“We cannot exclude any community,” the usually reticent C.K. Padmanabhan, 75, told the Malayalam channel Media One, answering a question about Muslims being denied the Citizenship (Amendment) Act’s benefits.

“Hatred of Muslims will not do any good to us. In no way will it help our nation’s all-round progress and brotherhood among the people,” he said.

He added: “My Hindutva is that of Swami Vivekananda and (Kerala social reformer) Sree Narayana Guru. I don’t need anyone else’s (Hindutva). Our nation’s strength is our unity and its beauty is our multiculturalism.”

Asked about what the reporter/interviewer described as the BJP’s tendency to spread communal hatred, especially before elections, Padmanabhan avoided a direct answer. Instead, he described the change/evolution of his attitude towards Muslims.

He stated that when the then Left government in Kerala had formed the Muslim-majority district of Malappuram in 1969, a young Padmanabhan had joined the Jana Sangh agitation against the move. “I was imprisoned for protesting against the formation of the Malappuram district,” he said.

However, all the fears about a Muslim-majority district were later disproved, he said.“The people of Malappuram will die for you. I have personally experienced it. I don’t have to make things up. They are such loving people,” he said.

“I have hundreds of young Muslim friends. We can totally depend on them and trust them…. Muslim hatred will be of no use other than destroying the brotherhood in our state. I know that very well.”

He also added: “Where is the need to view them under a lens of suspicion? This is not north India. Here we live among Muslims and Christians.

“Our Kerala society celebrates Ramzan, Onam and Christmas together, and (people from different religious communities) exchange food on these days. Whoever tries to bring in any ideology to hurt this beautiful system will fail.”

The saffron ecosystem continues to malign Malappuram as a hotbed of terrorism and “love jihad”. Padmanabhan, who was Kerala BJP president from 1998 to 2003, has largely been viewed as a moderate leader.

Related:

Hate crime committed against foreign students in Gujarat University

Hate Speech in India: How to Promote Amity?

Conspiracy or Coincidence? Mosques defaced in March after spate of hate speeches provoking the crime weeks before

The post Hatred towards Muslims will not do any good to us or the nation says Kerala BJP leader C.K. Padmanabhan appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

In Ayodhya, where the BJP government is building the Ram Mandir, a horrifying incident of violence against Dalits has emerged where Dalit women were subjected to a vicious attack by men from the Thakur community. The video of the injured women emerged on social media on September 14. 

In response to this incident, the police has stated on Twitter that they have initiated legal proceedings and is actively pursuing appropriate actions.

Despite the severity of the attack, coverage of this story has mostly remained limited to social media and alternate media so far.

This is horrifying,

Dalit women were brutally beaten by casteist Thakurs and left drenched in blood in Ayodhya of Ramrajya, UP.

Please take strict action up police. pic.twitter.com/5GUdZTiHuK

— Susheel shinde (@susheelshinde98) September 14, 2023

उक्त प्रकरण मे प्रभारी निरीक्षक तारुन द्वारा अभियोग पंजीकृत कर आवश्यक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।

— AYODHYA POLICE (@ayodhya_police) September 14, 2023

Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh

In the early hours of Friday morning, the village of Mohideenpur in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was witness to a horrifying act of violence against some members of the most downtrodden group in India. Three members of a Dalit family were killed in cold blood as they lay asleep their hut. Hori Lal, a 62-year-old farmer, his 22-year-old daughter, Brijkali, and her 26-year-old husband, Shiv Sagar, all fell victim to this brutal murder that has shaken the village and turned it upside down, according to the Mooknayak.

The incident is said to have been motivated by an alleged property dispute between Hori Lal and his neighbors, who belong to the Other Backward Classes category. 

In the aftermath of the murder grief-stricken and angry public protested the murder by setting things on fire and breaking property. The houses of the alleged perpetrators, who had fled the scene, were also set ablaze after the horrifying murder was discovered.

Law enforcement officials responded to the scene upon receiving reports of the triple murder and the developing situation as Kaushambi’s Superintendent of Police, Brijesh Srivastava, confirmed that the situation is now under control, but four suspects remain at large, their whereabouts unknown, “The names of four people have come out as the accused. They are absconding. We are in search of them. We are collecting all the information. ” 

To prevent further worsening of the aggravated situation, police presence has been deployed in the village.

Dalit Man slapped, abused for winning Sabrimala tender to prepare Unni Appam in Kerala pic.twitter.com/z2UtnweMgn

— Bahujan Lives Matter (@BahujanLives) September 10, 2023

Trivandrum, Kerala 

In Kerala, a Dalit man was slapped and abused for having secured the tender to provide sweets offered at the acclaimed Sabarimala Temple. It is noted that Dalits face violence and hurdles especially in professions where they are required to handle food. Indian society’s pre-occupation with caste has made it difficult for Dalits to work and live with dignity. 

The two accused are now facing serious charges for their alleged assault and casteist verbal assault on a Dalit man and are currently on the run. Travancore Devaswom Board had given the tender to the victim, Subi, to prepare unniyappam, a traditional sweet fritter offered at the Sabarimala temple. However, the professional success that should have been celebrated instead resulted in garnering humiliation and violence. Subi is from the Pulaya community which classified as a Scheduled Caste in Kerala. 

The incident occurred on September 2 when Subi was targeted by the accused individuals, identified as Ramesh alias Krishnankutty and Jagadeesh. These two men were enraged at the fact that a Dalit man had gotten the tender to prepare the sweet according to The Newsminute. Ramesh and Jagadeesh allegedly threatened him against entering the temple, spat on him, and slapped him across the face, all in the presence of witnesses. 

