Report: Anti-Muslim Hate Speech Surges in India

Facts

• According to a report published by Washington-based research group India Hate Lab on Monday, India witnessed a 62% rise in anti-Muslim hate speech in the second half of 2023 compared to the first six months.¹
• The group documented 255 hate speech events that targeted Muslims in the first half of last year, while it recorded 413 such incidents in the last six months of 2023, adding the Gaza war considerably fueled the uptick.²
• It also found that around 75% of hate speech came from states ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, adding that hate speech peaked between August and November when four Indian states went to the polls.³
• The highest quantity of anti-Muslim hate speech events was reported from the states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, the report said, basing its assessment on the UN definition of hate speech.⁴
• The Bharatiya Janata Party has dubbed India Hate Lab's report 'biased,' alleging that the states not ruled by it were making anti-Hindu hate speeches, but 'no one will talk about it.'³

Sources: ¹US News & World Report, ²The Financial Express, ³Al Jazeera and ⁴300th.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by Swarajya Mag. India's left-leaning media has frequently displayed Hinduphobic tendencies in their routine coverage, often turning into purveyors of hatred and bigotry. The media projects Hindu nationalism as militant and anti-Muslim and as a threat to India's secular values. Under the pretense of highlighting majority oppression, media outlets are often biased in linking Hinduism to hate speech and bigotry. This bias needs to be called out.
• Left narrative, as provided by ArtReview. Hate speech against Muslims — including calls to free India of their very presence — has become routine in India in recent years and is expected to intensify as the national election approaches. Though other religious groups like Christians also face hate speech, the intensity of the problem confronting India's largest religious minority is of a wholly different scale. This is besides their victimization through economic boycotts, property destruction, and unfair imprisonment.

Predictions