New Delhi, March 22: At the 21st India Today Conclave 2024, renowned journalist Rajdeep Sardesai gave a thought-provoking discussion on diversity and representation in Indian politics. The main topic of Sardesai’s speech was the alarming underrepresentation of Muslims in the nation’s Parliament and how this tendency affects India’s multicultural populace.
Sardesai openly discussed the systemic marginalization of the Muslim community while calling attention to the marginalization of Muslims in a number of societal contexts. He gave instances from his own wealthy neighborhood, where he saw a decrease in the proportion of Muslims living there. Sardesai explained this phenomenon in terms of deeply ingrained assumptions and prejudices that have influenced Indian society and sustained an atmosphere of marginalization and exclusion.
On the role of media, he said, “I am not criticizing any one person for it. We are living in a media conclave, thus I believe it is only appropriate for the media to examine itself as indoctrination has taken hold. How much have we contributed to the propagation of these kinds of prejudices, stereotypes, and the worst kind of hate politics that single out individuals based solely on the community to which they belong?
“In the long run, nothing might be more hazardous for India, the nation home to the third-largest Muslim population, than the inability of the 400-member ruling party to either produce a single Muslim lawmaker or effectively foster a spirit of sincere collaboration amongst communities. Never place blame, and as media professionals, we must examine ourselves.”
