US news publication The New York Times stirred controversy after using the term "Revenge Attack" in its headline for a report about attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina's resignation as Prime Minister.
The original headline, "Hindus in Bangladesh Face Attacks After Prime Minister’s Exit," faced backlash from Indian social media users for its choice of words.
Many criticised the publication for using what they deemed an insensitive term. A user named Arvind lashed out at The New York Times, saying, "The NYT finally reports on the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, but labels it as 'revenge attacks.' In India, if a minor riot occurs and one minority person dies, it would be termed 'genocide' by NYT."
He added, "We can rage against such blatant propaganda and fake news, but unless we infiltrate the deep state like Pakistan and China, this will continue. They have operatives in major Western media houses spinning narratives for them. The world doesn’t take Hindus and Indians seriously because they know we are a fatalist culture. We outrage, make noise, but eventually say 'nothing can be done about it' and move on, regardless of the issue."
Many other users also criticised the NYT for what they saw as 'propaganda'.
After coming under fire from social media users, The New York Times changed its headline. However, even after the revision, social media users continued to criticise the publication for not including a footnote about the change.
One user wrote, "So The New York Times has quietly changed its headline after letting it gather views for a few hours, without any footnote about the deleted term—something they always do as part of their editorial protocol."
According to the New York Times report, there has long been a perception in majority population in Bangladesh that the Hindus support Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled the country after a popular uprising. As a result, the minority population has faced attacks, with their homes being torched and temples vandalised.
