Lost in Translation? Applying the Hate Crime Concept to an Indian Context

Hate crime is increasingly a familiar term within the domains of scholarship, policy andactivism as the harms associated with acts of targeted hostility continue to pose complex,global challenges. However, an exclusively Western-centric focus has done little to fostertransnational conversations or to shape conceptual or legal frameworks in parts of the worldwhere the challenges posed by hate and prejudice remain under-explored despite theirdevastating consequences. This article considers how the complexities and specificities of theIndian context disrupt the dominant assumptions of conventional hate crime frameworks. Indoing so, it highlights the value of extending conventional Westernised models of thinking todifferent environments with different sets of challenges. Through its analysis of caste crimesand the factors which reinforce a prevailing institutional and cultural backdrop of politicalindifference, bureaucratic resistance and public scepticism, the article illustrates why and howkey elements of the Western framework remain ill-suited to the Indian context. The authorscall instead for a creative translation of the hate crime concept which accommodates thenature of violence within specific social contexts, and which emphasises the institutionalfeatures  that can  mitigate the limitations  of   state capacity and intent. The process  oftranslation has value in harnessing the benefits of the hate crime concept within countrieswhich lack a common framework to foster shared understanding and prioritisation in relationto  tackling  contemporary   expressions   of   hate.   At   the   same   time   this   process   enrichesprevailing thinking, dismantles stereotypes and challenges scholars of targeted violence tofamiliarise themselves with the unfamiliar.