A conversation between CNN-News18 managing editor Anand Narasimhan and the Shankaracharya of Puri’s Govardhan Peeth is in focus for all the wrong reasons.

In the “mega exclusive” interview part of the show The Right Side, the prominent seer reiterated the significance of caste in the Hindu faith and the potential of India to become a Hindu state while the journalist listened to him intently, without any cross-questioning. The tickers read “decodes the ‘real’ Hindu”, “a Hindu rashtra possible?”,  and “Hindu, Hindutva, Hindustan”.

On Narasimhan’s question about caste superiority and whether one could be a Brahmin by deed, the Hindu religious leader pointed to a “story in Mahabharata”. “A Kshatriya had made a lot of efforts but later on he attained the supreme state only after being born in a Brahmin clan.”

“Acharya to bhagwaan ke ghar se Brahmin ko hi praapt hai…updesh keval Brahmin hi de sakte hain,” said the Shankaracharya, reiterating the belief that only Brahmins can impart spiritual wisdom.

The anchor asked if one could change their varna through actions because this is what triggers the “most frustration” in social sections. “Vidurji (a figure from the Mahabharata) was not considered a Brahmin, but he could adopt the conduct and behavior befitting a Brahmin. But one cannot marry a Brahmin’s daughter,” said the seer.

Narasimhan then moved on to ask the seer about the concept of a Hindu nation. “Some people say that India should be declared a Hindu nation. Some say that then it will become majoritarian…you think it is not wrong to declare India as a Hindu nation?”

“True, but who will do it?” asked Shankaracharya. “According to today’s Constitution, the Prime Minister can do all this. Is all that within his limits? Can’t do it even if you want to. All that work is for us. That is why an environment for this should be created first…Eighty percent of the work is done by creating sentiment and creating an environment…Twenty percent of the work is done through struggle.”

Such shows in the mainstream media on the caste system are not a surprise considering the fact that it’s dominated by the upper castes. 

In 2019, there were zero journalists from SC or ST backgrounds in leadership positions in India’s mainstream media newsrooms, spanning print, broadcast and digital.

In 2022, that number still stood at zero.

This was one of the findings of Who Tells Our Stories Matters: Representation of Marginalised Caste Groups in Indian Media. A joint effort by Newslaundry and Oxfam India, this annual report since 2019 has scrutinised caste representation in Indian newsrooms. The latest research was conducted between April 2021 and March 2022.

Godmen appear on television screens each day, in varying attires, some as astrologers, some as fortune-tellers, speaking on eclipses, horoscopes and what not. This is a slightly less exalted category than the usual primetime babas speaking on broadly communal themes to a biased anchor.

Sometimes, even the anchors surpass these babas in making bizarre claims. Consider the example when Times Now Navbharat anchors passed off a rare Himalayan Griffon vulture sighting in Kanpur as Jatayu’s visit to Ayodhya. Read all about it here.