India is home to over 200 million Muslims, yet religious tensions have lingered since the bloody partition of 1947. In recent years, a new and troubling front has emerged: the rise of communal television debates. In the name of “dialogue,” TV news channels routinely stage confrontations between Hindus and Muslims, often featuring religious figures and political spokespersons who shout at each other across the studio tables. These programmes are presented as rational debates, but in reality, they usually devolve into spectacles of outrage.
Rather than encouraging constructive discourse, these debates appear engineered to provoke. Critics argue that such shows serve a larger political purpose: stoking communal sentiments and reinforcing nationalist narratives that align with the interests of the ruling party. In turn, the networks reap higher TRPs—and with them, greater advertising revenue.
Tehelka’s investigative cover story, “Inside Hindu-Muslim TV Debates”, sheds light on this disturbing trend. Undercover reporters posing as representatives of a fictional news channel approached several Muslim clerics with offers to appear on TV debates. The investigation reveals that many of these so-called debates are carefully choreographed—scripted to serve political agendas, personal ambition, and the financial interests of media conglomerates.
Panelists are often coached to take extreme positions, escalate confrontations, and insult their opponents for maximum drama. In return, they receive fleeting fame and monetary rewards. Anchors, far from neutral moderators, reportedly encourage inflammatory rhetoric to drive viewership. The consequences are grave. Some former panelists have withdrawn from participation, citing psychological distress and public humiliation. This rise of a “spectacle culture” not only deepens communal divisions but also trivializes the real and urgent concerns of marginalized communities.
Beyond the bright studio lights, the repercussions are tragic. In recent years, members of minority communities have been lynched over baseless accusations. Their businesses face boycotts, their homes are bulldozed, and their places of worship come under attack. The spread of conspiracy theories, like “Love Jihad” or the myth of Muslims’ “outbreeding” Hindus, gains oxygen in these televised spaces. But the data tells a different story: the Muslim fertility rate has dropped from 4.4 in 1992 to 2.3 in 2020. Ironically, this community makes up nearly 15% of the population, yet holds fewer than 5% of parliamentary seats.
In a democracy, the media’s role is to serve as a watchdog, not a matchstick. When televised debates become orchestrated battlegrounds, they betray the very essence of journalism. They do not inform—they incite. They do not challenge power—they parrot it.
Our Special Investigative Team (SIT) report comes at a time when the nation is still reeling from the shocking aviation disaster in Ahmedabad. India, which boasts of one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, now faces hard questions. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau must answer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash, which claimed the lives of passengers, crew, and civilians on the ground.
