Norwegian daily under fire for racist cartoon of PM Modi as snake charmer

A Norwegian newspaper sparked outrage after publishing a cartoon depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a snake charmer amid a row over a journalist trying to question him at a press briefing.

In Short

• Cartoon shows PM Modi with fuel pipe shaped like snake
• Fresh row emerges amid debate over PM's press meet
• Many condemn cartoon as blatantly racist, xenophobic

A Norwegian newspaper on Wednesday published a racist cartoon depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a snake charmer, triggering accusations reinforcing western stereotypes, amid a row over a journalist questioning the Prime Minister for allegedly avoiding queries India during his state visit to the European country.

The illustration on Aftenposten showed him holding what appeared to be a fuel-station pipe shaped like a snake, alongside an opinion article reportedly titled "A clever and slightly annoying man".

The controversy intensified amid a row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s press briefing in Norway, where Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng publicly questioned why he did not take media questions during a joint appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. PM Modi did not respond to the query, but the exchange later drew a sharp rebuttal from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, represented by diplomat Sibi George.

'BLATANTLY RACIST'

The cartoon triggered massive outrage, with many on the internet calling it blatantly racist and rooted in old colonial stereotypes that portrayed India as a land of "snake charmers". Many slammed the newspaper arguing that the imagery was xenophobic and disrespectful to India and its elected leader.

"This cartoon is blatantly racist," a user wrote on X, adding, "What also stands out is the irony. PM Modi used to speak about how earlier the world thought of India as a 'land of snake charmers'. And now, during his visit to Oslo, a major European newspaper depicts him exactly that way".

Another user, who goes by the name Prady, wrote, "Europeans still can't come out of their colonial fantasies, sigh", as he slammed the daily.

Several others also reacted sharply, echoing the view that "colonial arrogance still survives in the Western elite media".

A similar backlash had emerged in 2022 when a Spanish newspaper used snake-charmer symbolism in coverage related to India’s economic rise.

Notably, Prime Minister Modi, in his Madison Square Garden speech in the US in 2014, had referred to how India was once stereotyped abroad as a country of “snake charmers” before becoming a technology-driven nation of “mouse charmers”. He later repeated the same portrayal of India at other global forums as well.

EXCHANGE AT PM'S NORWAY BRIEFING

A row erupted after Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng questioned why PM Modi did not take questions from the media during a joint appearance with Norway’s Prime Minister during his visit to the country. Lyng reportedly asked why there was no open press conference and raised concerns over press freedom and human rights in India. Although the two leaders left without responding, Lyng recorded the interaction and posted it on X, where it quickly went viral and triggered a wider international debate.

Responding to the controversy, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Sibi George defended India’s democratic framework and accused critics of forming opinions based on selective reports published by “ignorant NGOs” without understanding the country’s scale and complexity.

"You know how many stories are up here [in India]. We have a lot of breaking news coming every day in the evening. At least 200 TV channels in Delhi alone, in English, Hindi and multiple languages. People have no understanding of the scale of India," he said. "They (India’s critics) read one or two news reports published by some godforsaken, ignorant NGOs and then come and ask questions," the senior diplomat added.

The diplomat also pointed to India’s constitutional guarantees and democratic institutions while rebutting the allegations raised during the briefing. He said the Constitution ensured fundamental rights for all citizens and provided legal remedies in cases of violations.

- Ends