According to The Newsminute, the victim was standing in the parking lot of the Devaswom Board office in Nanthancode when the accused men confronted him and launched a series of casteist slurs and insults. According to reports by the Times of India, they also questioned how Subi could have gotten tender, and said that the temple belonged to “Hindus and not Pulayas.”

The Thiruvananthapuram police has booked Ramesh and Jagadeesh under Sections 294(b) (dealing with obscene acts and songs) and 34 (pertaining to acts committed by several persons with a common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Additionally, they were charged under Section 3(1) (s) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. As of now, the police are actively pursuing the absconding accused, ensuring that justice is served in this disturbing case of caste-based discrimination and violence.

Dalit Man slapped, abused for winning Sabrimala tender to prepare Unni Appam in Kerala pic.twitter.com/z2UtnweMgn

— Bahujan Lives Matter (@BahujanLives) September 10, 2023

Kashmir

A Dalit IAS officer Ashok Parmar from Jammu & Kashmir has asserted that he has been harrassed due to his caste location of a Dalit. The officer claims to have been transferred half a dozen times in the past year, according to The Mooknayak. 

Several parties have spoken in his favour. For instance, the Congress’ spokesperson Pawan Khera has raised questions about the treatment of the officer and said that the move is to apparently hide a multi-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam in the region. They have also questioned why the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has not taken action on his complaint. 

The JJM scheme was instituted to deliver clean drinking water to all rural households via tap connections by 2024.

Khera has also further asked, “Why, in the wake of his exposé, was a Dalit IAS officer subjected to harassment and targeting? Why did those officers involved in embezzlement and financial misconduct, who burdened the public treasury and harmed our citizens, receive promotions?” 

He further questioned why, despite complaints lodged with the Home Ministry and calls for a CBI investigation, the Jammu and Kashmir administration and the Narendra Modi government have not initiated a thorough inquiry into the multiple irregularities and alleged corrupt practices in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

जम्मू-कश्मीर में ‘जल जीवन योजना’ के तहत 13,000 करोड़ रुपये के भ्रष्टाचार का मामला सामने आया है।

यहां G-20 की आड़ में LG-420 को छिपाया जा रहा है।

जब अशोक परमार नाम के IAS अफसर इस गबन को सामने लाते हैं, तो उनका साल में 4-5 बार ट्रांसफर और LG द्वारा अपमान किया जाता है।

वहीं अशोक… pic.twitter.com/xdFnvVQRyU

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 11, 2023

The Congress spokesperson also questioned the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, asking why they haven’t issued a show cause notice to the Lieutenant Governor’s office despite the serious allegations of harassment, intimidation, and mistreatment made by the Dalit IAS officer. He suggested that, following a proper investigation, charges under the SC-ST (Prevention of) Atrocities Act should be applicable.

A case of corruption worth Rs 13,000 crore has come to light under ‘Jal Jeevan Yojana’ in Jammu and Kashmir.

Here LG-420 is being hidden under the guise of G-20.

When an IAS officer named Ashok Parmar exposed this embezzlement, he was transferred 4-5 times a year and insulted… pic.twitter.com/Xfx8wjvMle

— Spirit of Congress (@SpiritOfCongres) September 11, 2023

The National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah has also asked for an impartial enquiry to be taken in the allegations by Parmar, according to Mooknayak.

The IAS officer has approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and has sought redressal for the harassment at the hands of the Jammu and Kashmir administration. While the J&K administration has denied the allegations by Parmar in a press conference they have held earlier. Parmar has claimed there were irregularities in the pipe supply tendering process, but  Jal Shakti Department Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra has maintained that all work allocations and pipe material procurement have been conducted transparently through the tendering process since 2019. He has asserted further that every transaction is accessible on the department’s website. 

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 

News emerged on 14 September of an elderly  Dalit man being kidnapped and beaten by a local BJP leader led gang in Chopda Kalan Village. The village falls under Sukhi Sevaniya police station limits in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The BJP leader is also said, too, have allegedly urinated on the man when he asked for water. The men took him in an SUV and beat up the Dalit man when he told encroachers to get off government land. They beat him up again and locked him in a room after that, according to Times of India. 

The Superintendent of Bhopal (rural) has said that seven people have been arrested so far.

A 39-year-old Dalit man was abducted and beaten up by a gang led by a local BJP leader, who also urinated on the victim. The incident occurred at Chopda Kalan village under Sukhi Sevaniya police station limits in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/zAFL1bciwP

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) September 14, 2023

Bharatpur, Rajasthan

A government school teacher in Bharatpur district was apprehended by the police on Saturday for reportedly assaulting a Dalit student who was studying in 7th grade merely because the child used water from the staff’s water cooler. The boy was also assaulted with casteist slurs, reportedly. This incident occurred after the student drank water from a container reserved for the staff on Friday, according to Outlook India.

The 12-year-old victim claimed that three students took water from the container intended for the staff, however only he was the only one to be subjected to physical violence. He recounted, that after the morning prayer, students came out of the classroom. Due to some accident while filling water, students ended up spilling some water due to which there was a shortage and students had to take water from the staff’s cooler.  He continued, narrating, that two of his classmates and he filed water from the staff’s cooler in their bottles. However, he was only one who was beaten.

The victim’s brother from Bhimnagar Pahariya Ambedkar Colony, spoke to Times of India stating that, “When my brother attended school on Friday, he was brutally assaulted by the teacher for drinking water from a container meant for the staff. Gangaram also used casteist slurs and attacked the child with sticks and blows, leaving marks on his back.”

