WESTERN MEDIA NARRATIVES ON INDIA: FROM GANDHI TO MODI by Umesh Upadhyay

Western Media Narratives on India explores how cultural imperialism influences the Third-World nations. Media in the hands of the former colonizers that wish to maintain their sway has become a tool to dictate people’s thoughts. Focussed on India, this narrative spans from the nation’s independence in 1947 to the present day, scrutinizing the relentless targeting of Indian leadership by the dominant Western English media.
With time, these attacks have intensified, particularly on a resurgent India. In this book, the media’s role during crises emerges as a central theme, with a spotlight on Covid-19. The Western media crafted a narrative portraying India’s response to the disaster as chaotic, forecasting a staggering death toll reminiscent of the Spanish Flu of 1918.

The Western media’s approach to India shows how the English press continues to perpetuate the West’s long-held prejudices against India. Drawing heavily from history, the book critically analyses and unravels the origins and causes of this bias. While rooted in the Indian experience, the lessons derived hold universal relevance for any nation grappling with the shadows of colonization.