“Bengaluru, India – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a grand Hindu temple in Uttar Pradesh on January 22, drawing a crowd of about 100,000 devotees. Meanwhile, in the southern state of Karnataka, a sombre congregation of about 100,000 gathered at the mausoleum of Sufi saint Hazrat Baba Haider Ali to mark his Urs (death anniversary). The event, held in Mulabagilu, a small town in the Kolar district, included a procession through the town. However, tensions arose when a social media post morphed images of the mausoleum with Hindu symbols, causing anger among the Muslim community. Shaikh Jaffer Sadiq, a local resident, and his friends intervened by advising the mausoleum’s management to file a police complaint against the accused individual. The police warned the accused and made him delete the post, defusing the situation. This incident reminded Sadiq of a time when Hindus and Muslims lived harmoniously in Mulabagilu, a spirit he believes has been strained in recent years due to political factors.
As India prepared for a general election, Sadiq attended a workshop by Hate Speech Beda, a collective formed to combat hate speech. The workshop focused on identifying and reporting hate speech, with participants encouraged to approach the police and file criminal cases against offenders. The collective emphasized the impact of hate speech on marginalized communities, particularly women and Dalits. Sadiq and other attendees brainstormed ways to address hate speech in their communities, recognizing the importance of standing up against discrimination.
The formation of Hate Speech Beda was a response to the rise in religious tensions in India, exacerbated by events such as the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the COVID-19 pandemic. The collective, now comprising nearly 120 members, works to challenge hate speech and promote social harmony. Through advocacy, workshops, and coordination with other organizations, Hate Speech Beda aims to combat divisive rhetoric and promote unity in Karnataka and beyond.”