A Norwegian newspaper ignited outrage by publishing a cartoon portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a snake charmer.
The illustration in Aftenposten showed him holding a fuel-station pipe shaped like a snake, alongside an opinion article titled “A clever and slightly annoying man.”
The cartoon sparked accusations of racism and colonial arrogance. Critics argued the imagery reinforced outdated stereotypes that once depicted India as a land of snake charmers. Social media users slammed the daily, calling the depiction xenophobic and disrespectful to India’s elected leader.
The controversy unfolded during Modi’s visit to Norway, where journalist Helle Lyng questioned why he avoided taking media questions at a joint briefing with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. Modi did not respond, but Lyng posted the exchange online, fueling debate over press freedom and human rights in India.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs, represented by diplomat Sibi George, strongly rebutted the criticism. He highlighted India’s democratic framework, constitutional guarantees, and the scale of its media landscape, pointing out that critics often rely on selective reports from “ignorant NGOs.”
The backlash recalled similar outrage in 2022 when a Spanish newspaper used snake-charmer symbolism in coverage of India’s economic rise. Modi himself has repeatedly referenced how India moved from being stereotyped as a nation of “snake charmers” to becoming a technology-driven country of “mouse charmers.”