He mentioned that the victim’s father had succumbed to silicosis in 2012, and his mother had passed away from typhoid in 2013. Singh’s complaint also reportedly said that the school officials had come to his house the following day and asked to resolve the issue by providing monetary incentive of 2 lakhs.

On Saturday morning, enraged family members and villagers gathered at the government school  protesting against the incident and the accused teacher, Gangaram Gurjar. The police soon arrived at the school, rescued him from the crowd, and took him to the police station.

Superintendent of Bharatpur Mridul Kachawa l has confirmed the teacher’s detention, “The teacher has been detained, and a case has been registered based on the complaint.”

The crowd also attempted to block the state highway but was dispersed by the police. A police officer mentioned that a committee led by an official has been appointed to investigate the matter. “A committee has been established to probe the incident. Based on the committee’s findings, appropriate action will be taken.”

Related 

Real Impact, Real Change: CJP’s year of monitoring violations: a review

Theirs & ours, how Indian cities discriminate against Dalits & Muslims

Continued Surge of Violence against Dalits Spans Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu

Anti-BJP, ‘inconvenient’ voters in Bengaluru could be dis-enfranchised: Karnataka polls

The post From Ayodhya to Trivandrum, are Dalits still unsafe in India? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image source: Sabrang India

Where did this shift begin?

Uttar Pradesh

After the BJP’s defeat in 2004 Hindutva forces adopted another approach which involved instead of large-scale state-wide riots, there has been noted a contrived effort to maintain an undercurrent of communal tension and foster frequent, small-scale incidents around minor everyday issues. The party’s defeat in 2004 was attributed largely in part to the 2002 Gujarat riots. This new strategy aims to perpetuate communalism at the grassroots level and maintain a simmering state of polarisation. Groups like the Bajrang Dal and Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) under Yogi Adityanath have been instrumental in implementing this polarising means. Thereby, this reveals that patterns of communal violence have undergone a wide shift, as scholars Sudha Pai and Sajjan Kumar note in their book Everyday Communalism: Riots in Contemporary Uttar Pradesh (2018).

However, the situation changed once the BJP came to power in 2017, yet Muslims continued to be the primary target of Hindu vigilantes, as evidenced by a series of lynchings. Their plight is dire due to the frequent collusion between the police and vigilante groups. The usual scenario involved inciting communal clashes, which the HYV excelled at, with the objective of attacking Muslim homes and businesses and when the police intervened, their actions were more geared towards apprehending the victims rather than the perpetrators of the violence.

To further suppress the targeted individuals, the police frequently uses laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the National Security Act. These laws are typically meant to deal with criminals posing a threat to national security and allow for individuals to be detained without charge for up to 12 months. In 2017 alone, 160 Muslims were arrested under the National Security Act.

In recent times, there has been a troubling trend of concerted efforts to persecute Muslims and marginalize them through various means, including economic boycotts and house demolitions. Muslims have been targeted through systematic economic discrimination wherein they face boycotts in business as well as employment opportunities, leading to financial instability and systematic exclusion from mainstream economic activities. Additionally, there have been instances of targeted house demolitions, where Muslim homes and businesses have been razed under the pretext of legal issues or urban development or even justified as punishment.

 
Image source: SabrangIndia

Maharashtra Coalition Model of Mobilisation

 According to the Indian Express, in Maharashtra a coalition of several right-wing Hindu nationalist groups has emerged under the name Sakal Hindu Samaj. The organisation has been actively organising public gatherings across Maharashtra, drawing large crowds and gaining attention for its saffron-themed events. Led by influential figures like Suresh Chavhanke who is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sudarshan News, and hardline leader Kalicharan Maharaj alias Abhijeet Dhananjay Saraag. The coalition group has been making headlines for its contentious activities across the year.

The origins of the term Sakal Hindu can be traced back to a poem penned by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a prominent figure known as the father of Hindutva. Savarkar’s composition, “Tumhi Aamhi Sakal Hindu, Bandhu Bandhu,” written during his imprisonment in 1922, which sought to ‘unitr’ Hindus by appealing to communal feelings of all Hindus, and giving a call to transcend divisions of caste and region. This theme resonates with the Sakal Hindu Samaj’s mission, as stated by its members and leaders, who see the organisation as a platform for all Hindus to come together.

Despite the group’s growing prominence and influence, there is limited information available on its official background and formation. Nevertheless, it has been making waves since June 2022, with a rally in Rajasthan’s Ajmer protesting against the alleged disrespect of Hindu culture and deities in the district.

One of the defining aspects of the Sakal Hindu Samaj’s gatherings is the fervent use of saffron, symbolising their allegiance to Hindu nationalism. These events have drawn significant attendance, with the Nashik rally attracting an estimated 4,000-5,000 people. Suresh Chavhanke’s presence as a speaker, known for broadcasting controversial and communally charged speeches on Sudarshan News, adds to the group’s notoriety.

Moreover, the participation of notable politicians from parties like the BJP and the Shiva Sena, such as Maharashtra Cabinet Ministers Sandipan Bhumare, Atul Save, and MLAs Pradeep Jaiswal and Shivendra Raje Bhosale, has brought further attention to these events revealing the tacit and active approval of their divisive agenda by political leaders of ruling parties.

However, the Sakal Hindu Samaj and its polarising tactics have not remained without objection from civil society. CJP raised concerns about the group’s events promoting hate speech, demanding central laws against ‘love jihad,’ religious conversion, and cow slaughter. On 3rd February 2023, the CJP wrote to Supriya Sule, a member of the Lok Sabha representing Baramati, Maharashtra, regarding the proposed event of Sakal Hindu Samaj scheduled for February 9 in Baramati, Maharashtra.

