On Monday British Broadcasting Corporation found itself in the midst of growing social media outrage because of its one piece of editorial presented out of context.
BBC Pop Up, whose report sought to explore the life of India’s famous snake-charmers, tweeted asking users if India should “erase its snake charming culture to embrace modernity.”
Should India erase its snake charming culture to embrace modernity? ??
— BBC Pop Up (@BBCpopup) April 18, 2016
This question caused huge outrage with visibly offended Indian users slamming the Britain’s public service broadcaster for its perceived insensitive question reminding India of its past as the land of snake charmers.
BBC Pop Up, which is a ‘travelling bureau that films your story ideas’ to broadcast on the organisation’s international TV channel BBC World TV, had commissioned a report on the life of India’s snake charmers.
In the three-and-a-bit-minute long video, the BBC reporters spoke to a marketing professional, Delhi’s tourism minister, Kapil Sharma, and visited the village of snake charmers near the national capital.
Faced with the established negative portrayal coupled with alleged cruelty against snakes, the Indian government had banned snake charmers from performing with the reptiles in 2003.
But, no sooner had the BBC Pop Up posed the above question on its twitter page, visibly incensed Indian users flooded its timeline with angry and sarcastic responses.
Though the BBC Pop Up attempted to explain the context but it didn’t appear to convince the irate social media users.
It said, “We didn’t intend to offend. Our video from the perspective of snake charmers who no longer have a livelihood.”
Here is a snapshot of how their responses:
@BBCpopup should Britain hire content writers with better clue of other cultures?
— Kali's Brood ?? (@kalisbrood) April 18, 2016
https://twitter.com/MsSantoesha/status/721999822774005760
Should BBC and @BBCpopup erase its racist mentality and embrace modernity?
— Rahul Roushan (@rahulroushan) April 18, 2016
@BBCpopup if 1% of Indian techie decide to hack yr system..It won't take more than few hours to change the question https://t.co/h5r2XC5bGG
— बाबा♻️Again (@rkgeemail) April 18, 2016
@BBCpopup you should look at self before poking nose at the oldest civilization. They don't need your stupidity.
— Pintoo & Pankhi ? (@APsExpression) April 18, 2016
https://twitter.com/autumnrainwish/status/721985961178112000
Should the pederasts @BBCpopup stop worshipping its inglorious pedophile Jimmy Savile's snake, which he used to unleash on hapless children?
— Ugra ?? (@_ugra_) April 18, 2016
You can watch the programme on India’s snake charmers here