied with the responses.
Additionally, 86 per cent of respondents did not support the TV licence fee, which funds the BBC.
The survey also highlighted the preference of 91 per cent of respondents to be identified as British Indian, British Hindu, or simply Indian in the UK media, rather than as Asian or British Asian.
Free text responses emphasised instances of being mistakenly identified as Pakistani, and experiencing hate on social media against Indians.
Recommendations included urging the UK media to eliminate imperial and colonial influences, use better sources, and increase Hindu representation.
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Bhuvan Krishna is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
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