Report indicates rise of Hindu nationalist groups spreading anti-Muslim propaganda in Sri Lanka

Report indicates rise of Hindu nationalist groups spreading anti-Muslim propaganda in Sri Lanka
———————————-
The Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) reports emerging signs of growing influence among Hindu nationalist groups at the grassroots level in Sri Lanka, Maktoob Media reported.

In its study, Contours of Emerging Hate in Sri Lanka, the organization states that new forms of religious fundamentalism and extremism have appeared since the end of the civil war, contributing to rising anti-Muslim and anti-Christian rhetoric. According to the report, ultra-nationalist Sinhala-Buddhist groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena have also fueled anti-Muslim sentiment through coordinated online and offline misinformation campaigns.

CSOH notes that Hindu nationalist groups, including Siva Senai—founded in 2016 in the Northern Province—have mobilized around claims of protecting Hindu heritage from “Sinhalization” and from the perceived spread of Christianity and Islam. Christian leaders in the Northern and Eastern Provinces have similarly reported increased targeting by Hindu groups promoting Hindu nationalism or Hindutva, often with links to right-wing organizations in India.

The report finds that these groups focus on issues such as religious conversion, women’s attire, cattle slaughter, and interfaith marriage, while cultivating transnational networks and attempting to influence electoral behavior. CSOH concludes that their rising visibility reflects a shifting political landscape shaped by the weakening of traditional Tamil and Sinhala nationalist actors.