A leading Norwegian newspaper has sparked international controversy after a cartoon depicting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a gambler. The newspaper Aftenposten has been accused of racism, colonialism and insulting India over the cartoon. The controversial cartoon came to light amid a flurry of questions from a journalist during the Prime Minister’s visit to Norway.
The cartoon released on Wednesday shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a petrol pump pipe and making the pipe dance like a snake. An opinion-focused article published with it was titled A Tangy and Slightly Boring Man. After the film was released, many accused it of deeply insulting India and trying to revive the old stigma of being the country of sapuras.
In fact, the debate started with a question asked by Norwegian journalist Helle Lang. While attending a joint event with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, the journalist asked Modi why he does not answer questions from reporters during his foreign visits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not respond to the question, but later the Indian External Affairs Ministry responded strongly. Indian diplomat CB George strongly opposed the journalist’s comments.
The cartoon has sparked outrage among many Indians and non-resident Indians on social media. Many people are of the opinion that such films have insulted not only the Prime Minister but the entire country. They alleged that the Norwegian press was trying to portray India as a country of snake-bitten gamblers, which was not only racist but also culturally disrespectful.
Critics say the Norwegian media is deliberately complicating the situation by publishing such cartoons, fueling the controversy with a journalist’s question. However, others believe that publishing political cartoons is an old practice of Western media, but there is no denying that there are racist implications in this case. Although the Norwegian newspaper did not issue an official response to the incident, the international community has questioned whether racism can be spread in the name of freedom of thought and expression. At the same time, it is feared that such cartoons may create unnecessary pressure on the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
