DEAFENING music, high-tempo beats, inflammatory lyrics, and crowds swaying to the rhythm are common sights at processions organised by Hindutva groups across the country. People, intoxicated by the arrogance of Hindu supremacy, frequently shout provocative slogans. As the tempo of the music rises, so does the fervor of the crowd; it appears as though the music has completely taken them over. The lyrics accompanying the music begin to dominate both heart and mind. Ordinary people on the street step aside in fear and hesitation, wondering what might happen next; only the organisers know the true intent behind these events.

We have witnessed this scene repeatedly over the past few years during Hindu festivals. Now the songs are travelling beyond the festival space. The 2023 Cricket World Cup, jointly hosted by India, witnessed a song calling for Hindus to ‘slay their enemies’ during a crucial India-Pakistan match. In the swearing in ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis-led ministry of Maharashtra in December 2024, Kanhaiya Mittal performed a Hindutva pop song that asks for temples in place of historic mosques in in Varanasi and Kashi. Mukesh Ambani, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan were present among the audience, looking on. 

Loud music, inflammatory lyrics, intermittent slogan-shouting, and dancing in frenzy are integral parts of these music events. The songs are set to popular tunes and employ colloquial and abusive street language, full of hate against minorities, particularly Muslims. They incite Hindus to protect Sanatan. This hate music is available on social media and audio streaming platforms as well. To amplify their impact, aggressive visuals are used. This genre of hate-filled music is known as "Hindutva Pop" or "H-Pop."

These songs are heard repeatedly, on the streets, in autorickshaws, tempos, and buses, and as mobile ringtones. They become a source of entertainment that is just a click away on the phone. Repeated listening makes one addicted to this music. The songs are not about religion or spirituality, but they solely carry the agenda of Hindutva in simple and punchy, fast lyrics.

TECH COMPANIES PROFITING FROM HATE

Recently a study identified 523 "Hindutva Pop" hate songs across online platforms. This included the following:

§     104 YouTube songs containing explicit violent themes targeting minorities;

§     51 Spotify songs praising or encouraging violence;

§     46 Meta Music Library tracks directly calling for violence;

§     67 Apple Music songs encouraging or glorifying violence against minorities.

These platforms violate their own guidelines to curb hate. In October 2025, 225 songs were officially reported across the four platforms. 92 per cent of these remained live even in May 2026.

YouTube, through its "auto-generation" feature, creates a video, even if there is only a static image. Had YouTube not generated these videos they would not exist at all. Creators receive a share of the company's profits along with the "Super Thanks" contributions ranging from Rs.40 to Rs.10,000, and various monthly subscription tiers from their viewers. Advertisements of 103 brands, including that of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Notebook LM, Amazon Prime, Adobe, Dell, Levi's, Kellogg's, Flipkart, and the Reserve Bank of India were displayed on 83 per cent of the songs inciting violence. Instagram, owned by Meta, had created over 59 lakh reels, and each reel’s reach could span from a few hundred to lakhs, sharing revenue accordingly. In a Facebook Live video, Kanhaiya Mittal was seen travelling in a private jet. He did not say who bore the cost of this journey; instead, he thanked ‘God’. 

Big Tech companies have chosen the side of hate and the ruling right-wing politics of RSS and BJP. This acts as the foundation of hate-filled music, as these artists rely heavily on earnings from social media and royalties from audio streaming platforms. Social media following helps 'H-Pop' stars secure concerts, with payment packages based on the size of their following. Thus, the tech platforms are not only providing the infrastructure to create, disseminate and make immense profit, but they are also helping to shape a global narrative that opposes Palestine and favours the murderous state of Israel which these songs propagate.

Three YouTube channels alone account for 40 per cent of the hate-filled tracks, Sangam Dhun, Mayur Music and Prem Krishnavanshi official. Dharmendra Shukla's and the Sangam Dhun’s Facebook pages reveal that Shukla is a middle-aged politician from Lucknow, who has connections with India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Minister Digambar Kamat, Sanatan Sanstha and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), organisations accused of involvement in the murders of activists Gauri Lankesh, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. His profile identifies him as the National Secretary of 'Rashtriya Yuva Vahini Sangh'.

BJP’S PROPAGANDA WEAPON

There is a whole production team of poets, composers, singers, editors and film makers preparing the contents ready to be streamed on these channels. YouTube is overflowing with these hate music videos. 'Prem Krishnavanshi” who wrote “Insaan nahi ho saalo, ho tum kasaayi; Bahut ho chuka Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai” (-“you are not humans, but slaughterers, enough of this Hindu-Muslim brotherhood!”) was awarded for his music during UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s oath-taking ceremony in 2022. During the UP Assembly elections of 2022, Kanhaiya Mittal, wrote the song "Jo Ram ko laye hain, Hum unko layenge" (-”we will elect those who have brought Ram”). It became an overnight sensation and turned into a caller tune for millions of people. After coming to power again, Adityanath conferred Kanhaiya an award with a prize of Rs.51,000. Kanhaiya returned the prize money, asking the CM to purchase a new bulldozer! Chilling!

The format of BJP's election rallies has changed. Local and state leaders no longer make speeches; instead, H-Pop stars perform. The PM is among their followers. In the run-up to the 2024 elections, Kanhaiya Mittal performed at several of Modi’s rallies. H-Pop singers Kavi Singh and Prem Krishnavanshi performed during Assembly elections, and the live-streaming on these platforms earned them money and followers.

These examples point to a specific pattern that reveals how the music played in remote, under-resourced villages connects with major tech companies based in the US and Europe, linking and delivering global agendas in local contexts.

NEED FOR STRICT GUIDELINES TO CURB HATE

The issue of hatred, directed at other religions or castes, cannot be dismissed as a trivial or marginal matter. History offers grim examples of mass violence fueled by hatred; everyone is aware of Hitler, or the events in Rwanda. In India, too, apart from specific localised riots, the nation has twice been scorched by a storm of hatred - first, after the campaign that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and the subsequent orchestrated riots across the country, a truly nationwide spectacle of hate in the history of independent India. Second, the state-sponsored massacre in Gujarat, an event we witnessed firsthand. Since then, the incidents occurring across the nation and the shifts within society, the economy, the political system, and our institutions reflect a persistent trend of polarisation. There is no single comprehensive law in India that defines or regulates hate speech. The legal framework is scattered across various penal provisions, constitutional principles and regulatory guidelines. The time has come to enact strict laws regarding hate speech. It is also essential to formulate guidelines for cases where hate is being spread but no action is being taken.

The struggle to establish equality instead of the arrogance of dominance, plurality instead of uniformity, collective efforts instead of solitary action, socialist democracy instead of fascism, and human emancipation instead of merely individual liberation, is becoming increasingly difficult. Yet, the path forward lies precisely here. We have to keep a close watch on these reactionary elements in society, continue to speak out about them, and persist in seeking alternatives.