Surge in hate against minorities in India under Modi’s Hindutva policies
Islamabad: Under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindutva-driven government, incidents of religiously motivated hate and targeting of minorities have reportedly surged across India. Multiple international monitoring bodies rank India among the highest globally for documented religion-based hate incidents.
According to Kashmir Media Service, recent reports by Indian and international monitoring organizations highlight a sharp rise in racial and religious discrimination across the country. Experts warn such treatment of minorities undermines social cohesion and raises serious human rights concerns.
Racial discrimination against citizens from India’s Northeast states remains visible. On February 20, three women from Arunachal Pradesh were subjected to racial slurs in the Malviya Nagar area of New Delhi. Similar incidents involving individuals from Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh were reported in October 2025 and January 2026. Historically, Delhi has recorded 15 to 20 complaints of racially motivated harassment each month, reflecting persistent discrimination against citizens from India’s northeastern states.
India Hate Lab recorded 1,318 incidents of hate speech in 2025, up from 1,165 in 2024 and 668 in 2023, with 98 percent of the incidents recorded in 2025 targeted Muslims.
Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2026 noted a sharp rise in violence against minorities and property demolitions under so-called “bulldozer actions.” Between May and June last year, more than 1,500 Bengali-speaking Muslims and Rohingya individuals were expelled from India. In Assam, more than 50,000 people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, have been evicted since 2021, and a recent campaign saw around 3,400 homes demolished.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended designating India as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing mob violence, discriminatory anti-conversion laws, and citizenship policies. The OMCT Global Torture Index reported 2,739 custodial deaths in India in 2024, up from nearly 2,400 in 2023.
Data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau for 2023 show that 57,789 crimes registered against marginalized communities and over 12,960 against Scheduled Tribes, yet in many cases little action was taken against the perpetrators.
Reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, USCIRF, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the US State Department collectively suggest that legal, administrative, and social pressures disproportionately affect Muslims and other minorities in India.
Observers emphasize that addressing rising hate in India requires effective policy measures, transparent investigations, and the promotion of interfaith harmony.
