Modi’s hate policy

Indian politics has been marked by organized hatred against marginalized groups under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has called on India to tackle hate speech, discrimination, and hate crimes, emphasizing respect for rights and abstaining from expelling Rohingya, Bengali-speaking Muslims, and migrants.

The report singles out racially motivated violence, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual abuse as key issues. While the state is responsible for maintaining law and order, data from India Hate Lab reveals that oppression flourishes in BJP-ruled areas but declines in opposition-governed regions. Political leaders stir the pot, the media amplifies it, and BJP-linked individuals take action on the ground, with the police largely standing by.

Modi's political strategy relies on inflammatory rhetoric and divisive agendas to divert attention from government shortcomings, a tactic that has propelled his career. However, this approach is eroding India's social fabric and ignoring the constitutional right to impartiality. The UN observations highlight how the government has exploited the caste system to oppress Hindus "by function and social standing" with brutal cruelty.

Ignoring inclusive and progressive values is enabled by rulers granting impunity to offenders, creating an environment of othering that silences dissent and instills fear. The regime has further deepened social divisions, branded the Muslim identity negatively, and altered textbooks and customs to align with the BJP's Hindutva supremacy.

Nonetheless, opposition parties, particularly after the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests, are taking a more aggressive stance against minority and lower caste oppression. Dictators are ultimately remembered by the blood on their hands.