Al Jazeera: Anti-Muslim songs spread hate and violence in India after Kashmir killings

Less than a day after the deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 25 tourists and a local pony rider dead, a provocative song emerged on Indian YouTube, igniting fears of a growing anti-Muslim backlash across the country.

The track, titled “Pehle Dharam Pocha” (They Asked About Religion First), directly targeted Indian Muslims. Its lyrics carried a message of exclusion and suspicion:

“We made a mistake by allowing you to stay on,
You got your own country, why didn’t you leave then?
They call us Hindus ‘kaffirs’,
Their hearts are full of conspiracies against us.”

The song quickly gained traction online, amassing more than 140,000 views within days. It wasn’t an isolated case. According to an investigation by Al Jazeera, at least 20 similar songs—many categorised under the emerging genre of "Hindutva Pop"—were released in the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgam killings. These tracks, set to energetic rhythms and catchy rhymes, spread through YouTube, social media, and encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, calling for revenge and promoting anti-Muslim sentiment.

The Pahalgam attack—believed to be the deadliest targeting tourists in the region in 25 years—has been blamed by India on Pakistan, which has denied any involvement. But beyond official accusations, a digital campaign of hate has rapidly unfolded, stoking communal divisions at a time of heightened national mourning and anxiety.

The narrative in many of these songs asserts that Indian Muslims, because of their shared religion with the attackers, can no longer be trusted, even though a Muslim Kashmiri pony handler who tried to intervene during the attack was also killed.

Some songs brand Indian Muslims as “traitors” and call for their boycott. Others go further, demanding vengeance against Pakistan. One track advocates for “Pakistani blood” in response to the killings, while others urge the government to “wipe Pakistan off the map.”

These incendiary messages have not stayed confined to digital platforms. On the ground, real-world violence is surging in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand. Muslims have been assaulted, Kashmiri vendors attacked, and in some cases, denied essential services.

On April 25, in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim man was shot dead by a self-declared Hindu supremacist who claimed it was retribution for the Pahalgam killings.

According to the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), a legal and human rights group, at least 21 incidents of anti-Muslim violence, threats, or hate speech have been documented nationwide since the April 22 attack. These include assaults on Kashmiri students and women, hate speeches at public rallies, forced evictions of Muslims from hostels and rented homes, and calls to emulate Israeli military tactics in Kashmir.

Despite the escalating violence and the dangerous role of digital propaganda, no significant intervention has been made by the government or law enforcement to curb the spread of these songs or their messages. The combination of online hate and on-the-ground brutality has raised alarms among civil society groups, warning that the situation could spiral further if unchecked.

By Tamilla Hasanova