Follow the narrative: the political significance of Hindu narratives on Indian television

This thesis aims to research the heightened presence of Hindu narratives on Indian television channels and how these Hindu narratives both emerge from and produce the rise of Hindu nationalist sentiments. This question is answered by analysing the Hindu narratives in multiple sets of material across websites and news portals on the Hindu televangelist channel Aastha TV and the entertainment channel Star Plus India. My analysis is based on Roland Barthes' Mythologies from 1972, which I use to distinguish three separate concepts -consumption, culture, and politics- which I argue, contribute to these televised Hindu narratives. Both Aastha TV and Star Plus India spread Hindu narratives by normalising a standardised form of Hinduism in daily life: this religious interpretation of the Indian identity creates a foundation for Hindu nationalism. Both channels also focus on the middle class as their target audience, which is both financially capable of buying products from these channels...Show moreThis thesis aims to research the heightened presence of Hindu narratives on Indian television channels and how these Hindu narratives both emerge from and produce the rise of Hindu nationalist sentiments. This question is answered by analysing the Hindu narratives in multiple sets of material across websites and news portals on the Hindu televangelist channel Aastha TV and the entertainment channel Star Plus India. My analysis is based on Roland Barthes' Mythologies from 1972, which I use to distinguish three separate concepts -consumption, culture, and politics- which I argue, contribute to these televised Hindu narratives. Both Aastha TV and Star Plus India spread Hindu narratives by normalising a standardised form of Hinduism in daily life: this religious interpretation of the Indian identity creates a foundation for Hindu nationalism. Both channels also focus on the middle class as their target audience, which is both financially capable of buying products from these channels and politically significant in their support for Hindu nationalism. While the emphasis on religious and moral practice of Aastha TV allows for the explicit promotion of Hindu nationalism, the focus of Star Plus India on leisure and entertainment creates a space for the implicit presence of Hinduism in daily life. Star Plus India provides the groundwork for Hindu nationalism through its implicit emphasis on Hinduism as a foundation for Indian norms and values in “soaps”. Aastha TV explicitly promotes Hindu nationalism through its nationalist rhetoric and its focus on Hindu traditions through its use of Hinduism as moral and religious guidelines. Thus, Hindu narratives are present on Indian television channels in different forms. These narratives provide a foothold for Hindu nationalism to connect itself to leisure activities such as watching television and domestic values, and thus increase its visibility and authority over Hindu daily lives.Show less

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Follow the narrative: the political significance of Hindu narratives on Indian television