Cows, Curry, & Caste: Survey reveals Hinduphobia in British media’s perception of Indians and Hindus

London, UK: A recent survey conducted by a British organisation, Insight UK, focusing on the concerns of the Hindu and Indian (BHI) communities residing in the UK has brought to light concerning revelations regarding the prejudiced portrayal of Hindus and Indians in the British media. With 2,061 respondents participating between November 2022 and February 2023, the survey uncovered widespread prejudices and distorted representations.

Biassed coverage and distorted perceptions

Surprisingly, 59 percent of those surveyed either witnessed or personally experienced prejudice stemming from British media reports on Hindus and Hinduism. A significant 70 percent attributed this bias to the creation of negative perceptions about India and Indians perpetuated by the media.

The most striking aspect of the findings was the overwhelming consensus among participants regarding the lack of impartiality in the British media's coverage of Hindu-related matters. Eighty-nine percent of respondents believed that the British media is biassed when reporting on the Hindu community, while a staggering 91 percent felt that coverage related to India is imbalanced and extremely partial.

British Indians distrust in media outlets

Moreover, the survey also underlined a massive widespread distrust in certain media outlets. Notably, more than 90 percent of respondents perceived the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as the most unreliable source concerning Hinduism and India. The Guardian, ranking as the second most distrusted source, also faced significant scepticism, with a high number of complaints raised by BHI community members against both publications.

Additionally, 91 percent of people in the survey preferred to be identified as British Indian, British Hindu, or simply Indian in the UK media, rather than being called Asian or British Asian. They shared in their written comments that they often get wrongly labelled as Pakistani, face hateful remarks against Indians on social media, and feel that the UK media focusses too much on topics like ‘cows, curry, and caste’.

Some of those who participated, as per media reports, suggested that the UK media should let go of its old-fashioned views and ways, asking for more Hindu representation and better sources to be used. They believe that this change could help in giving a more accurate and fair picture of the community.

These findings are particularly alarming given the substantial BHI population in the UK, comprising 1.03 million Hindus and 1.86 million Indians in England and Wales alone, according to the 2021 census.