ReligionUnplugged: UK To Monitor Religious Freedom In India Under New Policy Focus
(ANALYSIS) Britain has named India among 10 countries it will closely monitor for violations of religious freedom as part of a new foreign policy strategy. The move links the United Kingdom’s international relations more directly with the defence of freedom of religion or belief. The announcement was made by David Smith, the Labour Member of […]
D+C: The ecosystem of hate
The “United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech” defines hate speech as “any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, […]
The Wire: Being Muslim and Refusing to Let Bigotry Decide Who I am
What does it mean to be a Muslim? What does it mean to be an atheist? What does it mean to not want to be a Muslim at all? These are questions that I have struggled with throughout my admittedly short life. My relationship with my “religious identity” is one of mostly violence. My parents […]
The Wire: Hugs, Hashtags, and Hard Passes: The Curated Spectacle of Modi’s Diplomacy
In an era when global affairs are roiled by war, climate crisis, and shifting power equations, India has a historic opportunity to lead with moral clarity and strategic poise. Instead, we have chosen a baffling third way: the performative pivot. India’s foreign policy under Narendra Modi has been less about doctrine and more about drama […]
The Wire: India’s Information Politics in a Geopolitical Conflict
The following is an analysis of India’s ongoing practices of information politics and an interrogation of how they may have fared when deployed during a geopolitical conflict from a domestic lens. It is not a commentary on its military strategy, and does not analyse the actions of external actors. In early May, India and Pakistan […]
The Wire: Police, Bajrang Dal and the Making of Anti-‘Love Jihad’ Squad in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: After a series of videos emerged showing Madhya Pradesh police publicly parading crime accused forcing them to chant slogans like “Police hamari baap hai (police is our father)” and “Gaai hamari mata hai (cow is our mother)”, now, a new video from Bhopal shows a police officer – on camera, in uniform – warning […]
DW: India-Pakistan conflict risks deepening religious tensions
On May 8, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stood in front of a sea of reporters in New Delhi to address the nation. Commenting on the deadly attack in the scenic town of Pahalgam, Misri said one of the attackers’ objectives was “provoking communal discord, both in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the nation.” […]
France 24: No truce in India-Pakistan disinformation war
New Delhi (AFP) – India and Pakistan have announced a ceasefire after coming close to all-out conflict, but on social media citizens on both sides are vying to control public perceptions by peddling disinformation. Platforms such as Facebook and X are still awash with misrepresented footage of the attacks that killed at least 60 people […]
Maktoob Media: 64 hate speech events against Muslims across India in 14 days post-Pahalgam attack; Maharashtra records highest
According to a report by India Hate Lab (IHL), 64 in-person hate speech events were recorded across nine states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir between April 22 and May 2, with Maharashtra recording the highest number. These events followed a coordinated nationwide campaign of hate and intimidation against Muslims, launched by Hindu […]
The Quint: Muslim Boycott Hate Post Pahalgam Attack India
In the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed in the largest number of tourist casualties in recent times in Kashmir, anti-Muslim hate has risen across the country. From the hills of Himachal to the plains of Madhya Pradesh, grief has found a dangerous companion: hate. What began as national […]