Image Courtesy: Twitter
On Friday, November 20, a deeply communal, divisive and disturbing trend emerged on Twitter. The hashtag #भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र was the top trend on Indian Twitter, no doubt powered by the combined might of dedicated right-wing trolls and IT Cell keyboard warriors.
Some of the initial tweets represented what could still be dismissed as a reflection of Hindu pride.
Our culture is accepted by other countries very peacefully.
But the origin of the very old culture and heritage is here in BHARAT.
We want a Hindu nation. #भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र pic.twitter.com/ExOFd60svo— TheNationalistHindu (@BhagwaMeriShaan) November 20, 2020
Show your unity Hindus
And bring this trend on top
If you are real Hindu
Jai shree ram#भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र pic.twitter.com/5xepcbETIo
— भगवाधारी औघड़ (@bhagwadari12345) November 20, 2020
#भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र
Indian should also need to read Bhagavad Gita!! pic.twitter.com/CMxL97S4OL— TARANATH POOJARY (@taranathpoojary) November 20, 2020
Me after seeing#भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र is trending :- pic.twitter.com/y9PEVot0Di
— Lucky Tiwari ?? (@_Ordinary_boi_) November 20, 2020
Best Trend. #भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र pic.twitter.com/nlQ3HU7NfJ
— Narendra Modi fan (@narendramodi177) November 20, 2020
Let’s all get together
We Need “Hindu Nation” #भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र pic.twitter.com/iOOQOLFqKe— राधे~राधे @prashasksamiti ✊? (@TheDeelip2020in) November 20, 2020
But the communal frenzy took darker, more aggressive hues as the trend caught on. Sample these tweets:
#आर्टिकल_30_हटाओ#भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र
Article 30: Quran can be taught in
the madarsas !
Article 30(A):- Geeta can’t be read in schools !
Credit goes to :-?Jawaharlal Nehru……. @Swamy39 @PMOIndia @narendramodi @MeenaDasNarayan pic.twitter.com/nBIxtZnVuq— Saloni Saumya (@SaloniSaumya4) November 20, 2020
They will live here eat there use government subsidies college and administration.
But when comes to choose religion or nationalism
They will choose religion.
Hindu must know their shameful face .
We must Rise. #भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र pic.twitter.com/gWaKZQZNUU— TheNationalistHindu (@BhagwaMeriShaan) November 20, 2020
Protect your Dharma
Dharma will protect you
We need Law against Grooming Jihad @UnSubtleDesi#भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र pic.twitter.com/UhjVakMHXr— TheNationalistHindu (@BhagwaMeriShaan) November 20, 2020
I Support & You#भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र pic.twitter.com/sdNa7nQMIA
— आर.डी.द्विवेदी (@DwivediBihar) November 20, 2020
This trend #भारत_माँगे_हिन्दू_राष्ट्र though deeply communal, was not arrested on Twitter despite its policies against hate speech and discrimination, perhaps because the hashtag was in Devnagri script and the anti-hate algorithm may not have caught it. But the fact that such a blatantly communal hashtag was the top trend for over an hour cannot be ignored.
There is no dearth of communal bile on social media, and young Indians appear to be the constituency these hatemongers want to cultivate, possible in a bid to strengthen their vote-banks in the upcoming state assembly elections. The social media indoctrination appears to be a means to erase every last shred of secularism and appreciation for India’s cultural pluralism, the stated objectives of some of India’s best known and most influential right-wing Hindutva supremacist organisations that also influence the ideology of the ruling regime.
Related:
Prashant Patel Umrao still spinning fake news on Twitter
Deepak Chaurasia: Spewing communal hate on social media