Hate in Rhymes: The Toxic Mix of Hindutva Pop, Social Media and its Global Reach
By N Fathima Kunal Purohit is an award-winning independent journalist, documentary filmmaker, and author who has written extensively on development, politics, inequality, and the rise of Hindu nationalism. Kunal’s recent book, “H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars” delves into the infiltration of Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) ideology into popular culture and its alarming consequences, […]
Independent: Why a third term for Modi could be ‘catastrophic’ for India’s 200 million Muslims
India Hate Lab, a research group in the US, documented 668 incidents of hate speech against Muslims in 2023, of which 413 took place in the last six months of the year, coinciding with key state elections. In the decade since Modi took power, “what has exponentially increased is runaway hate speech spouting venom against Muslims”, including calls […]
CNN: Rising Hindu nationalism leaves Muslims fearful in India’s holy city
Anti-Muslim speech has also risen dramatically, a recent report by the Washington-based research group India Hate Lab showed, which documented 668 such cases in 2023. BJP politician T. Raja Singh openly called for violence against Muslims in an October speech in Rajasthan, proclaiming: “If they (Muslims) take one Hindu girl, we’ll take 10 of theirs.” At […]
BBC: Being Muslim in Modi’s India
And anti-Muslim hate speech has surged – three quarters of incidents were reported from states ruled by the BJP. “Muslims have become second-class citizens, an invisible minority in their own country,” says Ziya Us Salam, author of a new book, Being Muslim in Hindu India. But the BJP – and Mr Modi – deny that minorities are […]
ABC: Critics of Narendra Modi barred from entering India after speaking out against government
Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party denies accusations of fostering religious intolerance and says its policies benefit all Indians. India Hate Lab, a website tracking hate speech in India, found a steep rise in hate speech targeting Muslims in the second half of 2023. It documented 413 incidents, a 62 per cent rise compared to the […]
ACLED: Resurgent Hindu nationalism sets the stage for the upcoming elections, driving communal violence
A recent report by the Washington, DC-based India Hate Lab found that hate speech, mainly directed against Muslims, peaked during campaigning for Indian state elections in 2023; the BJP won three of the five states that went to polls.32 Anti-Muslim sentiment in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots, where Hindu mobs reportedly killed hundreds of […]
PBS: Why elections in India, the world’s largest democracy, are crucial to watch
“These events have sent shockwaves among critics and dissidents, who are extremely worried about their own safety. with questions as to who is next on the list”, said Raqib Naik, a U.S. based journalist and founder of India Hate Lab, a research group that documents hate speech and polarization. Naik said that even in the […]
TIME: Indian Prime Minister Modi Accused of ‘Hate Speech’ Towards Muslims in Campaign Rally
Anti-Muslim hate speech has been soaring in India, with a recent report by the Washington-based research group India Hate Lab recording 668 cases in 2023. While 255 events took place in the first half of 2023, the figure rose to 413 in the second half of the year, marking a 63% increase.. The report documented that […]
CNN: Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as India’s mammoth election deepens divides
Anti-Muslim speech has risen dramatically, a recent report by the Washington-based research group India Hate Lab showed, which documented 668 such cases in 2023. Of these cases, 75% took place in BJP-ruled states, the report said. India prohibits hate speech under several sections of its penal code, including a section which criminalizes “deliberate and malicious […]
NPR: Hindu nationalist music could be destructive ahead of Indian elections, critics warn
Transcript of the NPR segment: RAQIB NAIK: Hindutva pop is part and parcel of almost every hate speech event in India today. HADID: Raqib Naik runs the India Hate Lab, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. He fears there’ll be more H-pop and more violence as election rallies fire up. NAIK: And if the […]