Harvard University (AP Image)
Harvard University has issued an apology after a social media post by its South Asian Studies department featuring artwork related to its Sanskrit program sparked allegations of insensitivity and bias online.The controversy began after an image used to represent Harvard University’s elementary Sanskrit course sparked criticism on social media. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) accused the university of promoting what it described as “blatant Hinduphobia,” alleging that the artwork depicted Sanskrit and Hinduism in a dark and negative way.In response to the backlash, the Department of South Asian Studies issued an official statement expressing its regret.
“The Department of South Asian Studies deeply regrets the publication of an insensitive image in relation to our Sanskrit programme. As a department, we have a long and celebrated history of teaching Sanskrit, and we remain committed to teaching the language and the great intellectual and cultural traditions it carries,” the ministry said in its statement.
“
The management also added that it is reviewing its internal operations.
“We are reviewing our internal social media process to ensure future posts more accurately reflect the department’s mission and values.” He also clarified that the post had no connection to another entity at Harvard, saying: “We would also like to clarify that the social media post in question has no connection whatsoever with the Lakshmi Mittal and South Asian Family Institute, which is a separate and distinct entity at Harvard.”CoHNA welcomed the apology and shared the statement on X. The organization wrote that it was “one of the rare moments when a university department formally apologized for its insensitivity towards Hindus.” The organization added that it is happy to see respect towards the Sanskrit language, which it described as an ancient language that has influenced civilizations around the world.“We are pleased to see the department showing respect and appreciation for an ancient language that has had a significant impact on civilizations around the world,” the organization wrote. The controversy erupted after CoHNA criticized an artwork that appeared on the department’s website for the Primary Sanskrit course. The organization claimed that the image depicted a dark Hindu figure with a tilak holding what appeared to be a ghostly statue, and claimed that it depicted Sanskrit and Hinduism in an “oppressive” manner.Some users pointed out that the artwork, titled Master of Puppets, was created by Indian artist Anirudh Sainath under the brand Molee Art.
According to online comments, the artwork is inspired by themes from the Mahabharata and depicts the Leela head of Krishna. Users also highlighted that the artist was known for creating devotional art based on Hindu themes.The organization also highlighted its concerns about how Sanskrit is presented to students.
“This is how students are introduced to Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages that gave birth to classical literature, arts, music and much more. It is the mother of many languages around the world,” the organization wrote on the X website.
