Man says Kazakhstan textbook misrepresents India with overcrowded train photo, triggers debate | Trending

An English textbook used in schools in Kazakhstan has sparked controversy online after content creator Ayush Somraaj shared a video claiming it shows starkly different portrayals of countries within its pages. While countries like China and South America were represented with picturesque images of mountains and adventurous treks, India was shown with an overcrowded train — passengers hanging dangerously from the doors, he claimed.

Many took to the comments section to voice concern.(Instagram/@somraajexpress)

The video was shared on Somraaj’s Instagram handle, who mentioned he is currently in Kazakhstan. In the footage, Somraaj flips through a local English textbook that has a chapter titled “Dangerous Journeys”. Under this, Mount Huashan in China is shown as a scenic and thrilling mountain trail, and a road in Bolivia is featured for its extreme twists and turns. However, when it comes to India, the image used is a train packed with people, many of whom are hanging out of the moving train, a scene that, while real in certain contexts, is far from representative of the country’s broader image or travel culture.

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“I was in a local house of Kazakhstan and the boy showed me his English book and then showed me picture about India… I am laughing and smiling in the video… but inside I was not happy,” Somraaj captioned his post.

The image is shown in the book under the label “A train going to Mumbai, India. If you’ve got a seat inside, you’re lucky” further adds to the stereotype, focusing on overcrowding rather than any cultural or scenic nuance.

Take a look at the video:

The video has triggered a wave of responses from viewers, many of whom expressed dismay over what they see as a biased and reductive portrayal of India in educational materials.

“I’m feeling sorry for those kids who will be raised and educated having a wrong (biased) narrative about the world,” wrote one user.

Another remarked, “No one travels like that in India, duh… Maybe their writers are also illiterate.”

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HT.com has not independently verified the claim made in the video.

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