NEW YORK: Genocide Watch has raised concerns that India may be entering the “Preparation” phase – the seventh stage in its “Ten Stages of Genocide” framework – pointing to what it describes as escalating anti-Muslim rhetoric and organised mobilisation by extremist groups.
The Washington, DC-based organisation, founded in 1999 by genocide scholar Gregory Stanton, monitors global warning signs of potential mass atrocities.
In its latest report focusing on India, the group states that the “Preparation” stage typically involves leaders allegedly planning large-scale violence while using coded or indirect language to conceal intent.
According to the report, such rhetoric is often framed in terms such as “self-defence” or “counterterrorism,” accompanied by the organisation and arming of militias.
The organisation claims that certain Hindu nationalist figures in India have publicly made statements targeting Muslims, while extremist elements portray such actions as defensive measures.
Genocide Watch contends
The report also names Bajrang Dal, alleging that the group has organised “self-defence camps” where young Hindu men receive weapons training.
It further refers to events where trishuls – tridents with religious significance in Hinduism – are distributed and participants pledge to protect Hindu society and its values.
Genocide Watch contends that inflammatory speeches at rallies have increased since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014.
The document highlights a 2023 speech attributed to T Raja Singh, a suspended legislator from Telangana associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in which he allegedly threatened violence against Muslim men while referring to the “Love Jihad” narrative.
The “Love Jihad” theory alleges that Muslim men intentionally marry Hindu women to convert them to Islam – a claim widely rejected by critics as unfounded and inflammatory.
The organisation argues that the convergence of hostile rhetoric, alleged armed mobilisation, and conspiracy-driven narratives represents a troubling trend that merits close international scrutiny.