The contentious and disturbing presence of Hindutva leaders like Kajal Shingla, also known as Kajal ‘Hindusthani,who frequently speaks at the gatherings organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, has also sparked questions over the group’s inclinations toward bigoted ideas and hatred.

What is notable is that the Sakal Hindu Samaj has rapidly gained momentum as a coalition of right-wing Hindu nationalist outfits, organising prominent saffron-themed public gatherings across Maharashtra. While its origins remain somewhat obscure, its message of mobilising all Hindus resonates with the sentiments expressed in Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s poem.

Analysis of Hate Incidentsby CJP in 23 States between December 2022 and June 2023

During the past six months, CJP’s hate map or Nafrat ka Naqsha has documented incidents from 23 states in India, covering events that occurred between 14th December 2022 and 30th June 2023. Maharashtra leads the tally with 85 recorded hate incidents, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 59 incidents, Madhya Pradesh with 48, and Rajasthan with 44 incidents.

Hate Map/Nafrat ka Naqsha here.

CJP’s Nafrat ka Naqsha categorises incidents into hate speech, communal Intimidation, communal violence, caste, gender and ethnic violence/discrimination, cow vigilantism and lynching, as well as incidents of everyday harmony. The map details the events along with the names of individuals, groups, and organisations involved in these incidents.

For Maharashtra, the state with the highest number of incidents, a total of 85 incidents were recorded, with 43 falling under hate speech and communal intimidation. Sakal Hindu Samaj organized 25 such events of hate speech and communal intimidation. Other groups involved in such incidents were Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (6 events), VHP, Bajrang Dal, International Hindu Council, and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (9 events). Noteworthy speakers delivering hate speeches in the state were Kalicharan Maharaj (8 times), Suresh Chavhanke (6 times), Raja Singh (4 times), and Kajal Singhla and Praveen Togadia (2 times each). Additionally, in a troubling development, incidents of cow vigilantism and lynching have surfaced in Maharashtra. The hate map by CJP registered 6 such cases, including 2 cases within a week in Nashik, with the involvement of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal in one case. Communal violence incidents during and after the Ram Navami procession have also been reported in the state.

It can be observed from CJP’s data that Maharashtra has seen a surge in hate incidents in recent times, with hate speech becoming a prominent issue. Certain individuals, groups, and organisations, that often overlap with members and participants in the Sakal Hindi Samaj events, have been recurrently involved in organising programs that promote hate speech and contribute to a hostile atmosphere in both the country and the state.

 Uttar Pradesh

In the past six months, according to CJP’s database, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed 54 recorded incidents, depicting a concerning pattern of hate speech, communal intimidation, caste, and gender-related violence. Among these incidents, 12 were associated with hate speech and communal intimidation while 17 involved violence related to caste and gender issues. Noteworthy figures, such as Sadhvi Prachi, Suresh Chavhanke, Bajrang Muni, and Jagadguru Paramhans, have been linked to propagating hate speech. In addition to this, two cases of cow vigilantism were registered, one involving the Bajrang Dal. The statistics reveal the active presence of three organisations – Bajrang Dal, Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad – who have been implicated in ten incidents in one way or another. Despite this alarming trend, there has been only one instance of communal harmony observed in Uttar Pradesh during this period. These statistics underscore the occurrence of hate speech, communal intimidation in the state at the same time, revealing a multi-pronged approach to inciting communalism.

In 2023, a total of 428 incidents were recorded in 23 states, with Maharashtra having the highest number of incidents and Manipur and Tripura having the least. Hate speech and communal incidents were the most prevalent in all states. Maharashtra had 85 incidents, with almost half related to hate speech and communal intimidation and 6 incidents of communal harmony.

In Madhya Pradesh, there were 48 incidents, including 21 incidents of hate speech and communal intimidation, 4 incidents of cow vigilantism and lynching, and 7 incidents of communal violence (4 in Khandwa). Outfits like Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindi Parishad, and International Hind Parishad were involved in 13 incidents. Hate speeches were given by Raja Singh, Kapil Mishra, Kajal Singhla, and Praveen Togadia. There was only one incident of communal harmony.

Rajasthan had 44 incidents, with 33 related to hate speech and communal intimidation, often organized jointly by VHP and Bajrang Dal. Bajrang Dal was directly involved in 25 places. There were 2 incidents of caste violence and gender violence, and 3 incidents of communal violence. Cow vigilantism and lynching occurred in 3 instances, and there was 1 incident of ethnic violence. Hate speeches were delivered by Ishwar Lal, Ramdev Baba, Sadhvi Prachi, and Raja Singh.

Karnataka recorded 31 incidents, including 5 incidents of communal violence (3 involving Bajrang Dal), 5 incidents of hate speech and communal intimidation, and 8 incidents of election hate speech. Hate speeches were given by Pramod Muthalik, Raja Singh, and the Chief Minister of Assam. There were 3 incidents of caste violence, 1 incident of cow vigilantism, 2 incidents of gender violence, and 1 incident of online harassment. Communal harmony was observed on 3 occasions.

Haryana witnessed 25 incidents, with 9 incidents of cow vigilantism and lynching (5 involving Bajrang Dal, 3 by Gau Rakshak Dal), 4 incidents of communal violence (2 during Ram Navami processions), and 12 incidents of hate speech and communal intimidation. Active organizations included Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Praveen Togadia. No incidents of communal harmony were reported.

In Gujarat, there were 19 incidents, including 13 incidents of hate speech and communal intimidation. Kajal Hindustani delivered 4 hate speeches, Praveen Togadia gave 3, and Dhirendra Shastri delivered 1. There was 1 incident of gender violence and 2 incidents of Ram Navami Procession cum Communal Violence.

