A social media post by Sun News has drawn criticism after the channel used imagery of a traditionally dressed Brahmin woman to illustrate a report about a campaign promise made by Vijay, president of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The post, published on the channel’s official X handle under its #PoliticalPOST segment, referenced Vijay’s election promise made during a political event in Thanjavur. The post was captioned, “Separate Weighers for Men and Women in Ration Shops” -Vijay’s Election Promise”
In his speech, Vijay said that if his party came to power, ration shops would appoint separate women weighers for women and separate men weighers for men, describing it as a measure aimed at ensuring dignity and comfort for women accessing the public distribution system.
However, instead of using a neutral visual such as a ration shop or public distribution outlet, the channel accompanied the post with a film still showing a traditionally dressed Brahmin woman standing at a shop counter opposite Vijay.
The use of a Brahmin woman’s image in this context appears to be a deliberate editorial choice meant to mock the promise. The image carries clear caste markers associated with Brahmin identity, including traditional attire and styling commonly used in Tamil cinema to portray Brahmin characters.
The choice of visual is an example of Dravidianist media framing, where caste-coded imagery especially against Brahmins is used in political coverage to send indirect ideological signals without making explicit statements.
The decision to illustrate a routine campaign promise with a Brahmin-character image reflects the true Dravidianist political messaging framed through symbolic caste imagery, especially when covering rivals of the political establishment.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
