A recent report by Hindutva Watch, a Washington-based organization dedicated to monitoring attacks on minority groups, has unveiled alarming statistics regarding the prevalence of anti-Muslim hate speech incidents in India during the first half of 2023. The report, which highlights a concerning trend, reveals that such incidents occurred at an average rate of more than one per day during this period, with a noticeable concentration in states preparing for upcoming elections.
The report documented a total of 255 hate speech incidents specifically targeting Muslims in the first half of 2023. Notably, there is no available comparative data for prior years. These incidents were classified as hate speech using the United Nations’ definition, which characterizes hate speech as “any form of communication that employs prejudiced or discriminatory language towards an individual or group based on attributes such as religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender, or other identity factors.”
Most concerning, approximately 70% of these incidents were concentrated in states scheduled to hold elections in 2023 and 2024. The states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat reported the highest number of hate speech gatherings, with Maharashtra alone accounting for 29% of such incidents. A significant portion of these hate speech events included the propagation of conspiracy theories, calls for violence, and socio-economic boycotts against Muslims.
It is noteworthy that approximately 80% of these incidents occurred in regions governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP is widely anticipated to emerge victorious in the upcoming general elections in 2024.
Hindutva Watch, in compiling this report, revealed that they closely monitored the online activities of Hindu nationalist groups, verified videos of hate speeches shared on social media platforms, and gathered data from isolated incidents reported by various media outlets.
Critics and human rights organizations have long raised concerns about the treatment of Muslims in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who assumed office in 2014. They cite various controversial policies and actions, including the 2019 citizenship law, which was criticized by the United Nations human rights office for being “fundamentally discriminatory” towards Muslim migrants. Additionally, concerns have been raised about anti-conversion legislation that challenges the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief and the revocation of Muslim-majority Kashmir’s special status in 2019.
Furthermore, allegations of the demolition of Muslim properties under the pretext of removing illegal construction and the ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms when the BJP was in power in Karnataka have further exacerbated concerns over the treatment of Muslims in India.
The report by Hindutva Watch has brought renewed attention to the issue of hate speech targeting Muslims in India, especially in the context of upcoming elections, and has ignited a broader conversation about religious tolerance and minority rights in the country.
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