Responding to the backlash, IIT Bombay distanced itself from the poster, saying it had no role in designing it and was not even consulted about the flyer
MUMBAI – A poster promoting an upcoming workshop on “South Asian Capitalism(s)” at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has created a furore after going viral on Thursday. It triggered widespread criticism on social media with users questioning the rationale and finding a communal angle in the entire exercise.
The poster, which carried the caption “We Fool You,” featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sparking outrage and allegations of political bias, media reports said.
The two-day workshop, jointly organised by UC Berkeley, IIT Bombay, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is scheduled for September 12–13. The workshop is aimed at studying how capitalist systems take shape in South Asia. The controversial poster, titled “Pyramid of Capitalist India,” was based on a 1911 cartoon called the Pyramid of Capitalist System, which illustrated how capitalism rests on the labour of workers. In the original version, the tier labelled “We Fool You” showed religious leaders of different faiths. In the new poster, those figures were replaced with India’s top political leaders, reports said.
The change quickly triggered criticism online. One user on X wrote: “IIT Bombay sponsors an event on South Asian Capitalism. Poster shows @AmitShah, @narendramodi, and @myogiadityanath with a caption ‘WE FOOL YOU’. No Maulana or Father shown; only a Hindu Monk in saffron robes. Why @iitbombay? @dpradhanbjp.”
Some users criticised the institute, with many saying that taxpayers’ money was “being misused”, tagging Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“Minister @dpradhanbjp, this is very, very wrong. @iitbombay is a public institution, funded by taxpayers. They cannot block any Indian citizen. Please intervene. Why are they scared of criticism?” X user Mohandas Pai posted after IIT-B blocked him from commenting on the controversial flyer.
Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal reacted in a post on X, questioning, “Why is IIT Bombay organising an event on South Asian Capitalism(s)? There is no such thing as South Asian Capitalism(s). India and others are not capitalist countries as the US is. And so what is the purpose of involving University of Berkeley and University of Massachusetts Amherst in this? Do we need to be enlightened by these far away institutions on capitalism in India? We have understanding of ourselves? What is IITs no interest in learning about capitalism in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka etc? This seems like a political seminar with dubious intent.”
Another X user, Venkara Pingali, wrote: “Painful to see this as an alum and a donor to the institute. Do the faculty at @iitbombay @IndiaDST think that the longest serving PM is fooling people, and the Army is an oppressive force? Humanities departments are now adding net negative value to society.”
“Sitting govt leaders are being mocked with total impunity at an institution funded with taxpayers’ money, and our left-libbies tell us there is no freedom of speech,” commented another X user, Monica Verma.
Responding to the backlash, IIT Bombay distanced itself from the poster. The institute said it had no role in designing it and was not even consulted about the flyer. “No one from IIT Bombay is attending the conference. The institute was not consulted about the flyer. We are deeply shocked and upset by its content,” the institute said in a statement.
The institute also confirmed that it immediately asked organisers to remove the poster from social media and take the institute’s name off all materials. Details of the workshop were later removed from the New Political Economy Initiative website, which had hosted information about the event. The institute further announced it would end association with the UC Berkeley and University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty members linked to the incident and launch a full investigation.
