As I write this on April 2, 2025, looking back at the last 12 months of Indian Twitter (now X), it’s clear that the platform has been a chaotic mirror reflecting the nation’s deepening social and political divides. For someone reading this 25 years from now, in 2050, this blog aims to capture the pulse of a turbulent time—particularly the festering influence of right-wing ideologies that many argue are rotting India from within. These trends, fueled by hyper-aggressive nationalism and polarization, dominated discourse and revealed a society grappling with identity, governance, and dissent. Here’s a rundown of the key issues that trended and what they say about the state of India.
1. The Hindu-Muslim Divide: A Widening Chasm
One of the most persistent themes on Indian X over the past year has been the escalating Hindu-Muslim divide. Hashtags like #HinduRashtra and #LoveJihad trended repeatedly, often tied to inflammatory incidents—real or fabricated—that right-wing voices amplified to stoke communal tensions. Posts on X frequently highlighted mob lynchings, alleged "forced conversions," and debates over mosque surveys (e.g., the Gyanvapi case), with right-wing accounts framing Muslims as perpetual outsiders. The BJP’s IT Cell and its supporters were accused of orchestrating these narratives, pushing a vision of India as a Hindu-only nation. Critics, meanwhile, pointed to this as evidence of a "right-wing rot"—a systematic erosion of India’s secular fabric, replaced by a majoritarian agenda that thrives on fear and division.
2. Electoral Manipulation and Vote-Buying
The 2024 general elections and subsequent state polls kept X buzzing with accusations of electoral malpractice. #EVMHacking and #DemocracyUnderThreat trended as opposition voices claimed the BJP was more focused on "buying votes than earning them." Right-wing supporters countered with #ModiKiGuarantee, celebrating cash handouts and populist schemes as governance triumphs. The discourse revealed a growing cynicism: many posts suggested the ruling party’s reliance on freebies and media control signaled a hollowing out of democratic principles. For future readers, this might mark a turning point where electoral integrity became a casualty of right-wing dominance, prioritizing power over accountability.
3. Freedom of Speech Under Siege
Censorship and the silencing of dissent were hot topics, with #TwitterCensorship and #FoE (Freedom of Expression) spiking whenever the government clashed with X. In early 2025, the platform faced pressure to block accounts critical of the BJP, echoing a 2023 incident where over 120 accounts, including journalists and activists, were withheld. Right-wing users cheered these moves, branding critics as "anti-national," while others decried a "fascist rot" choking free speech. The trend underscored a paradox: a government championing "Digital India" yet cracking down on digital dissent, leaving X as both a battleground and a barometer of shrinking liberties.
4. The Collapse of Trustworthy Media
The term "Godi Media" (lapdog media) trended incessantly, reflecting widespread frustration with mainstream news outlets perceived as BJP mouthpieces. Channels like Republic Bharat and Times Now faced accusations of peddling fake news—think doctored videos of protests or exaggerated claims about opposition leaders. X users lamented the "death of journalism," with #Presstitute and #MediaBias highlighting a right-wing ecosystem that drowns out facts with propaganda. This rot, as critics saw it, wasn’t just bias but a deliberate dismantling of an informed public, replaced by a narrative machine serving the ruling elite.
5. Judicial Delays and Political Overreach
The slow pace of India’s judiciary became a lightning rod on X, with #JusticeDelayed trending alongside cases like the Delhi riots or wrestlers’ protests against BJP MP Brij Bhushan. Right-wing accounts often defended delays when they favored their side, while others pointed to political interference as proof of institutional decay. The perception grew that the courts, once a check on power, were buckling under right-wing pressure—another sign of systemic rot that future generations might see as a tipping point in India’s democratic decline.
The Right-Wing Rot: What It Means
Reading this in 2050, you might wonder how this "rot" took hold. On X, it manifested as a toxic blend of hyper-nationalism, communalism, and authoritarian tendencies, often traced to the BJP’s dominance since 2014. The party’s IT Cell, rumored to employ thousands, flooded the platform with coordinated hashtags and trolls, drowning out dissent with abuse and misinformation. This wasn’t just politics—it was a cultural shift, where questioning the government became "treason," and diversity was recast as a threat. The rot harmed India by polarizing communities, undermining institutions, and normalizing aggression over dialogue.
Looking Ahead
In 25 years, you’ll have the hindsight to judge if this was a phase or a permanent scar. Back in 2024-2025, X was a raw, unfiltered lens: a place where right-wing voices roared loudest, but where resistance—however battered—still flickered. The trends I’ve outlined weren’t just noise; they were symptoms of a nation at a crossroads, wrestling with its soul. If the rot prevailed, India might look very different by your time. If it didn’t, these posts might be a relic of a storm we weathered. Either way, this was our reality—messy, loud, and impossible to ignore.
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