In an age where narratives are currency, Arfa Khanum Sherwani—senior editor at The Wire and a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford—seems to have taken a page right out of Rahul Gandhi’s now-infamous playbook of talking down India on foreign soil. Much like the Congress leader’s controversial speech at Cambridge University, Sherwani’s interview at Stanford reeked of contradiction, selective outrage, and an audacity to paint a skewed picture of Indian democracy before an international audience.
Her tale is carefully curated. From invoking traumatic memories of communal violence to claiming she is “unemployable” in India, Sherwani positions herself as a lone voice of truth in a country supposedly consumed by majoritarianism and media capture. But this narrative conveniently ignores some fundamental realities.Default text
For someone who claims to be marginalized and silenced, Sherwani has enjoyed an unbroken and visible media presence for over two decades. She holds a senior editorial position at The Wire, one of the most high-profile and widely followed “independent” platforms in India. She has millions of views, significant influence, and is freely critical of the government and social structures—on Indian soil, in Indian studios, on Indian digital platforms. If this is what oppression looks like, one wonders what freedom must entail.
She laments about being turned into a token Muslim woman in mainstream media, only to later celebrate her rise to prominence—ironically facilitated by the same ecosystem she decries. She speaks of independence and truth, but fails to acknowledge The Wire’s own lapses in journalistic integrity, including retracted stories and serious fact-checking failures.
Moreover, her claim that Indian media has become “Hindu journalism” is not just hyperbolic—it’s dangerous. Such sweeping generalizations not only delegitimize the work of countless reporters across ideological spectrums, but they also contribute to an oversimplified, almost cartoonish image of India in the West: one of a crumbling democracy run by an authoritarian regime. This is the same line that Rahul Gandhi toed, earning criticism from across the political aisle.
Even more troubling is the familiar pattern this follows. Sherwani, like Rahul Gandhi before her, seems to be operating not just as a concerned citizen but as a cog in a well-oiled machine of global dissent manufacturing. Her rhetoric fits all too neatly into the so-called ‘toolkit’ narrative—a blueprint of coordinated global messaging designed to project India as a nation slipping into authoritarianism. It raises the question: Are these critiques part of a broader ideological campaign funded and fanned by external players?
One cannot ignore the shadow of George Soros, the billionaire who has openly declared his intent to “correct the course” of Indian democracy. Soros’s funding has reached various media and activist ecosystems worldwide that share a common narrative: delegitimize India’s democratic institutions under the guise of activism and intellectualism. Sherwani’s narrative—India as intolerant, oppressive, and broken—fits that mould with uncanny precision.
Criticizing one’s own country isn’t inherently wrong—in fact, it’s often necessary. But context and platform matter. To repeatedly bash Indian institutions, the press, and society while comfortably perched in elite Western institutions—without recognizing the remarkable complexities and contradictions that make up India—is not brave. It’s disingenuous.
It’s especially ironic that Sherwani decries a lack of tolerance back home, while enjoying the perks of a Stanford fellowship, global platforms, and supportive communities that celebrate her “unfiltered” voice. She says she’s not allowed to “flutter her arms” in India, but in reality, she’s done more than just flutter—she’s flown, and often without accountability for her own biases and blind spots.
Author: Rishi Kalia is a seasoned entrepreneur, Digital media Strategist and political analyst with 23 years of diverse experience in business and public discourse. Tweets at Rishi Kalia
