Trevor Noah apologizes over India-Pakistan comments

US comedian Trevor Noah has apologized for making jokes about the rise of tensions between India and Pakistan over disputed Kashmir.

Trevor Noah introduces "Black Panther" at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. [Photo: AP]

In an episode of The Daily Show, Noah said that a war between the two would be "the most entertaining", adding that "it would also be the longest war of all time - another dance number!"

His comments prompted outrage on Twitter, as users called it offensive.

The two countries claim all of Kashmir, but each controls only parts of it.

After a Twitter user accused him of mocking "war through a Bollywood stereotype", Noah responded with an apology on Sunday, saying the hurt caused was unintentional only to later make light of the situation again.

In a following tweet, Noah added that he was amazed that his joke over the conflict "trended more than the actual conflict itself".

Noah received flak on social media for his comments which were called “racist”, “stereotypical” and "insensitive".

The Hindu, an Indian daily newspaper, said the Late-night talk show host made his case using a what many have called a cliche that the war cry of the Indian soldiers would also be a musical.

Personalities such as actor Swara Bhasker and comic Mallika Dua also slammed Noah for his comments.

“@Trevornoah 1. War isn’t funny or entertaining. 2. Hindi is not gibberish. Your stereotype of Indo-Pak is ignorant,” Bhasker wrote, adding she was a fan but the writing was “lazy” and “arrogant“.

Dua called the remarks “shockingly unintelligent and tone deaf“.

“What makes it sadder is that @Trevornoah cracked such a below average, shit joke. Something Russel Peters probably threw in the bin before his first open mic in life. If you’re going to be a racist comic then at least get the comic bit right,” she tweeted.

Noah's jokes were referring to tensions between India and Pakistan, which have escalated sharply in the past few weeks.

On 26 February, India carried out air strikes on what it said was a militant camp in Pakistan in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed at least 40 Indian troops in Indian-administered Kashmir on 14 February.

A Pakistan-based group said it carried out the attack - the deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir.

Pakistan - which denies any involvement in the 14 February attack - said it had no choice but to retaliate with air strikes last week.

That led to a dogfight and an Indian fighter jet being shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The fighter pilot, who was captured by Pakistan, was released on 1 March and arrived in India, where he has been hailed as a hero.

(Story includes material sourced from BBC and The Hindu.)