A total of 322 hate crimes against Muslims and Christians across 24 states and union territories resulted in 54 deaths in the first nine months of the current year
NEW DELHI — The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) tracker has documented 322 hate crimes against Muslims and Christians across 24 states and union territories, resulting in 54 deaths in the first nine months of the current year.
The rights organisation’s tracker documented hate crimes and hate speech against religious minorities in India during the period from 1 January to 30 September. During the same period, the tracker recorded 83 hate speeches by 57 speakers across at least 16 states.
It further said 33 of the 83 speeches were made by people holding public office, while only one incident resulted in an arrest.
The Hate Crime Tracker recorded state involvement in 119 incidents, accounting for 37 per cent of the total cases. Of the 54 deaths documented, 21 occurred at the hands of state authorities. These included 12 deaths in alleged encounters, including those of brothers Zeeshan and Gulfam in Ghaziabad in March, and nine deaths in custody or prison, including that of 70-year-old Zaheer Shaikh in Ahmedabad.
The tracker also documented 15 incidents targeting Christians, almost all arising from allegations of religious conversion. These included an attack on a prayer meeting attended by more than 25 people in Sukma, Chhattisgarh.
The Hate Speech Tracker recorded 83 speeches by 57 speakers across at least 16 states. Thirty-three speeches came from individuals holding public office, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who delivered a speech in Kolkata on 14 March, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and four Chief Ministers.
Thirty-seven of the recorded speeches included calls for violence or appeals for Hindus to arm themselves. The report identifies a recurring group of approximately 12 speakers responsible for nearly 50 speeches and video clips. Seven of these speakers hold public office.
The report, released on Tuesday, brought together researchers, civil rights activists, journalists and public intellectuals to discuss the findings and the broader implications of the documented incidents.
Fawaz Shaheen moderated the programme and discussed the changing nature of hate crimes in India. He analysed the shift from hate crime as a planned and structural form of violence to its emergence as a regular method of conducting politics. He highlighted how targeted violence is increasingly becoming embedded in political mobilisation and public discourse.
Aqsa Sayed spoke about the active role of the state in enabling hate crimes. She observed that state institutions participate either by refusing to register FIRs against perpetrators or by remaining present alongside those committing hate crimes without intervening to stop the violence. Her remarks drew attention to the difference between state inaction and state complicity in incidents targeting religious minorities.
John Dayal addressed the consequences of hate speech and rejected the treatment of such statements as ordinary conversations or expressions of opinion. He emphasised that any speech that leads to targeted violence is a crime against humanity.
Journalist Nidheesh Tyagi focused on remembering the victims and ensuring that their experiences remain part of public discourse. He observed that the state is either complicit in these crimes or incompetent in handling them. Referring to the responsibility of the Prime Minister and other public authorities, he stated that the Prime Minister is in charge of the nation and, if he wanted, could have stopped these crimes.
Syeda Hameed raised concerns about the harassment and intimidation faced by people documenting and researching hate crimes.
Through the release of these two reports, APCR seeks to place documented incidents, victims’ experiences and the role of state institutions in the public domain. The findings call for accountability in cases of hate crimes and hate speech, effective enforcement of the Supreme Court’s directions, and protection for those documenting and reporting violations of civil and constitutional rights.
