AS the calendar turns to early 2026, the global gaze is fixed on India—not for its soaring economic metrics, but for a profound and alarming transformation in its social chemistry.

The recent publication of the India Hate Lab (IHL) 2025 Annual Report serves as a clinical autopsy of India’s so-called secularism, revealing a nation where hate speech has evolved from a fringe nuisance into a primary instrument of statecraft.

The figures are staggering. In 2025, India witnessed 1318 verified in-person hate speech events, marking a 97% surge since 2023. This is no longer the “fringe” acting out; it is an industrial-scale operation. Nearly 88% of these incidents occurred in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), suggesting a symbiotic relationship between political power and sectarian mobilization. This surge is characterized by stochastic........

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