A leading Norwegian newspaper came under fire after publishing a cartoon depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a snake charmer. The cartoon triggered backlash, with the newspaper accused of promoting racist stereotypes and outdated Western imagery about India.
What did the cartoon show?
The illustration, published by Norway’s leading daily newspaper Aftenposten, showed PM Modi holding a snake charmer’s flute, while a fuel-station pipe was portrayed as the snake. The accompanying article carried the headline: “A clever and slightly annoying man.”
The cartoon was published by the newspaper amid a row over PM Modi’s joint statement in Norway, where Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng publicly questioned the Prime Minister on why he did not take media questions. PM Modi did not respond to the question at the venue. However, the exchange later drew a sharp rebuttal from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), with MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George strongly objecting to the manner in which the issue was raised.
Blatantly racist
The cartoon triggered sharp reactions on social media, with many users and commentators accusing the newspaper of reinforcing colonial-era stereotypes and racial caricatures of India and Indians.
A user named Carl Wheless wrote, ” Norway’s biggest paper just ran a cartoon of PM Modi as a snake charmer, calling him ‘a sneaky and slightly annoying man.’ This isn’t journalism.ย it’s colonial-era racism dressed up as commentary. They can’t stomach India’s rise, so they reach for the same tired stereotypes their grandparents used. The mask slips every time.”
“Europeans still can’t come out of their colonial fantasies, sigh”, wrote another user as he slammed the daily.
“Stereotyping Indians. The snake charmer trope. Norways largest newspaper Aftenposten and the byline โa clever and slightly irritating manโ @Aftenposten What a disgrace. As I said earlier their contemptuous colonial mindset is so deeply entrenched they cant help themselves,” slammed a user.
Another one wrote, “This isn’t journalism. it’s colonial-era racism dressed up as commentary. They can’t stomach India’s rise, so they reach for the same tired stereotypes their grandparents used.ย
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