IN Pajeet: The trend of Dangerous Hate speech online against Indian communities

By Rajan Tiwari
September 10, 2024

Tracing the Origins of “Pajeet”: A Deep Dive Into Hinduphobia in Digital Spaces​

Hate speech targeting Indian communities has escalated in recent years, with the slur “Pajeet” emerging as a prime example of ethno-religious derogation. Originating from a 2015 4chan meme, this term has seen a troubling rise in usage, peaking in 2024.

In the vast expanse of cyberspace, speech flows with minimal restrictions, offering a seemingly ideal playground for the expression of ideas. However, this freedom often leads to the accrual of hate speech, particularly targeting a section of the society. This write up delves into the realm of hate speech directed at Indian communities.

Pajeet: Its Origin as Hinduphobic Slur​

The derogatory term “Pajeet” emerges as a focal point in my analysis, serving as an ethno-religious slur predominantly aimed at Indians, particularly Hindus. Tracing its origins to a 2015 meme on 4chan, this term has since gained traction, reaching its zenith in 2024.

"Pajeet” is actually a far-right slur for Hindus and Sikhs. From its humble beginnings in 2015, the term “Pajeet” has experienced exponential growth, culminating in its peak prevalence in the year 2024.

Where Does The Term ‘Pajeet’ Come From?​

Originating as an invented term, “Pajeet” made its debut in a July 2015 meme on 4chan, a digital forum notorious for its anonymous image postings. This meme emerged as a notable spinoff from the popular “Mehmet, My Son” series, which humorously depicted a Turkish father urging his son to select a partner from either Turkey or the Balkans for marriage.

In the twisted iteration of “Pajeet, My Son,” the comic strip takes a derogatory turn, mocking Indians and India itself, particularly regarding issues of open defecation.

The truth side of the story is that the Government of India started Swachh Bharat Mission programme on the theme of ODF (Open Defecation Free) 10 years before after Narendra Modi came to power. India has made notable progress in sanitation, meeting Sustainable Development Goals through initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission.

Achieving 100% sanitation coverage by 2019 is commendable. The Government of India aims to make India ODF Plus by 2024-25. Hence, it is highly objectionable to tarnish the image of the conuntry in the name of an issue that no longer exists.

The Evolution of Hate Speech: Tracking Patterns and Trends​

Through a meticulous examination of Twitter, Telegram, and Facebook, platforms known for their lax content moderation, we can observe a disturbing surge in hate speech. The term “Pajeet,” often coupled with derogatory language and imagery, proliferates across these platforms, presenting Indians in a degrading light.

The Twitter (presently X) platform serves as a hotbed for hate speech in various forms: text, memes, and videos. What’s particularly disturbing is the accompanying use of Hindu symbols such as the swastika or forehead markings. Hinduphobic terms like “cow piss drinker,” “dung worshipper,” and “kaffir” are liberally deployed, perpetuating stereotypes that depict Indians as backward, dirty, and unintelligent. Furthermore, violent language and imagery intensify the toxicity, while Hindu-specific symbols like tilaks and bindis amplify the hate.

A yearly analysis provides a comprehensive overview of tweet proportions. Notably, in 2024 (Jan-Feb), tweets surged to over 60%, a stark increase compared to 2023 and 2022. Specifically, there were 563 tweets on #Pajeet in 2024, 334 tweets in 2023, and merely 37 tweets in 2022. This trend accentuates a consistent rise in the usage of this term each year.

Maldivian Hate Speech​

Since the election of a new president in the Maldives earlier this year, Mohamed Muizzu, the relationship with New Delhi has experienced a downturn. Observing the turn of these events, “Pajeet” was used by accounts running from Maldives. The term was used the maximum in Jan 2024 surrounding the event and it achieved the peak on 15 Jan 2024.

Besides Twitter and Telegram, Facebook also saw a wave of hate speech for Hindus and Indians.

Understanding the distinction between humour and hate is crucial.

However, when this line blurs, it fosters the emergence of hate speech. The propagation of hate speech, disguised under the veil of humor, has normalized extremist ideologies and attracted individuals who might otherwise reject overt expressions of hate.

Rajan Tiwari is an academic and an ex-journalist. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science & IT at Jharkhand Rai University in Ranchi, Jharkhand. With over 15 years of experience in college teaching, he has made significant contributions to higher education. Earlier, he worked for 9 years as a journalist too. Contact email: trajan20 @ gmail.com.

Source (Archive)

 

[Sparkletor 2.0]

"Saars, Indians do not shit in street! Is a falsity! In fact Indian government enacted a countrywide program to end open defecation, so problem does not exist!"

America has drug programs, drugs still exist. America has gun buy back programs, guns still exist. I think that if your country has such a street shitting epidemic that the government has to implement programs to end street shitting, it may just be something that doesn't disappear overnight.

 

[marvlouslie]

If a negative stereotype becomes so intrinsically tied to your culture, and you get mad about people pointing out how often Indians shit in the street openly, then you deserve to be mocked for it.

 

[Otterly]

We’ve got an office in India. I’ve been to it. It’s a gleaming skyscraper, and right next to it is a slum, with literal piles of garbage. On garbage are cows, eating the garbage, and wandering around in the appalling traffic and children living in appalling conditions. Breathing the air is like inhaling concrete dust mixed with smog. I coughed for a week after I cough back and it was black slime.
I was told to not leave the hotel alone. I didn’t need telling, and I hope I never have to go back.
Everyone was very nice to me, but the juxtaposition of that massive gleaming skyscraper and the hungry kids and the cow on the pile of rubbish, that will stick with me.