Delhi recorded 18 incidents, with 12 related to hate speech and communal intimidation. Hate speeches were given by Suresh Chavhanke, Suraj Pal Amu, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, Kajal Hindustani, and Pravin Togadia. There were 2 incidents of communal violence, 2 Ram Navami Processions, 1 incident of cow vigilantism, and 1 incident of gender violence.

Bihar had 15 incidents, with 5 incidents of communal intimidation/violence and hate speech during Ram Navami Procession. There were 3 incidents of communal violence, 3 incidents of cow vigilantism and lynching, and 2 incidents of caste violence. Praveen Togadia delivered a hate speech.

Telangana had 14 incidents, including 6 incidents of hate speech and communal intimidation. There were 2 Ram Navami Processions, 2 incidents of communal violence, 3 incidents of caste violence, and 1 incident of ethnic violence. Hate speeches were delivered by Raja Singh and the Chief Minister of Assam.

Jharkhand witnessed 9 incidents, with 3 incidents of communal violence, 3 incidents of hate speech and communal intimidation, 2 incidents of Ram Navami Procession, and 1 incident of cow vigilantism. Active organizations included VHP and Bajrang Dal.

Chhattisgarh had 8 incidents, including 5 incidents of hate speech and communal incidents, 2 incidents of ethnic violence, and 1 incident of communal violence. Rashtriya Bajrang Dal and Bajrang Dal were active here.

Assam recorded 6 incidents, including 3 incidents of hate speech (delivered by Hemant Vishwa Sharma and Praveen Togadia), 2 incidents of communal violence, and 1 incident of cow vigilantism.

Jammu and Kashmir had 5 incidents, including 2 incidents of hate speech, 1 incident of communal intimidation, 1 Ram Navami Procession, and 1 incident of cow vigilantism. Bajrang Dal and International Hindu Parishad were involved in 4 of these incidents.

Punjab recorded 4 incidents, including 2 incidents of communal intimidation, 1 incident of caste violence, and 1 incident of cow vigilantism.

Kerala had 4 incidents, with 3 incidents related to communal harmony and 1 incident of communal intimidation involving Durga Vahini.

Tamil Nadu witnessed 4 incidents, including 1 incident of hate speech, 1 incident of caste violence, and 2 incidents of caste discrimination.

Goa recorded 4 incidents, with all related to hate speech and communal intimidation by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Hate speeches were delivered by Ranjit Savarkar, Kapil Mishra, Hari Shankar Jain, and Yati Chetannad Saraswati.

Himachal Pradesh had 4 incidents, with 2 incidents of communal violence and 2 incidents of communal intimidation. Bajrang Dal was active in the state.

Manipur had 1 incident of ethnic violence, and Tripura had 1 incident of communal violence.

The data reveals a total of 428 incidents across 23 states. Hate speech and communal incidents were the most prevalent in all states. Maharashtra had the highest number of incidents, while Manipur and Tripura had the least. Apart from Karnataka and Telengana, the northern states of UP, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra and Gujarat seem to have a high number of communal incidents. It is to be noted that Maharashtra and Rajasthan both have opposition party government, yet despite that the number of communally charged incidents run high in these states. It is also apparent from the data above that there is a coherence in the kind of communal incidents across the country. The frequency of large scale riots is low, but incidents of lynching, protesting against ‘outsiders’ or ‘love-jihad, and conferences with hate speech are on the rise. These coupled with legal persecution of minorities has paved the way to create an unsafe country for the marginalised.

Hate Speech across the country

In 2017, India witnessed the highest number of recorded hate speech and hate crime cases. Hindutva groups, particularly those associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have been identified as the main promoters of hate speech and hate crimes in the country. During the tenure of the BJP, there has been a notable increase in communal hate-mongering.

According to a recent report by ANHAD, hate speech and hate crimes have predominantly targeted Muslims at 73.3% of all hate speech, and Christians were targeted in about 26.7% all the incidents in India. Notably, hate speech incidents against Muslims, 61.6%, outweigh hate crime incidents at 38.4% in terms of percentage.

Over the years, there has been a gradual shift where hate crimes against Muslims have started to exceed hate speech incidents, indicating that hate speeches have contributed to the rise of hate crimes against Muslims in India.

For the Christian community, the percentage of hate crimes was recorded to be 96% higher than that of hate speech.

Although the percentage of hate crimes against Christians may appear higher than that against Muslims, the actual numerical value remains greater for Muslims.

Images from a Dharam Sansad in Uttarakhand

Communal Experiments: the case of Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand, the communal divide is deepening day by day since 2022. It has been causing immense distress and fear among the Muslim communities, who make up less than 14% of the state’s population. For the first time, according to a report by NewsClick, they are facing an openly communal campaign, even with the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the election campaign in 2022, there were subtle warnings against the Congress party, suggesting they planned to settle Rohingya Muslims in Uttarakhand to erode the state’s culture and religious traditions. However, since then it has only been a downward trek.

This venomous atmosphere of hatred has seeped into the political landscape. Ordinary citizens point out that the ruling BJP benefits from using them as hate objects to fuel their propaganda machinery and maintain their hate-driven campaign. The situation also reportedly worsened due to infighting within the Congress party.

Speaking to NewClick, political analyst SMA Kazmi here highlights how anti-Muslim rumours were spread through social media leading to attacks on various Muslim-owned establishments.

According to this report, the process of communalisation in Uttarakhand began in 2017, during the tenure of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. Acts of violence, such as the targeting and burning of Muslim shops, followed the murder of a local Hindu man near Rishikesh. The campaign gained momentum, often fuelled by rumours, as authorities failed to provide a counter-narrative to control the violence and hate. This further emboldened mobs to attack small Muslim-owned businesses.

