The cartoon was published as a commentary by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten days before the prime minister landed in Oslo.
During a heated controversy linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to Norway, centered on concerns about press freedom in India, a cartoon portraying the leader as a snake charmer appeared in Norway’s foremost newspaper and quickly ignited accusations of racial stereotyping on social media.
This cartoon, accompanied by a commentary, was published by Aftenposten just hours prior to PM Modi’s arrival in Oslo.
Social media reactions intensified following a contentious exchange at one of the Indian prime minister’s press conferences.
What does the cartoon show?
The illustration appeared alongside an opinion article titled ‘A clever yet annoying man’. The piece explained India’s strategic interest in the Nordic region, while the cartoon depicted Modi as a “snake charmer” whose snake is symbolized by a fuel-pump nozzle.
Many online commentators criticized the Norwegian daily for perpetuating a racist stereotype of India, which has often been unfairly reduced to images of snake charmers, sacred elephants, and superstition.
Original article: www.hindustantimes.com
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