Ancient Epics in the Television Age: Religious Identity and the Rise of Hindu Nationalism in India

Speaker: Prof Alessandro Saia

Affiliate: University of Bologna

Location: Level 6 Boardroom, Colin Clark Building (#39), St Lucia Campus

Zoom: https://uqz.zoom.us/j/82603079317

Abstract: How does strengthened religious identity affect society and politics? We study the impact of “Ramayan,” the massively popular televised version of the Hindu epic. We conduct difference-in-difference analyses, measuring Ramayan exposure with TV signal strength in Indian localities at the time of airing in 1987. Localities with higher Ramayan exposure saw persistently strengthened Hindu religious identity, measured by newborn names and dietary practices; short-run increases in Hindu-Muslim communal violence; and longer-run increases in electoral success for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Increased presence of Hindu religious schools is a likely mechanism behind long-run persistence of effects