Norwegian man’s tweet on enjoying chole chawal for birthday sparks anti-India hate: ‘No cow dung in food?’

While many appreciated the Norwegian man trying Indian cuisine, there were several hateful and anti-Indian comments on the tweet.

A heartwarming social media post by a Norwegian man celebrating his birthday with a plate of chole chawal was quickly marred by a barrage of racist and anti-India slurs. What began as a simple, celebratory post turned into a harsh illustration of online toxicity.

A Norwegian man shared this picture of his Indian meal for his birthday. (X/@joakial_)

“Indian food for my birthday,” the Norway-based man tweeted along with a picture of his meal. It shows chole and chawal on a plate. There is also naan visible in the picture. His tweet was met with a flood of hateful comments that shocked and angered many.

Social media reacts:

Many expressed their happiness over the man trying Indian food for his birthday, and some even suggested different dishes for him to try. However, the post also unveiled the ugly side of the internet, with some dropping anti-India comments and racist slurs. Many referenced “cow dung” and claimed that Indians regularly eat it.

An individual wrote, “That’s Indian food? I don’t see any cow poop.” Another said, “I can never eat Indian food.” A third expressed, “Why does it look like poop? People actually choose to eat this?” A fourth commented, “So you basically hate yourself”

Anti-Indian hate rising on Elon Musk's X?

The Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), Washington, a D.C.-based think tank, earlier in February conducted an analysis which claimed a drastic surge in anti-India hate posts on Elon Musk’s X.

“These attacks are not exclusively aimed at Hindus, whether of Indian or American origin. Rather, they are directed at everyone perceived to be of Indian origin, which, as our analysis reveals, also includes members of the Sikh community,” the report said.