'An Insult': Spanish daily slammed for using snake charmer to portray India's economic growth story

India's economic growth story is grabbing global attention and there is no doubt about it. Be it International Monetary Fund's remark terming India a bright star or India's elevation to the world's fifth-largest economy overtaking the United Kingdom, India has gained all-around praise for its economic prowess. However, it appears that some western and European nations have still failed to see India beyond its colonial past and still consider it a land of snake charmers.

Spanish daily La Vanguardia's latest Dinero issue is proof of such a shallow mindset. The lead story of the issue was 'La hora de la economia india', or 'The hour of the Indian economy'. However, while the discussion point should have been the analysis done in the story, the daily came under sharp criticism for its graphic used to support the story where it portrayed India's economic growth through a snake-charmer.

"The hour of the Indian economy- is the top story of a #Spanish weekly. While #India's strong economy gets global recognition, portraying our image as snake charmers even after decades of independence is sheer stupidity. Decolonising the foreign mindset is a complex endeavour," said PC Mohan, BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bengaluru Central.

"The hour of the Indian economy" is the top story of a #Spanish weekly.

While #India's strong economy gets global recognition, portraying our image as snake charmers even after decades of independence is sheer stupidity.

Decolonising the foreign mindset is a complex endeavour. pic.twitter.com/pdXvF7n4N7 — P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) October 13, 2022

Founder & CEO of Zerodha Nithin Kamath said that cultural caricaturing, a snake charmer to represent India, is an insult. "The hour of the Indian economy, says La Vanguardia, a leading Spanish daily. Quite cool that the world is taking notice, but the cultural caricaturing, a snake charmer to represent India, is an insult. Wonder what it takes for this to stop; maybe global Indian products?" said Kamath.

"The hour of the Indian economy," says La Vanguardia, a leading Spanish daily.
Quite cool that the world is taking notice, but the cultural caricaturing, a snake charmer to represent India, is an insult.
Wonder what it takes for this to stop; maybe global Indian products? pic.twitter.com/YY3ribZIaq — Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) October 13, 2022

Spain is currently the world's 15th largest economy with a GDP of around $2 trillion while India is currently the world's fifth largest economy with a GDP of around $3.5 trillion.