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.