Minister Slams German Cartoon For Mocking India’s Population: ”Not Smart To Bet…”

A cartoon published by the German magazine Der Spiegel, which depicts India’s population overtaking China has elicited sharp reactions from Indians, who have dubbed it as ”racist”. The cartoon shows an overcrowded Indian train with people sitting on top holding the tricolour, overtaking a modernised Chinese bullet train running on a parallel track with just two drivers inside.

While social media users have been expressing their outrage over the misleading depiction, several politicians and leaders also took to Twitter to slam the  ”racist and ”derogatory” cartoon. 

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology tweeted, ”Dear Cartoonist at @derspiegel…Notwithstanding your attempt at mocking India… it’s not smart to bet against India under PM @narendramodi ji….In a few years, India’s economy will be bigger than Germany’s.”

See the tweet here:

Dear Cartoonist at @derspiegel

Notwithstanding ur attmpt at mocking India, its not smart to bet against India under PM @narendramodi ji 💪🏻In a few years Indias economy will be bigger than germany’s 😁😁#NewIndiapic.twitter.com/Evzooqfc2J

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) April 23, 2023

Kanchan Gupta, the senior adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, wrote that the illustration ”caricaturing India in this manner has no resemblance to reality”.

He tweeted, ”Hi Germany, this is outrageously racist. Der Spiegel caricaturing of India in this manner has no resemblance to reality. The purpose is to show India down and suck up to China.”

👋🏽#Germany this is outrageously racist. @derspiegel caricaturing India in this manner has no resemblance to reality. Purpose is to show #India down and suck up to #China.
This is as bad if not worse than the racist cartoon in @nytimes lampooning India’s successful Mars mission. pic.twitter.com/z9MxcPQC7u

— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) April 23, 2023

Baijayant Jay Panda, National Vice President of BJP said, ”In German, the name of the influential magazine Der Spiegel means The Mirror. But going by this derogatory, racist cartoon, it should change its name to Rassistischer Troll. & considering Germany’s difficult history involving racism & the holocaust, Germans everywhere should force this race-baiting publication to hold a mirror to its conscience.”

In German, the name of influential magazine Der Spiegel means The Mirror.
But going by this derogatory, racist cartoon, it should change its name to Rassistischer Troll.

& considering Germany’s difficult history involving racism & the holocaust, Germans everywhere should force… pic.twitter.com/Jma8D1fKuR

— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) April 23, 2023

Former Punjab chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, meanwhile, labeled the illustration ”obnoxious”. He questioned why the ”developed world” never misses ”any opportunity to hit India below its belt, and demean its people”.

No politics, but an uncalled for obnoxious #cartoon against Indian national pride by #Der#Spiegel. Why is the developed world not missing any opportunity to hit India below its belt, and demean its people? They have a reason to worry: they are basking on old glory while dark… https://t.co/mujtBh2lzf

— SARVESH KAUSHAL (@sarveshkaushal) April 23, 2023

Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy said that the illustration was in “bad taste”. He tweeted, ”The Western World prefers to depict India as poor and struggling. They won’t show India’s Vande Bharat or upcoming bullet trains. Cannot wait for the next few years when India will overtake Germany as the 4th biggest GDP.”

Cartoon by German Magazine ‘Der Spiegel’ is in bad taste. The Western World prefers to depict India as poor and struggling. They won’t show India’s Vande Bharat or upcoming bullet trains. Cannot wait for the next few years when India will overtake Germany as the 4th biggest GDP. pic.twitter.com/8KR037YVBQ

— Vijayasai Reddy V (@VSReddy_MP) April 24, 2023

According to United Nations, India has overtaken China as the world’s most populous country, with a population of 1,425,775,850. This is the first time that India has topped the UN list of most populous countries since it started collecting population data in 1950.