The MetaRetreat ‘Beyond Colonial Discourse’ gave participants a much-needed space to step back and reflect, away from the constant noise of news cycles and social media, says Sharan Setty, senior journalist with Swarajya. He says at the retreat organised by INDICA it was refreshing to be with people who are not just questioning the way things are, but also creating real alternatives in media, culture, and education. “One big takeaway for me was the importance of building swaraj in our thinking—not just by rejecting colonial narratives, but by actively creating ideas and frameworks rooted in India’s own civilizational experience”, is a summary of his thoughts on the experience.
In this conversation, he has shared my thoughts on how colonial ways of seeing the world still shape Indian media today, why that matters, and what it might take to change the story. Having said that, there seems to be a growing hunger, especially among young people, to reconnect with something more authentic.
What was a major takeaway for you from the Metaretreat?
The MetaRetreat offered a rare space for reflection beyond the churn of daily media cycles. For me, the biggest takeaway was the necessity of building swaraj in thought, not just in terms of resisting colonial narratives, but creating affirmative, rooted frameworks drawn from Indian civilizational experience. It was also energising to connect with people who are not just critiquing the status quo, but actively building alternatives across media, culture, and scholarship.
How do you define "colonial discourse" in the context of Indian public media today?
Colonial discourse today refers to the persistence of categories, priorities, and assumptions inherited from a framework designed to delegitimise Indian civilizational continuity. It’s visible in the preference for Western academic lenses to interpret Indian realities, the automatic suspicion of dharmic institutions, and the uncritical import of global ‘liberal’ or ‘secular’ vocabularies, which often obscure more than they reveal.
Do you think mainstream media in India still operates within a colonial mindset? If so, could you provide examples?
Yes, very much so. One example is how ancient Indian Knowledge Systems - be it Ayurveda, temple architecture, or even philosophy- are still treated with scepticism or exoticism unless validated by Western academia. Similarly, the framing of caste is almost always borrowed wholesale from colonial ethnographies, ignoring both historical complexity and ongoing reform within dharmic traditions.
How do you see the legacy of British colonial narratives still affecting how we talk about pre-modern Indian civilisation in public media?
The British cast pre-modern India as a land of superstition, stagnation, and tyranny - waiting to be ‘civilised’. That trope still lingers. Media coverage of temple rituals, tribal customs, or regional kingdoms often lacks curiosity or empathy. There’s a tendency to view India’s past as something to be overcome, rather than inherited, engaged with, and built upon.
Are there specific terms or frameworks used in Indian media today that you believe stem directly from colonial epistemologies?
Definitely. Terms like “upper caste” and “lower caste” erase the complexity of varna and jati and reflect (neo)-colonial administrative convenience. Similarly, using “tribal” or “backward” without context carries the baggage of 19th-century anthropology. Even how we understand concepts like secularism or nationalism is heavily influenced by European histories, often with little relevance to India’s civilisational arc.
How does Swarajya attempt to decolonise language or framing in its own reporting or opinion pieces?
At Swarajya, we try to centre Indian experience, not as a reaction to the West, but on its own terms. Whether it's discussing economic policy or cultural identity, we avoid defaulting to Western categories. There’s a conscious attempt to reframe debates around Indian history, spirituality, and society using our own vocabulary and civilizational memory.
With the rise of digital platforms, do you see a shift away from colonial narratives, or is it being reinforced in new forms?
Both are happening simultaneously. On one hand, digital platforms have empowered independent voices who are challenging hegemonic narratives, especially in vernacular languages. On the other hand, social media algorithms still reward outrage and clickbait, which often reinforces the same colonial binaries and identity politics. The battle is ongoing.
In your travels across the country, is there evidence of a change in how the country is addressing these issues?
Yes. I’ve seen a quiet cultural resurgence across rural India—whether it’s through local history projects, temple revivals, or grassroots educational initiatives that draw on Indian texts. The hunger for authenticity is real, especially among the youth. But this is rarely reflected in English-language media, which remains mostly urban and disconnected from these undercurrents.
What are the challenges you face in promoting a decolonised narrative in a media landscape that is still influenced by Western institutions and values?
The biggest challenge is legitimacy. Unless your work is endorsed by elite gatekeepers - the pressure to conform to global standards of “neutrality” or “objectivity,” which are themselves culturally contingent. Funding, visibility, and scale remain tough without compromising authenticity. But the space is opening up and that gives hope.
