Harvard University has found itself at the center of a growing internet storm after an artwork that appeared on the Department of South Asian Studies’ website sparked sharp criticism and allegations of bias.
The Hindu Alliance of North America has sparked controversy after it criticized the university for what it called “blatant Hinduphobia” in an image used to represent its primary Sanskrit course.In regards toThe art was assigned for its course on elementary Sanskrit, and the organization blamed the university for introducing Sanskrit, “the sacred language of Hinduism,” in a “dark, manipulative and oppressive way” to students, much as religion itself had been introduced.“This is how students are introduced to Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages that gave birth to classical literature, arts, music and much more.
The post added: “The mother of many languages around the world.”
In a subsequent post, the coalition also referred to a 2020 incident when Harvard University Press ran “another anti-Hindu cartoon” to promote a book by university professor Ajantha Subramanian on the caste. She claimed that Hinduphobia had a “long shelf life” at the university.The post sparked a heated debate online, with many users accusing the university of bias against Hindus.“@Harvard, how much do you charge for anti-Hindu stance? What price do you have to pay for treating Hindus and Hinduism equally with other religions?” one user asked.Another added: “It is clearly intended to portray Sanskrit in a dark, suspicious and sinister way. The art itself is not the problem. It is the framing of blatant Hindu hatred for it here by an educational institution,” while many called on the university to apologise.However, as the conversation developed, a new context began to emerge. Interestingly, one of the comments under the post claimed that the art was made by Indian artist Anirudh Sainath, who creates his artworks under the brand name Molee Art. Titled The Master of Puppets, the Indian epic Mahabharata is depicted as a leela of Krishna, a story orchestrated by the Hindu deity. Moreover, the artist, who according to one user was a friend of his and no longer is, was known for creating devotional art pieces of Hindu deities.One user added: “I know Harvard is biased against Hindus, and I’m not sure this photo is an example of that.”The second artwork referenced in the post is titled “Millstone of the Caste System” and was created by the late Indian artist and cartoonist Gaganendranath Tagore around 1917. A satirical lithograph, it was aimed at social hypocrisy and perceived oppression within the Brahminical hierarchy. He depicted a gruesome scene in which the priests were grinding and crushing the common people under a huge millstone.