Hindutva Violent Groups Database
Internal Research Unit^*

Hindutva violent groups refer to the groups which perpetrate violence influenced by the Hindutva ideology. Hindutva as a hardliner ideology, essentially driven by the aim to create a Hindu theocratic state, stretching from Afghanistan to Myanmar, has become increasingly relevant in the past few years. Hindutva Violent Groups Database is a comprehensive documentation of violent attacks perpetrated by the groups, who are necessarily the hard-core adherents of violent Hindutva-centred practices. The database takes into account events beginning from 2014. The initiative is an accumulation of facts and figures regarding violent attacks perpetrated by Hindutva groups. The groups included in the database comprise of the arrangements which have been identified and viewed as suspicious with regards to their activities and presence. In addition, the events with at least one killing involved, have been included in the database. The incidents with no loss of human life in a violent incident have not been included in the database.

Thorough research through secondary sources of data, spanning over several months, has been done for the compilation and constant updating of Hindutva Violent Groups Database. Daily monitoring of newspapers, media channels and social media was also a part of the procedure. For factual information with reference to every distinct violent attack, Indian media sources were given preference over foreign media sources. For instance, specific violent attacks which were reported by a certain section of foreign media only, were purposefully not made a part of the database.

The database was developed utilizing five major variables with their respective set of sub-variables, to analyse the violent attacks perpetrated by Hindutva violent groups. The said five key variables and their corresponding sets of sub-variables are as follows:

1. Place – The database lists the states and union territories where the violent incident took.

2. Casualties – ‘Casualties’ in the database include both, the number of people killed and injured.

3. Motive – The ‘Motive” variable in the database identifies the motivate behind the violent incidents.

4. Perpetrator Group – ‘Perpetrator Group’ variable in the database identifies the Hindutva groups involved in the conduct of violent attacks.

5. Target – Under this variable, details pertaining to the religion or caste of the targeted segment are documented.

Analysis of Hindutva-inspired Violent Attack

The database is accumulating violent incidents perpetrated by Hindutva-inspired groups and individuals since the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as victorious in 2014 general elections. A graph below illustrates that the frequency of the incidents has increased over the years. Nearly 100 people have been killed and about 60 others have been injured in 74 incidents. A violent incident is defined as an incident in which Hindutva-inspired individual or group is responsible for killing of at least one person.

The return of a Hindu nationalist party in the form of BJP to power corridors gave an impetus to fringe violent groups to carry out violent activities with virtual impunity. The manifestation of such virtual impunity has been exhibited especially in the case of cow vigilantes who have been provided patronage of state officials on several occasions. Other factors contributing towards violence include Love Jihad (Hindu extremists falsely accusing Muslims of seducing Hindu girls) and religious animosity toward Muslims and Christians in addition to caste-based violence against Dalits.