In the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed in the largest number of tourist casualties in recent times in Kashmir, anti-Muslim hate has risen across the country.
From the hills of Himachal to the plains of Madhya Pradesh, grief has found a dangerous companion: hate. What began as national mourning for the 26 killed in the Pahalgam terror attack is rapidly mutating into communal blame — and Muslims are being made the scapegoat for a nation’s pain.
The India Hate Lab (IHL) has documented a significant increase in hate speech events targeting Muslims across India. In the two weeks following the Pahalgam attack, IHL recorded 64 in-person hate speech incidents across 16 states, with Maharashtra reporting the highest number. These events included public calls for economic boycotts, inflammatory speeches, and threats against Muslims.
Among other states were Uttar Pradesh (13), Uttarakhand (6), Haryana (6), Rajasthan (5), Madhya Pradesh (5), Himachal Pradesh (5), Bihar (4), and Chhattisgarh (2). According to IHL, speakers at these events routinely used dehumanising language, referring to Muslims as 'green snakes,' 'piglets,' keede (insects), and 'mad dogs.'
This wave of hate speech has been accompanied by a troubling rise in hate crimes and acts of violence, targeting Kashmiris in particular and Muslims more broadly.
In city after city, protest after protest, the slogans have grown sharper and more violent. Hindu nationalist outfits and local trade associations are no longer hiding behind euphemisms. They are calling openly for the economic and social boycott of Muslim communities.
In Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, during a VHP-Bajrang Dal rally on April 25, 2025, a speaker bellowed through a microphone, not condolences, but a call to arms — urging Hindus to take up weapons. We reached out to Sehore administration but didn't hear back from them.
Sehore was not an isolated incident, in Madhya Pradesh's Guna, a protest organised by Hindu nationalist organisations saw a speaker calling for a complete boycott of Muslims. In Bhopal, VHP-Bajrang Dal members called Muslims 'jihadis' and urged locals to not rent rooms to Muslims. All three incidents happened on April 25th, 2025.
Meanwhile, voices of artists and influencers are being criminalised for daring to ask questions. Dr. Medusa and Neha Folk Singer, both of whom used their social media content to highlight state failure in protecting civilians, now face legal threats. Both of these people had raised questions around the government's promise of peace and called for accountability.
In Himachal’s Sarahan, trade associations while protesting against the Pahalgam terror attack on April 28, 2025, turned their fury on the local Muslim community. In Hamirpur, VHP leader Pankaj Bharti on April 24, 2025, called for the formation of committees to "identify" and drive Muslims out of the area. Similar incident was also reported from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.
We reached out to Sarahan and Hamirpur authorities to understand if there have been any complaints against these protests and whether they are taking any action to ensure peace in their area. Bhagat Singh Thakur, SP, Hamirpur said no protests were held against a particular community, adding that they are keeping a watch for any communal tension.
There have been a few protests but not against a particular community. People have protested against the attack in Pahalgam. People from both Hindu and Muslim communities live in this area, peacefully. We are keeping a watch in case of any communal tensions.Bhagat Singh Thakur, SP, Hamirpur
Meanwhile, Nischint Singh Negi, SP, Sirmaur said he's not aware of any such protests and added that they'll verify the incident. He stressed that all communities are co-existing peacefully in the area.
And it’s not just organisations — individuals are joining in. In Delhi, BJP leader Devmani Sharma uploaded a video on his social media demanding a list of Muslim technicians from a Urban Company — vowing to boycott them based on religion. While Devmani Sharma received heat online for his hateful targeting of the technicians, Urban Company didn't react on the matter.
The question remains as to what kind of society are we becoming, where the response to terror is more terror, where pain is answered not with healing but with hate?
Let us be clear: the terrorists in Pahalgam asked for names before they pulled the trigger. Faith determined fate. And now, from pulpits and podiums, the same logic is being echoed. We are being asked to become them.
The true tragedy of terror is not just in the lives lost; but in what we become afterward.
Will we mourn with humanity? Or will we bleed into hate?