Washington: In another eye-opening report for PM Modi, a Washington based rights group after an analysis found the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and their affiliated groups behind most of the ant-Muslim hate events organised in India in the last six months.
“Some 80 per cent of the 255 documented incidents of “hate speech gatherings targeting Muslims” occurred in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states and union territories”, Hindutva Watch said in a report published Monday.
“Around 52% of hate speech gatherings in BJP-ruled states and union territories were orchestrated by entities affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Bajrang Dal, the Sakal Hindu Samaj, and the Bharatiya Janata Party”, it said.
The Hindutva Watch, the research group based in Washington DC, tracks hate crimes and inflammatory speech against Muslims and other minorities in India.
“Overall, 42% of all hate speech gatherings in 17 states which includes two centrally controlled territories were organized by groups affiliated with the RSS”, the Hindutva Watch said.
The Hindutva Watch in its report also claimed that the BJP and its affiliated groups used "anti-Muslim conspiracy theories" in hate speech events.
The Hindutva Watch list about a dozen terms and slogans used as part of the conspiracy theories that “often helped fuel violence against Muslims” including Love Jihad, UPSC Jihad, Halal Jihad, Thook Jihad, Population Jihad and others.
“Approximately 64% of the events in BJP-ruled states and union territories incorporated references to popular Hindu far-right anti-Muslim conspiracy theories. Overall, 51% of all the hate speech gatherings in 17 states which includes two centrally controlled territories featured anti-Muslim conspiracy theories”, the report said.
The Hindutva Watch also chronicled how hate speech and hate crimes during Hindu festivals like Ram Navami incited in anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra and other states.
The Hindutva Watch also claimed that hate crimes and hate speech events have surged since 2014 when the BJP came to power in New Delhi, and escalate before election time.
"There has been an escalating trend of hate speech in India since 2014 when the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power. Rather than combating hate speech, government officials have frequently engaged in it themselves. As this report documents, some of the purveyors of anti-Muslim hate speech include chief ministers, legislators, and senior leaders from the ruling BJP", it said. “Furthermore, a significant proportion of these incidents occurred in states scheduled to hold legislative elections in 2023 and 2024, highlighting the potential use of anti-Muslim hate speech events for voter mobilization”, the report said.
"There has been an escalating trend of hate speech in India since 2014 when the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power. Rather than combating hate speech, government officials have frequently engaged in it themselves. As this report documents, some of the purveyors of anti-Muslim hate speech include chief ministers, legislators, and senior leaders from the ruling BJP", it said.
“Furthermore, a significant proportion of these incidents occurred in states scheduled to hold legislative elections in 2023 and 2024, highlighting the potential use of anti-Muslim hate speech events for voter mobilization”, the report said.
In the absence of any “official definition of hate speech” in India, the Hindutva Watch has adopted the United Nations framework, which characterizes hate speech as “any form of communication, whether oral, written, or behavioral, 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.”
To ensure the accuracy of its findings, Hindutva Watch conducted verification processes, confirming the authenticity of the videos circulated on different social media sites, their precise location, and the date on which they were recorded.
The Hindutva Watch said hate cases documented in its report is “just a preliminary attempt” as there are cases that have no verifiable evidence.
“This dataset isn’t a complete account of hate speech incidents in India. There are many incidents for which no footage exists or where the footage is unverifiable. The data discussed in this report is a preliminary attempt at providing a snapshot of the nature and geographic spread of hate speech events in India”, it said.
The Hindutva Watch is not alone which has raised the rising hate crimes in India. Besides, others the Supreme Court of India too have on several occasions expressed similar concerns at times asking the government to act tough against the hate mongers.
On at least one occasion the apex court even expressed its helplessness over the way the government in the center and states ignored its directives on the serious issue.
Read the full report here: 2023 Half-Yearly Report: Anti-Muslim Hate Speech Events in India.
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