Russian TV taps Indian anti-colonial sentiment in pro-Kremlin media push

New series pushes anti-West message that aligns with Moscow’s current strategic goals

- Debarshi Dasgupta India Correspondent

A hoarding in New Delhi featuring Dr Shashi Tharoor, an Indian opposition politician, advertising Russian state-controlled media entity RT's high-profile anti-colonial weekly series, Imperial Receipts, in August. Russia's state-funded media has big plans for India. RT, formerly known as Russia Today, plans to launch a dedicated channel for the country. RT India, by the end of 2025. The US and Europe have imposed sanctions on RT to counter "disinformation".

(PHOTO: SHASHTHAROOR/X)

In August, advertisements on hoardings featuring Dr Shashi Tharoor, a well-known Indian opposition politician and author, popped up at prominent locations in Indian cities. His well-groomed face was also splashed across newspapers in promotional pitches.

However, the Indian National Congress - Dr Tharoor’s party - did not place these ads. They were put up by RT, a Russian state media entity, ahead of the Sept 1 debut of its high-profile anti-colonial weekly series, Imperial Receipts.

Known for his scholarship on British colonialism, Dr Tharoor fields a range of questions from RT journalist Runjhun Sharma in the 10-episode programme that is broadcast on its free-to-air channel.

His responses document the full extent of the systemic exploitation, economic plunder and cultural destruction perpetrated by the British in India from the mid-18th century until 1947, when India became independent.

But the programme is not just a critique of Britain’s dark colonial history; it is also a gamble to set a contemporary geopolitical narrative. By tapping into widespread anti-colonial sentiments among Indians, RT’s Imperial Receipts slips in a not-so-subtle anti-West message that aligns neatly with Moscow’s current strategic goals.