Rising hate in India

India has seen a worrying surge in hate speech and hate crimes, almost all of which are attributable to Hindutva gangs and their political allies in the BJP and other political parties. Reports suggest a major driver of the rise in hate speech has been elections at federal and state levels - mapping shows that spikes in hateful rhetoric were reported in every region where elections were about to take place in a few days or weeks. Unfortunately, fiery rhetoric when all of India's ethno-religious minorities are already sitting on a powder keg is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

And the hate starts from the top. Instead of trying to appear statesmanly, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi fired one of the biggest shots of the year by referring g to over 175 million of his countrymen - Indians Muslims - as 'invaders' during an election rally, and repeating variations of that accusation at later rallies. Other incidents of hateful and extremist language have also been tied to physical violence and riots, as Hindutva extremists keep spreading their religious and ethnic hatred, while also attacking people for not being 'supportive enough', all with the impunity that comes with their powerful political backing. The consequences of this hateful rhetoric are stark. Mob violence, lynchings and communal riots have tragically become common occurrences. Innocent lives are lost, and entire communities live under the shadow of fear and insecurity.

Unfortunately, the hate formula continues to prove successful, as it brought the BJP to power in Delhi after over a decade of Aam Aadmi Party rule. The BJP's success at turning xenophobia and bigotry into a winning formula is also generating interest in other far-right groups around the world, as European and African strongmen apply similar strategies to inspire their bases, leading to the gains at the ballot box for people with some emotionally impossible ideas at the cost of everything that makes democracy great.