Neeraj Nanda, Deepak Joshi, and Fotis Kapetopoulos Join Panel on South Asian Media, Caste, and Identity in a Symposium in Australia

MELBOURNE — As caste consciousness begins to find space within diaspora discourse, Panel 5 of the symposium “Understanding Caste Discrimination in Diaspora: Building Dialogues and Allyship” turns the spotlight on the media’s role in shaping, ignoring, or confronting caste in Australia’s South Asian communities. Titled Media, Identity, and Representation in Australia’s South Asian Communities, this session gathers three leading media professionals whose careers span independent journalism, multicultural policy, and public engagement.

Moderated by Dr Vikrant Kishore, the panel addresses urgent questions: How is caste represented—or erased—in diaspora media? What barriers prevent caste-oppressed voices from being heard? And can ethnic media in Australia become a space of caste resistance, or is it constrained by funding, ownership, and editorial pressures?

The Speakers

Neeraj Nanda, editor of South Asia Times (SAT), brings more than 40 years of media experience in India and Australia. Under his leadership, SAT has evolved into a vital platform for marginalised stories, operating with the ethos of “giving voice to the voiceless.” His long-standing media activism and commitment to ethical journalism have shaped how diaspora stories are covered and remembered.

Deepak Joshi, founder of NRI Affairs and co-founder of The Humanism Project, combines entrepreneurship with advocacy. A former banker and public servant, Joshi now works across digital media, public policy, and social justice, actively confronting casteism, majoritarianism, and exclusionary practices within diaspora institutions.

Dr Fotis Kapetopoulos, engagement manager at Neos Kosmos and a board member of the Melbourne Press Club, brings a cross-cultural lens to the conversation. With extensive experience in multicultural arts, media, and policy, he contributes comparative insights from Greek-Australian and other migrant media ecosystems. His work challenges ethnonationalist tendencies while advocating for inclusive journalism.

Key Issues Under Discussion

The session raises critical questions about the limitations and responsibilities of ethnic media:

• How do newsroom hierarchies and diaspora politics silence caste-oppressed voices?

• Can independent digital platforms challenge dominant narratives?

• What practical steps must South Asian media collectives take to ensure anti-caste perspectives are not tokenised but sustained?

As caste becomes a subject of urgent public discussion in Australia, the session promises a grounded and necessary conversation on the role of media in enabling—or obstructing—social justice.

Don’t miss this session that interrogates the politics of visibility, media ownership, and the possibilities of building anti-caste solidarity through the power of journalism.