IIT Bombay distances itself from UC Berkeley event after political caricature poster sparks row

IIT Bombay has categorically denied any involvement in a UC Berkeley event after a controversial poster featuring caricatures resembling India’s political leadership went viral, triggering a social media storm.

The poster, promoting a workshop titled South Asian Capitalism scheduled at UC Berkeley’s Institute for South Asia Studies from September 12, listed IIT Bombay as one of the organizers. The flyer, titled Pyramid of Capitalist India, depicted tycoons, ruling party leaders, and security forces in a satirical hierarchy, sparking criticism online for allegedly mocking India’s leadership.

In a late-night statement on September 10, the premier institute said it was “totally unaware” of the flyer and had instructed organizers to immediately remove its name from all material associated with the event.

“The Institute was not at all consulted about the flyer. We are deeply shocked and upset by its content,” IIT Bombay said on X, adding that no faculty or students from the institute were attending the conference.

The institute further announced that it would cut ties with the concerned faculty members from UC Berkeley and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and initiate an internal probe. Details of the event have also been removed from the New Political Economy Initiative’s website, IIT confirmed.

The workshop, co-sponsored by UC Berkeley and UMass-Amherst, aims to examine how “capitalist accumulation is socially structured across South Asia.” Berkeley has not responded to queries on the controversy.