ADVERTISEMENTs
Musk draws flack for sharing post denying India’s colonization
Musk’s X post equating British rule in India with immigration sparks outrage
-
1749497506.png)
Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 03, Oct 2025
- 12:30 EDT
- 42
Elon Musk / File Photo
Elon Musk has drawn criticism after amplifying a misleading post on X that bizarrely claimed the British never colonized India.
The original message stated, “If Indians set foot in England and become English, then the English who set foot in India became Indian. Therefore, the English did not rule India. There is no such thing as ‘colonisation.’” Musk shared the post with a “thinking face” emoji, further widening its reach.
Also Read: AAHOA criticizes anti-Indian comments by Florida City Council member
Within hours, the post had been viewed nearly five million times, sparking outrage among Indian users who accused Musk of legitimizing historical distortion and trivializing the violence of colonial rule.
Social media platforms were flooded with rebuttals. One widely circulated response highlighted the distinction between immigration and colonisation: “Indians aren’t looting England’s resources. Indians aren’t torturing British citizens. Indians aren’t triggering famines like Bengal (1943). Indians aren’t massacring Brits like Jallianwala Bagh (1919). Indians aren’t imposing salt taxes or destroying British industries like the textile trade. Indians aren’t deporting Brits to Cellular Jail or enacting laws like the Rowlatt Act. Indians aren’t causing mass displacement like the Partition.”
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2025
Others accused Musk of amplifying attempts to whitewash colonial atrocities. “White nationalists are trying to equate colonial military invasion, rape, plunder, and exploitation with legal immigration and naturalisation,” one user wrote, arguing that the narrative was being weaponised to vilify minorities.
Another user drew a parallel to Musk’s own company: “There’s a big difference between someone legally joining Tesla with proper documents and someone invading, overthrowing you and declaring they’ll run the company.”
The post has since been flagged with a community note, which clarified: “Equating the two is ridiculous. The British came to India illegally, looted its wealth, killed millions, and by the time they left, India was one of the poorest nations. By contrast, Indians living in the UK arrived legally on visas issued by the British government.”
Community Notes was introduced on X to allow contributors to add context to potentially misleading content. Notes that are rated as helpful by a large number of contributors are displayed publicly.
Historians record that India endured nearly two centuries under British rule, during which approximately $45 trillion was drained from the subcontinent to enrich the empire.
Musk has not yet responded to the backlash.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login