 

[Cybertonia]

We’ve got an office in India. I’ve been to it. It’s a gleaming skyscraper, and right next to it is a slum, with literal piles of garbage. On garbage are cows, eating the garbage, and wandering around in the appalling traffic and children living in appalling conditions. Breathing the air is like inhaling concrete dust mixed with smog. I coughed for a week after I cough back and it was black slime.
I was told to not leave the hotel alone. I didn’t need telling, and I hope I never have to go back.
Everyone was very nice to me, but the juxtaposition of that massive gleaming skyscraper and the hungry kids and the cow on the pile of rubbish, that will stick with me.

I actually resigned from a job one time because they wanted to send me on a 2 week onsite to Hyderabad.

 

[Male Idiot]

Saaar no do not redeem Pajeet, we do not streetshit nawt true benchod bloody! -Pajeet before shitting on the street.

 

[Return of the Freaker]

Bloody white banchood bitch bastard! Yuo are filthy defecating in house but we are clean hindu saar! It is cleanliness to shit as far from house as possible!

I love how the jeet is unable to comprehend plumbing or adapt beyond premodern life in small villages or farmsteads

 

[A Hot Cheese Sandwich]

To be fair would you want an Indian boss?

You wouldn’t believe how giddy those fuckers get when they can throw a white guy under the bus instead of their fellow street shitter.

They would do the same to them too in an instant, but they can do that anytime they want, they just gotta find one a shade darker and decide his breath smells bad.

 

[IAmNotAlpharius]

Indians are more annoying because they try to scam us, are prideful pricks in customer service calls (Filipinos are better), and they’re extremely arrogant at the same time.

This term falsely categorizes all Indians as Hindu, but wokesters failing to understand the people and culture they are defending is par for the course.

That’s part of India’s problem is that they have a lot of people that hate each other.

 

[TowinKarz]

"Why are the peasants so uppity against people we've unfairly elevated above them?"

"No matter, the obvious discontent they react with only shows we made the right choice!"

"The Modern World (tm) has no room for such angry losers!"

 

[Nitro!]

There is no room in civilized society for the Indian.

 

[Jinn in the phone]

My favorite part of these kinds of articles is how granular and esoterically pajeet they try to make it. Oh saar they make fun of Bindu and Holy Goddess! Hinduphobic, Hindu khatre mein! Bloody bitch bastard Pakistani terrorist defaming India and 6 gorrilion year old culture!!!

Like no 90% of all jeet hate makes no discrimination between muslim jeets, heathen jeets, swamp jeets etc. White people do not care, you are all the same. Only germans are obsessed with studying different types of poo

 

[DoomsdayElite]

Have you taken a look recently at the glorified landfill/latrine pit that passes for your country, SAAR? Or the general conduct of Indians in the West, SAAR? You know, how they're a bit rapey wherever they go? Trust me, the "hate" is long overdue and entirely deserved.

I rest my case.

 

[That Guy Who Likes The Chili]

it is highly objectionable to tarnish the image of the conuntry in the name of an issue that no longer exists.

Oh? Do go on.

 

[browserbowser]

Hinduphobia

We need to remove them by force.

 

[SCV]

Yeah that's cool. So anyway the tech-bug-hive I work in has signs on the inside of the bathroom stalls to remind the pajeets to flush used toilet paper instead of putting it in the trash can.

 

[neverendingmidi]

Achieving 100% sanitation coverage by 2019 is commendable. The Government of India aims to make India ODF Plus by 2024-25. Hence, it is highly objectionable to tarnish the image of the conuntry in the name of an issue that no longer exists.

Apparently spellcheck also does not exist.

Plus, we don’t JUST make fun of them for streetshitting, there’s also the call center scammers and sex pests to make fun of as well.

 

[KiwiFuzz2]

"Saaaaaar, do not refer to me with a bad name like I am a filthy untouchable! I am not shitting in the street most days as my family has a very good outhouse that has been in use for 175 years and it only overflows during a particularly wet monsoon season! You will find it right outside the back door next to our very fine well! Now won't you come in and have tea with us?"

 

[mihaero]

When it's gotten bad enough that Canadians are responding to 51st state comments with "You know, it's got to be better than this, come on up" you know just how bad the Jeet is.


It's actually wild just how many fictional things they track with. Nurgle worshippers, Skaven, it's like if there's a fictional race or sect or religion that's all about filth, disgusting behavior, rape, while being individually pathetic, it's a fit for the Jeet.

Fun fact: gypsies originated from jeets.

 

[behavioral swamp thang]

Cholera traces back to the ganges river

 

[The Dude]

The Pajeets can bitch and whine all they want about how they're just as civilized and modern as any other culture, but no other modern country needed to have their government run a social campaign urging their citizens to use toilets instead of shitting outside in front of God and everybody. There are literal third-world nations, such as those in Africa, who didn't need "Poo in the Loo" ads. Think about that for a minute. The Indians are so backwards and uncivilized that Africans figured out indoor plumbing and proper toilet use before the Pajeets.