A Washington-based research group released a report on Monday, concluding that anti-Muslim hate in India increased by 62% in the second half of 2023 compared to the first six months of the year. The report added that the Israel-Gaza war played a key role in the last three months.
The India Hate Lab’s report – the first time a research group has tracked hate speech events in India over a year – tracks how these events spread geographically, with BJP-led states emerging at the top of the list of 668 hate speech events in India.
Does a single party define the whole nation?
498 hate speech events, which make up 75 percent, took place in the BJP-led states. Three states collectively account for 43 percent of the total hate speech events recorded in 2023. Maharashtra in the west had 118 incidents, Uttar Pradesh in the north had 104 incidents, and Madhya Pradesh in central India witnessed 65 incidents, all among the biggest voter bases of BJP. Other states include Haryana and Uttarakhand in northern India. Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh are also mentioned.
While Haryana witnessed 48 hate speech events, or about 7.2 percent, events in Uttarakhand made up 6 percent – both states are among the emerging hotbeds for anti-Muslim violence as well. Last year in August, seven people died and over 70 were injured in the Nuh Violence of Haryana; earlier this month, five Muslims were killed in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, and many remain missing, while protesting against the demolition of a mosque and a religious school in the town. 77 percent of speeches included a direct call to violence against Muslims.
“Why is no one talking about the Hindus who are targeted?”
In a report by Al-Jazeera, Prem Shukla, a national spokesperson of the BJP, told the media house that the party has been opposing the “Islamic fundamentalist forces” and alleged that the IHL data represented a “biased picture of the situation.”
“The other so-called secular states are targeting the Hindu majority community with hate speeches, but no one will talk about it,” Shukla said in a phone interview. He also dismissed the IHL report, alleging that those behind it “have sworn to destroy the BJP.”
A third of all hate speech events documented by the IHL were organized by two far-right organizations, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal, which are associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP.
In 2018, the United States Central Intelligence Agency tagged the VHP and Bajrang Dal as “religious militant organizations.”
What are the Speeches about?
According to the report, 63% of the total of 668 hate speeches are about the conspiracy theories embedded in Indian society for several years.
‘Love Jihad’ refers to Muslim men luring Hindu women into marriage as a way to increase the number of converts to Islam. Another is ‘Land Jihad’, an alleged way of portraying Muslims as public land grabbers for their religious purposes. Two reports were established by Amnesty International, “Bulldozer Injustice in India” and “JCB’s Role and Responsibility in Bulldozer Injustice in India.” The destruction of properties has mentioned at least 128 buildings to have been destroyed between April and May 2022. These were carried out in five states as a form of ‘punishment’ following communal violence or protests against discrimination.
‘Halal Jihad’ refers to Muslim economic expansion that excludes non-Muslim traders. ‘Population Jihad’ alleges the intention of Muslims to reproduce offspring as a way to outnumber the non-Muslim population. However, data from the government itself debunks the claim that the fertility rate among Muslims is decreasing faster than that among Hindus in India.
Reacting to the IHL report, Amnesty International called on Indian authorities to put an end to the rise in speeches calling for violence and hatred against religious minorities.
