Bill Gates Faces Backlash Over Remarks Calling India a “Laboratory to Try Things”
Bill Gates Faces Backlash Over Remarks Calling India a "Laboratory to Try Things"
Former Microsoft CEO and philanthropist Bill Gates has stirred controversy following comments made during a recent podcast with Reid Hoffman. In the interview, Gates referred to India as a “kind of laboratory to try things,” sparking outrage among netizens.
Gates stated, “India is an example of a country where there’s plenty of things that are difficult – the health, nutrition, education is improving, and they are stable enough and generating their own government revenue enough that it’s very likely that 20 years from now people will be dramatically better off. It’s kind of a laboratory to try things that, when you prove them out in India, you can take to other places.”
India is a laboratory, and we Indians are Guinea Pigs for Bill Gates
— Vijay Patel🇮🇳 (@vijaygajera) December 2, 2024
This person has managed everyone from the Government to opposition parties to the media
His office operates here without FCRA, and our education system has made him a hero!
I don't know when we will wake up! pic.twitter.com/dxuCvQ44gg
The remarks quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism online. A video of the interview shared by Vijay Patel on social media amplified the backlash. Patel captioned the post, “India is a laboratory, and we Indians are Guinea Pigs for Bill Gates. This person has managed everyone from the Government to opposition parties to the media. His office operates here without FCRA, and our education system has made him a hero! I don’t know when we will wake up.”
Public Outrage
Social media users expressed anger over Gates’ comments, calling them disrespectful. One user remarked, “Why don’t we act like the big country we often claim we are? Are we some obscure African tribe that anyone can come and conduct experiments on?” Another wrote, “This school dropout should be banned from entering India.”
Many called for stricter scrutiny of Gates’ activities in the country, with one user stating, “We need Gates to stay out of India. He has lost value and is out of touch.”
The controversy has reignited debates over foreign interventions in India’s social and development sectors. Despite Gates’ philanthropic contributions, his remarks have raised questions about the perception of India in global discourse.
