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Majoritarian politics and hate crimes against religious minorities: Evidence from India, 2009–2018

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  • Basu, Deepankar

Abstract

Did the unprecedented victory of the right-wing, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 national elections in India increase hate crimes against religious minorities? I investigate this question using a difference-in-difference methodology and a novel state-level panel data set for the period 2009–18. To provide context, I offer a brief historical account of Hindu nationalism and a descriptive account of anti-minority hate crimes in India between 2009 and 2018. Turning to the econometric analysis, I estimate a binary treatment regression model (states where BJP won the largest plurality of votes in the 2014 national elections form the treatment group). My results show that BJP’s electoral victory in 2014 caused an increase in the incidence of hate crimes against religious minorities, especially Muslims. I test for robustness of my results by using two falsification tests and a count data model specification. I account for possible omitted variable bias and compute bias-adjusted treatment effects. I conclude that unobserved confounders are unlikely to nullify the results.

Suggested Citation

  • Basu, Deepankar, 2021. "Majoritarian politics and hate crimes against religious minorities: Evidence from India, 2009–2018," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:146:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x21001522
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105540
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Anirban Mitra & Debraj Ray, 2014. "Implications of an Economic Theory of Conflict: Hindu-Muslim Violence in India," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 122(4), pages 719-765.
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    8. Iyer, Sriya & Shrivastava, Anand, 2018. "Religious riots and electoral politics in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 104-122.
    9. Deepankar Basu, 2021. "Bias-Adjusted Treatment Effects Under Equal Selection," UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers 2021-05, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics.
    10. Hobbs, William & Lajevardi, Nazita, 2019. "Effects of Divisive Political Campaigns on the Day-to-Day Segregation of Arab and Muslim Americans," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 113(1), pages 270-276, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ghosh, Sugata & Mitra, Anirban, 2022. "Ethnic identities, public spending and political regimes," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 256-279.

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