The discourse of hate has been freely, and easily, propagated by politicians within the state. For instance, a BJP Member of Legislative Assembly, Mahendra Bhatt, posted on Facebook urging people not to buy vegetables from Muslim traders. The pinnacle of this hate campaign was the Dharam Sansad in Haridwar, where Hindu sants, led by Narsinghanand Saraswati, called for the “extermination of the 20 million Muslim population.”

This new model of communalism in Uttarakhand is characterized by the exploitation of religious divisions for political gains and the spread of hatred through social media platforms and political rallies. The minority Muslim community has become a vulnerable target of violence and discrimination, as communal tensions continue to escalate.

Attacks against Christians

According to government reports, as reported by Outlook India, there have been incidents of violence against Christians, resulting in the destruction of 395 churches and over 5,600 houses, and the ransacking of more than 600 villages. The estimated death toll exceeds 500, with many Christian families being burned alive. Additionally, thousands of Christians were forcibly converted to Hinduism or faced further violence.

Since 2014, attacks against Christians have increased, with anti-Christian hate crimes doubling, as reported by the Evangelical Fellowship of India. 2015 was particularly severe, marked as the worst year for Indian Christians since the country gained independence. The Catholic Secular Forum’s data reveals 365 major attacks on Christian individuals and institutions in that year, focused on practicing and spreading their faith. Among the attacks, Delhi witnessed six incidents, including alleged arson on churches and acts of vandalism.

In the following years, violence against Christians continued, with at least 305 recorded incidents in the first nine months of 2021, according to a fact-finding report by the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, United against Hate, and United Christian Forum. Some of these incidents were reported in states such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

One particularly horrifying incident occurred on October 3, 2021, when a prayer house in Roorkee was reportedly vandalized by a mob of around 250 people. The attack was triggered by accusations of illegal conversions against Pentecostal evangelist Prio Sadhna Potter and those who were present at the scene.

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Many truths emerged in a divisive, hatred-filled communal war that took place on Twitter yesterday. When right-wing warriors and their Twitter army set out on the Twitter Kurukshetra to avenge Kamlesh Tiwari’s murder, they resorted to the lowest form of warfare – spewing communal hate by trending a hashtag that called for the absolute boycott of all Muslims.

While, it took more than 24 hours for the complicit social media site in addressing the open hatemongering and abiding by their own hate policy to intervene and stop the hashtag from trending; what was more surprising was that the right-wing outfits and Hindutva warriors were found to be followed by India’s Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

Not just him, BJP’s top brass – Piyush Goyal, the Minister of Railways and Commerce; Baijayant Jay Panda, the VP & Spokesperson of the BJO; Bhupendra Chaubey, news anchor and Kapil Mishra, a BJP party member too follow the people who grab every opportunity to spread communal hate.

One such example is attached below.

In this case, a twitter user personally tagged the BJP authorities, with proof, requesting them to un-follow the person for taking part in this shameful trend and sending a wrong message to the society.

At the time of publishing this, none of the authorities had done so. If hatemongering, divisive politics and radical extremism by the majority is supported by the highest authorities themselves, will the minorities ever feel safe in their own country?
 
Related:
Hate Watch: How Hate Trends On Twitter—A Look into Communal Echo Chambers
Decoding Hate: Murder of local ‘Hindutva’ leader, followers spew communal venom
Like Bashirhat, boy circulates derogatory content on Prophet Muhammad but Birbhum saved from burning
Who was behind the #Gandhi Jayanti vs #Godse_Amar_Rahe: India’s Twitter War?
 

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A Facebook page with the name All India Hindu Sena is dedicated to spreading hatred in the communally sensitive state of West Bengal. A page replete with anti-Muslim posts, videos and photos in Bengali language, it is followed by more than l5,000 people and liked by almost 14,000 people. Instead of directly posting anything hateful, this page has a standard strategy of uploading (unverifiable) videos wherein Muslims themselves are seen saying or doing something objectionable and such videos are followed by a caption written in Bengali which basically says how Muslims are a threat for the Indian nation and for the Hindus.

For instance, on July 25 a video was uploaded on this page wherein two Muslim boys are seen talking about the lynching of Tabrez Ansari and how, if police are kept at bay for even 5 minutes, they can rape the Hindu females and show what Muslims can actually do. Evidently it is not possible to verify the credibility of this video or the speakers, whether they are actually Muslim or it is a strategy by the right-wing Hindutva fundamentalists to circulate such scripted videos for creating an anti-Muslim environment in the society. The video received 2,700 shares!

A Hindutva activist and staunch supporter of the present regime, a man named Deepak Srivastava has an anti-Muslim Facebook profile filled with abusive and outrageous posts. In a post dated July 2, Srivastava who works at a software company in Bangalore, uploaded multiple news articles of alleged Love Jihad cases followed by a long caption dedicated to the ‘secularists’ where he calls for the economic boycott of Muslims so as to paralyse them entirely. In reference to the news about 49 celebrities writing to the Prime Minister on the rising issue of religious polarization and the use of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Srivastava shared a post, with a saffron background, scoffing at these celebrities and writing that “now these few celebrities will tell 100 crore Hindus that chanting Jai Shri Ram makes India intolerant.” Over the recent Azam Khan controversy, Srivastava shared a post, again with a saffron background, stating “It is not Azam’s fault, this is their culture. There is no guarantee when they will look into their sister’s eyes and make them their wives.”

