Kamal Ghorui
LONDON: British MP Bob Blackman has described research by an independent non-profit research organisation in the US, which found that anti-Indian rhetoric surged online last year, as “deeply concerning”.Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), which specialises in tracking extremism and misinformation on social media, found that anti-Indian rhetoric on X tripled in 2025, with over 24,000 tweets viewed more than 300 million times. It found that every major H-1B policy announcement in the US triggered a spike in slurs and scapegoating of Indian immigrants.Debate over visas frequently shifted into conspiracy theories suggesting that Indians are acting as a coordinated group seeking to displace Americans in the workforce. Indians make up the largest share of H-1B beneficiaries.Abusive posts described Indians as “cow piss”, “curry”, “economic replacers”, and “invaders”, or resorted to scam call centre stereotypical tropes.Usha Vance also faced racist abuse.Blackman, who represents Harrow East, where Hindus were recently attacked celebrating Holi, said of the report: “This is a coordinated campaign driven by a small number of accounts deliberately targeting the Indian community, its culture, and its contribution to public life. It is racism, plain and simple. The Indian diaspora here in Harrow, across the UK, and the world, makes an extraordinary contribution to our societies. That contribution deserves celebration. I will always stand against any form of discrimination targeting our Indian community.”The report, titled ‘From Policy Drift to Purity Grift: How A Small Network Hijacked the Immigration Debate”, said the announcement in Sept 2025 of a temporary $100,000 application fee for employers hiring H-1B workers, and visa restrictions being imposed on owners of travel agencies in India accused of facilitating illegal immigration to the US, acted as triggers for anti-Indian hostility online.These announcements “corresponded with measurable surges in ethnic generalisation, slurs and deportation rhetoric directed at Indians as a group”.The abuse also moved offline with harassment at Hindu temples.The report warned that “large surges in ethnic antagonism online often presage violence against the targeted groups” and called on platforms to take more action and for awareness to be raised within law enforcement.
