Politicians responsible for 56 percent of hate speech, religious leaders only 22 percent, finds new report

A recent report finds that hate crimes including hate speech against religious minorities such as Muslims and Christians have attained an institutional character due to the outward and tacit support of State authorities. 

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A recent report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation, has confirmed 72 reported incidents of hate crimes (55) and hate speech (17) against religious minorities in the first quarter of 2024 in India.

The Union government is empowered to notify religious minorities under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. As per it, Muslims (14.2 percent), Christians (2.3 percent), Sikhs (1.7 percent), Buddhists (0.7 percent), Jains (0.4 percent) and Zoroastrians (0.006 percent) have been notified as religious minorities.

As per the report, the violence against religious minorities in India has now attained an "institutional character". This is because it is carried out by State actors frequently, and where non-State actors are the perpetrators, they do so with the open and tacit support of State officials and agencies.

As per the report, the alleged primary factor behind the incidents was the religious identity of the victim, provocations during religious processions and celebrations of festivals.

What is the framework for hate speech?

The report does not use the word 'hate speech' which is defined by the UN Strategy and Plan of Action as "any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender and other identify factors".