The Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit think tank, has launched “Decoding Hate”, a searchable database documenting coded language, slurs, conspiracy theories, slogans and harmful narratives used by far-right groups in India and the Indian diaspora against minorities and critics.
Announcing the initiative, CSOH said, “We launched our Decoding Hate Project, a searchable database of dangerous terms, conspiracy theories, slogans, and coded language used by the far right in India and the diaspora against minorities and critics.”
According to the organisation, the database has been developed as a resource for researchers, journalists, educators, policymakers, civil society organisations, technology platforms and social media users to help identify harmful language and understand its impact.
Database Aims to Document Harmful Narratives
CSOH described Decoding Hate as a living database of coded terms, slogans and narratives used to target vulnerable communities. The organisation said the project seeks to document language that is often overlooked by automated moderation systems despite being linked to discrimination, dehumanisation and incitement.
“Their danger lies precisely in their seeming normalcy — the way they evade detection through coded language and ambiguous framing,” the organisation said, adding that many such expressions appear harmless but are frequently used to vilify entire communities.
The think tank said the resource is intended to support efforts to monitor and respond to organised harmful speech both online and offline.
Focus on India and the Global Indian Diaspora
CSOH said the project examines the evolution of harmful speech in India and among Indian diaspora communities over the past decade.
The organisation said the documented vocabulary includes dangerous speech, religious slurs, conspiratorial labels and coded expressions targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.
It also argued that such language has spread beyond India through diaspora networks in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, where similar narratives have appeared in political campaigns, digital spaces and community debates.
According to the report, harmful terms originating in India are often adapted and reused internationally, while narratives from overseas are also reintroduced into Indian discourse.
Calls for Better Content Moderation
CSOH said the database could help social media companies strengthen content moderation by identifying terms that are frequently missed by automated systems.
The organisation noted that platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Reddit and TikTok have become major channels for the spread of harmful speech.
It argued that the database could also assist governments, regulators, researchers and civil society groups in tracking narratives that promote hostility and discrimination.
Describing harmful speech as a growing social challenge, CSOH said documenting and defining such language is essential to developing preventive strategies and protecting vulnerable communities.
The organisation added that Decoding Hate is intended to remain a “living framework” that will continue to evolve as new terms, slogans and coded expressions emerge in online and political discourse.