But hate politics cuts across party lines. A Congress supporter and an advocate practicing at the Allahabad High Court, Abhyudaya Narayan Tripathi’s Facebook profile is full of violent, hateful and misogynistic posts. On July 28, he posted a photo of Union Minister Smriti Irani whistling at some occasion and gave it an extremely sexist caption which read, “It is surprising that our Union Minister was whistling like a rowdy at an NIFT function and this woman, who married her friend’s husband, talks about culture..” On the same day, he shared another post in which he warns the Dalits, backward classes and the Muslims to stay away from Brahmin and Kshatriya women. The same post was shared by Brijendra Shukla, Chief National Secretary of International Brahman Mahasanstha. He is followed by more than 11,000 people.

Not only common people, but even celebrities are using their official accounts for spreading hateful messages on other platforms as well. The best (or worst) example is actor Payal Rohatgi who has been using her official page to spread fake news and hate about everything from the Unnao rape case where a BJP MLA is the key accused, to targetting Shabana Azmi for using the word “mulk” for India to triple talaq.

CJP has been constantly fighting and monitoring hate on Facebook. Last year, CJP approached the NHRC and Facebook to report the hateful content posted by Hindutva activist Deepak Sharma that got his account banned.

But is cannot be denied that hate sells on Facebook, and it appears that little has been done by the platform to curb the spread of bigotry and communal bile. The question then is, how are we to prepare ourselves to face and tackle this systemic barrage of hate?

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Multiple, Daily instances of hateful Content, FB fails to take stringent action: Analysis
Hate Watch: Bengal in turmoil as Instigators like Deepak Sharma wave their Social Media driven wand, again
Hate Watch: Kamlesh Tiwari- an anti-Modi Hindutva supremacist, with a landmine of hateful content on FB

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Illustration by Brayan Perry/CNN

The analysis was conducted keeping in mind the long-term impact of such hate on communities and a diverse Indian polity. Equity and non-discrimination norms are also upset through such widespread hate messaging. This is concerning especially due to the growing Indian market for Facebook with almost 300 million active users and a potential to grow by 400%.

CJP has been constantly fighting and monitoring hate on Facebook. Last year, CJP approached the NHRC and Facebook to report the hateful content posted by Hindutva activist Deepak Sharma that got his account banned.

Deepak Sharma, a Hindutva activist, who better calls himself as a “motivational speaker” speaks a communally charged language and is the founder of Rashtriya Swabhiman Dal (RSD), an organisation that works to protect the interests of Hindu dharma as well as the nation. Notably, during the election, he was seen campaigning in West Bengal and mobilizing the public through his hate speeches. Earlier, he had posted a video asking to behead non-believers and wishing for more Godhra like incidents. He even explicitly talks about his hatred for Muslims and the urgent need to persecute them. Three main pages run by Deepak Sharma are: ‘Bhagva Hind’, Deepak Sharma and ‘Deepak Sharma- Ek Vichardhara.’ Each of these pages are followed by more than 10,000 people and are replete with hateful content.

Another ‘public figure’ named Nitesh Mishra is followed by more than 25,000 people and describes himself as ‘a person committed to the Hindu religion and society’ on his Facebook page. A year back he went live on Facebook where he is seen with his group of acolytes chanting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in the middle of the road thereby obstructing traffic and captioned the video as ‘if Muslims can block the roads for their Namaz then even we will do the same by chanting Hanuman Chalisa.’ This communal video received  4.9 million views and 49,351 shares. On June 11, he posted another message relating to the Aligarh rape case. The message read, “Allah has permitted the Muslims to rape their own daughters and sisters, what will then be their thoughts towards non-Muslims? Islam is not a religion but merely a group of rapists born out of rape.”

A Hindutva activist and national president of ‘Sudarshan Vahini,’ Vinod Sharma, has almost 20,000 followers and keeps on posting anti-Muslim messages and videos. Notably, his cover picture is that of Savarkar! A week ago he went live on Facebook to talk about the Aligarh rape case where he made certain really shocking statements and revelations. He attacked Modi for his appeasement politics and told that the time Modi pleaded for protection of minorities, “these people did their work by raping 15 girls and murdering 25.” He even revealed that whatever money they received as charity, they used for campaigning for Modi and even convinced 650 workers from other parties to vote for Modi.

A Jain saint named Aacharya Shree SurySagarji Gurudev is a staunch Modi supporter and campaigner for Hindu Rashtra. Contrary to the principles of Jainism, which is committed to non-violence, this particular saint is highly active on Facebook with his communal content. On June 7, he went live where we appealed to his followers to become Nathuram Godse and then promised to convert Hindustan to ‘Hindu Rashtra’ with the help of many such Godse. He further says “If you want a Hindu Rashtra, then support Modi as he is the only one who is capable to do this.” He even abused the Muslims and their Maulanas.
Aryan Sinha, whose friend list is filled with Hindutva pages and profiles, is no less than an instigator. Just to give a glimpse of his ideological leaning, on June 12, he posted a message on the Kathua rape judgement stating how a Hindu Brahmin family was falsely being implicated in the case.

Raja Singh, an MLA from Telangana and a member of the BJP, is followed by more than a lakh people and repeatedly posts messages relating to a ‘Hindu Rashtra.’ Recently, he posted a video where he is appealing to the public to prepare for a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ by saying “Are you ready to fight the Muslims, Christians and Secular Hindus?..We need to make an army in every state of India, we will help you.”

There are multiple such pages and people who have become “public figures” and are mobilizing  ‘masses’ and ‘calling followers to action read violence’. It is pertinent to observe that many of these calls are clearly targeted at the Muslim minority. These pages and profiles not only have a substantial online presence but are there on the ground as well. Majority of these pages and profiles are of Hindutva supremacists.

