- AP Photo/Manish Swarup
India – India experienced an average of almost two instances of anti-Muslim hate speech every day in 2023, according to new figures from a US-based research group.
A large majority of these incidents occurred in states governed by the Hindu right-wing nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by prime minister Narendra Modi, according to a report published this week by the India Hate Lab (IHL), a research group based in Washington, DC.
The frequency of hate speech peaked from August to November last year – a period that coincided with political campaigning and voting phases in four key state elections. India is heading for a general election in the coming months, with Mr Modi seeking a rare third term in power.
Pelajar Muslim India protes atas persekusi dan penghancuran rumah-rumah Muslim
- AP Photo/Manish Swarup
In 2023, India Hate Lab documented 668 hate speech events targeting Muslims. IHL recorded 255 of the events in the first half of 2023, while the number rose to 413 events in the second half of the year, marking a 62 per cent increase.
The group said it used the United Nations’ definition of hate speech – prejudiced or discriminatory language towards an individual or group based on attributes including religion, ethnicity, nationality, race or gender.
The group noted that “despite comprehensive data generation, this dataset is not a complete account of hate speech events in India”.
“Hate speech has historically been understood to be an important causal factor in driving severe atrocities towards communities, including massacres and genocides,” the report said.
“It plays a critical role in incubating hatred towards a group, effectively building in-group solidarity and demonising out-groups while also acting as a means of intimidation.”
“Collective hatred for the out-group by targeted dehumanisation may effectively legitimise violence towards them by portraying them as an aggressive threat,” the IHL report said, as quoted from the Independent.
Out of the 668 hate speech events, 498 – or 75 per cent – took place in BJP-ruled states, federal territories and the national capital territory of Delhi, IHL said.
“Maharashtra was the worst affected, with about 118 events – 18 per cent – taking place in the state, even though it only constitutes about 9.3 per cent of India’s population,” IHL stated.
Some 104 hate speech events were organised in the state of Uttar Pradesh alone, where over 38 million Muslims reside. Madhya Pradesh in central India recorded 65 incidents. Other smaller states like Haryana and Uttarakhand also witnessed incidents of hate speech.
About 216 – or 32 per cent – of incidents were organised by the far-right Hindu religious group, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal, IHC said.
Both groups belong to the Sangh Parivar, a collective name for various Hindu nationalist organisations under the leadership of the paramilitary Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The BJP operates as the political arm of this network.
