indiahatelab

The India Hate Lab (IHL) is a Washington, D.C.-based research organization that documents and analyzes hate speech, disinformation, and conspiracy theories targeting India’s religious minorities. It operates as a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH). 

Key Activities and Findings

  • Documentation and Analysis: IHL systematically studies hate speech in both digital realms (social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and X) and offline events (rallies, protests, religious gatherings). The organization applies frameworks from the United Nations and the Dangerous Speech Project to define and categorize hate and dangerous speech.
  • Annual Reports: The lab produces rigorous, data-driven annual reports that document trends, key figures, organizers, and locations of hate speech incidents across India. These reports have been cited in international media, academic research, and the Indian Parliament.
  • Significant Data Points: The IHL’s 2024 report documented 1,165 in-person hate speech events targeting religious minorities, a 74.4% increase from 668 events in 2023. The report noted that a vast majority (79.9%) of these events took place in states governed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its coalition partners.
  • Key Actors: The IHL’s research identifies politicians (including the Prime Minister and Home Minister), religious leaders, and far-right organizations affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) family as primary purveyors and organizers of hate speech events.
  • Advocacy and Awareness: IHL aims to foster informed discussions and policy advocacy to combat hate. They work with media outlets and other organizations to highlight the connection between online hate and offline violence, and their efforts have led to action from social media platforms, such as Meta removing accounts linked to a BJP leader for hate speech violations.
  • Website Blocking: The Indian government’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has illegally blocked the IHL’s website in India, a move which the organization has challenged in the Delhi High Court. 

For more information and to access their reports, you can visit the India Hate Lab website or their social media channels like X (formerly Twitter).