Few of them are- IT Cell BJP Goregaon Mumbai, Dharam Bandhu Ji Gau Katha, Amar Nath Tiwari, Singh Tri Bhuwan, Avinash Hindu, Aarti Jain, Vinod Goyal, Rajeev Gupta, Rashtriya Parshuram Sena Yuva Vahini Dholpur, Jago Hindu Warriors, Dnyanesh Shandilya, Bihar Bengal ki Yahi Pukar BJP ki Aae Sarkar and the list goes on.

All in all, such Facebook profiles and posts are a landmine of abusive and hateful posts creating a breeding ground for violence and revenge.

Interestingly, when one reports such profiles or posts to Facebook, citing that it violates their own community standards and comprises of hate speech, the response is not always welcoming. To give an instance, when one of our team members reported a hateful and communal post by Dnyanesh Shandilya, where he talks about Muslims being rapists and terrorists, the response he received was appalling! Facebook replied, “Thank you for letting us know about this. We’ve looked at the photo, and although it doesn’t go against any of our specific Community Standards, you did the right thing by letting us know about it. We understand that it may still be offensive or distasteful to you, so we want to help you see less of things such as this in the future.”

Even the Equality Labs report on Facebook India, titled “Facebook India: Towards the tipping point in violence, caste and religious hate speech,” reveals how Facebook India has become a soapbox for hate mongering, communal violence, fake news among other things. It also reveals that Islamophobia dominates Indian hate speech, 93% of reported posts remain while 100% Islamophobic hate speech gets restored.

An analysis of the entire report can be read here.

Through the primary analysis of multiple Facebook profiles and the abovementioned report, it can safely be concluded that Facebook India has become a political tool for spreading one particular majoritarian and politically dominant ideology that makes no secret of inciting mobs against the minorities, particularly the Muslims. Unfortunately, Facebook India appears to be behaving like a mere spectator!

Whether this nonchalant behaviour is a choice or submission to political pressure is yet unknown. Irrespective of the rationale, one cannot deny the probable destruction of our Constitutional values of secularism, fraternity and integrity.

Clearly this is a new tool, technology that has taken easily to allowing itself to be a promoter of hate. Clearly Hate Sells on FB. But this new digital reality that is affecting perceptions and lives then becomes the greatest threat to peace in our neihbourhoods, streets and cities. Are we prepared to face and tackle this systemic barrage of hate?

Related Articles:

1. ‘Islamophobia dominates Indian hate speech’: Equality Labs report on Facebook India
2. Facebook blocks page of Good Morning Kashmir, deletes hundreds of posts
3. Hate Watch: Bengal in turmoil as Instigators like Deepak Sharma wave their Social Media driven wand, again

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According to The Quint, the Tyagi family had organised a prayer meet on May 16, in Delhi’s Basia Darapur area. Unfortunately, the meet, organised for praying for Tyagi’s soul, turned into a communal brawl, after a group of strongmen, some in saffron robes, turned up at the meet for what they called a ‘mahapanchayat.’

The Tyagi family reportedly said that the men raised inflammatory slogans asking for eviction of all Muslims from the locality. Tyagis suspect them to be from Hindu right-wing groups like RSS and VHP.

In a video, published by The Quint, a Hindu leader, Swami Narsimhanand Saraswati, is seen provoking the crowd against the Muslims. He says, “Jab tak musalman yaha rahege, aaj ek Tyagi mara hai, kal dusra marega, parsu teesra marega fir chautha.” (As long as Muslims are going to stay here, today one Dhruv Tyagi lost his life, tomorrow another one will lose life followed by another death day after tomorrow and so on.)

The sheer reason of marginalizing and othering the entire Muslim community is that the accused, Shamsher Alam and Jehangir Khan, are Muslims. Notably, the victims were taken to the hospital by another Muslim local- Riyaz Ahmed.

The Tyagis were so disturbed by this incident that they pleaded the mob to keep calm and not let Dhruv’s death become a Hindu-Muslim tussle.

Ved Tyagi, Dhruv’s father, said “..someone spread the word that it was a mahapanchayat. So Jats, Gujjars and other communities showed up and it became a Hindu-Muslim matter.” Dhruv’s brother, Tapeshwar, said “Some people were trying to disrupt the peaceful prayer meet by being aggressive and raising inflammatory slogans. I asked them to leave, and even had a fight when they refused.”

Regrettably, even the politicians didn’t act sensitively and played their usual blame-game.

“Shocked to hear of the murder of Dhruv Tyagi and attack on his son by those who harassed his daughter. There has been no response from the AAP govt, that has turned blind in their thirst for power. I condemn the heinous crime. The culprits will not be spared,” said Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly.

“CM Arvind Kejriwal who tweets on every national and international issue has not written a word on the incident in Delhi. Is he silent because he practices vote bank politics. Do you only speak after knowing the religion of the accused. Shameless,” a tweet by BJP Delhi said.
The Delhi Commission for Women has sought a report from Delhi Police regarding the murder, following which Kejriwal tweeted, “Delhi Police must take strong action against the guilty.”

Reportedly, police has arrested six members of the family, including two women, in connection with Dhruv’s murder.

When asked about their message to groups trying to polarise the public, Tapeshwar Tyagi said “With folded hands, I request you to sympathise with us and not use us for your own gains. We only want peace. We don’t want a fight between Hindus and Muslims.”

Related Articles:

1. Father killed for standing up to daughter’s harassers in Delhi, Four arrested
2. Silence Does Not Help Secularism

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Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum

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