Study: Surge In Anti-Indian Rhetoric On X After Krishnan Appt., Ramaswamy Tweet

India-West Staff Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC – A new report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), titled “Anti-Indian Hate on X: How the Platform Amplifies Racism and Xenophobia,” has revealed a disturbing rise in anti-Indian racism and xenophobia on X (formerly Twitter). According to the report, this surge was triggered by the appointment of Indian-origin technologist Sriram Krishnan as an adviser to the incoming Trump administration on Artificial Intelligence.

The report states that the backlash intensified after a December 26 post on X by Vivek Ramaswamy, who criticized “normal” American culture compared to that of “foreign-born” engineers, calling the former “mediocre.” Ramaswamy’s post reportedly sparked a wave of online hostility. Ramaswamy, alongside Elon Musk, was recently appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with reducing government waste.

The report adds that Krishnan’s advocacy for easing immigration reforms for skilled workers on H-1B visas further inflamed the situation.

According to the CSOH, the backlash unfolded between December 22, 2024, and January 3, 2025, with widespread dissemination of hateful, racist, and xenophobic content on X. The report highlights that the attacks targeted not only Hindus of Indian origin but also Sikh community members and others perceived as being of Indian descent.

Key Findings from the Report

The CSOH analyzed 128 posts targeting individuals of Indian descent in Western contexts, which collectively garnered 138.54 million views on X. Thirty-six of these posts received over one million views each, with 12 posts explicitly framing Indians as a “demographic threat to white America.”

The report also found:

• 85 accounts were responsible for the documented posts, 64 of which were X Premium subscribers displaying blue verification badges.
• 125 posts remained active as of January 3, 2025, despite violating X’s policies on hateful conduct, which include incitement, slurs, dehumanization, and spreading harmful stereotypes.
• Only one account out of the 85 documented had been suspended.

Themes and Tropes

The report said the campaign relied on longstanding stereotypes against immigrants and individuals of Indian origin. These included portraying Indians as “job thieves,” abusers of the H-1B visa system, and contributors to a perceived demographic threat. Posts also employed dehumanizing tropes, describing Indians as “unhygienic,” “uncivilized,” and “inherently inferior.”

The campaign, the report noted, included personal attacks and doxing of Indian team members and their families associated with Trump’s administration.

Recommendations

“X has become a free-for-all cesspit of hatred that disproportionately harms minorities,” the report stated. It criticized X’s justification of free speech, emphasizing that the platform’s inaction enables systematic targeting of specific groups, potentially exposing them to physical risks.

The CSOH called for stricter policy enforcement, proactive monitoring, and engagement with stakeholders to address the proliferation of anti-Indian hate on the platform.