NEW DELHI: Journalist Palki Sharma Upadhyay, whose takes on matters related to foreign affairs are often lauded online, has come under severe criticism for drawing an analogy from the Mahabharata to underline the importance of narrative building in the modern world.
While appearing on a Podcast, Upadhyay emphasized that the Pandavas, the protagonists of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, did not follow “dharma” in their war against the Kauravas as they claimed.
She went on to call the Pandavas tricksters and criticized them for putting their wife Draupadi on a bet.
“Everyone wanted them to win, right? They said they are fighting for dharma. They bet their wife in a game. How is that morally justifiable? They used all the tricks possible to win the war that they were supposed to win, and yet they justified everything (saying) that Lord Krishna was with them,” Upadhyay said.
She continued: “They did everything, and they won, and they remained the good guys. How do you do that? When you set the narrative. When you are in control of the story, then you can do that.”
Known celebrities or personalities should refrain from taking the context from our scriptures if they don’t have full knowledge about it, as we know that half knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge. pic.twitter.com/3APwZUNRcd
— Sanatani∞Vaidik🇮🇳वैदिक🇮🇳Ved🇮🇳 (@Natrajam1008) August 2, 2023
The TV journalist evoked the Mahabharata analogy to drive home her point that the media’s primary role in society is narrative building. “That’s where the media comes in, that’s where all of us come in. This is a time when we are shaping the narrative for our country,” she concluded.
Her comments were met with condemnation on social media platforms by an army of right-wing social media users, who otherwise praise her opinion on issues concerning India’s foreign policy, like the Ukraine-Russia war, democracy, human rights, and Western institutions.
Randeep Sisodia, the author of “The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections,” wrote on Twitter: “This time, Palki gave a wrong example. The Pandavas were not perfect, no one is. They suffered for their bad karmas. But they were the right guys as they lived by dharma while the Kauravas were downright evil.”
Renowned Bharatnatyam performer Pavithra Srinivasan advised the journalist to read history before making comments in public. “Please read history and understand its purpose and profoundness. This itihaasa is a psychologist’s delight, a strategist’s guide, and mankind’s manual for Dharma & Adharma,” she tweeted.
When The New Indian reached to Upadhyay, Upadhyay refused to comment. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.