The Intersection of Incel Culture and Hindu Nationalism
Shorthand for “involuntarily celibate,” incel ideology is a violent, misogynist ideology based on the claim that feminism has doomed society, resulting in women only choosing physically attractive men as their sexual partners. Supposedly leaving other men without the access to women’s bodies that incels believe they are entitled to, this has resulted in several incel ideology-motivated attacks across the globe. The 2014 Isla Vista killings were a notable case of these attacks, in which the idolized incel hero, Elliot Rodger, killed six people and injured 14 others as punishment to women for rejecting him and revenge against sexually active men for ‘taking’ available women away from him.
Meanwhile, on another continent, the Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance was passed in India’s state of Uttar Pradesh, prohibiting unlawful religious conversions via marriage. This specifically targets “Love Jihad,” referring to the conspiracy of Muslim men supposedly “stealing” naive Hindu women and converting them to Islam to eventually outnumber the country’s Hindu majority. Far-right Hindu nationalism is also considered a security threat by some, due in part to the movement’s religious fervor and exclusionary narratives, such as its strong views on sex and traditional gender roles.
The Hindu nationalist movement has already begun showcasing risks in terms of women’s security and the “opposing” Muslim community in India by using a combination of incel-style ideology and religious extremism to generate panic about the potential extinction of Hindus. Additionally, this has resulted in cases of violence perpetrated by Hindus against women of their religion as a form of punishment and control for engaging in romantic behavior with a Muslim man. Members of Hindu nationalist youth groups who engage in operations to “tackle” the Love Jihad often consider themselves vigilantes, using violent and coercive tactics to keep Hindu women from pursuing relationships with Muslim men.
The Western world has already seen the violent impact of incel ideology in countries like the United States and Canada. The savior complex of Hindu nationalists, particularly Hindu men, showcases thought processes that exist in the same vein. In both cases, men appear to harbor certain set beliefs about the nature of women and their behavior, considering them shallow, easy to manipulate, and inherently the property of men. Additionally, they share a general paranoia often associated with extremist forms of thinking. Incels possess a fear of never being desirable to women, while Hindu nationalists fear “their” women being “taken” from their homes and converted to Islam. These commonalities are rooted in a sense of entitlement toward women, a paranoia of women being “taken,” and a blatant disregard for the individual freedoms and choices of women. Women’s freedom of choice is necessary for the maintenance of women’s security and safety, as well as the advancement of women’s rights.
There are parallels between the incel Elliott Rodger case and the ethno-nationalist insurrection calls by white supremacists. Both groups express frustration with the current state of affairs and cite their struggles as systemic, caused by the rise of feminism and women’s independence. Incel-like ideology can ingratiate itself with religious or race-based extremism due to this common line of thinking, a phenomenon that has also been demonstrated thus far by the attitudes of Hindu nationalist men towards Hindu women, with a particular focus on Love Jihad.
Men who do not subscribe to the traditional societal ideas of marriage due to lacking skills, education, appearance, or socioeconomic standing are more vulnerable to developing incel-like thought processes. They become more likely to resent women and sexually active men and potentially engage in risky and criminal behavior to “obtain” the women themselves through coercion or violence. Similarly, Hindu men engage in risky, aggressive, and violent behavior to “keep” Hindu women to themselves under the guise of protecting them, which is further fuelled by religious fervor.
The first step to tackling Hindu nationalist misogynist violence is countering online radicalization. The U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center emphasized the importance of early intervention and identifying red flags as measures to prevent extremist incel attacks, stating that countless warning signs can be found via suspected dangerous incels’ digital footprint. For a similar approach to be applied to the case of Hindu nationalism, this would mean strictly enforced nationwide age-based internet restrictions to prevent children from being exposed to extremist content. Social platform moderation is difficult, making it important for social media platforms themselves to step up, recognize the gravity of the issue, and start enforcing strict guidelines against extremist misogynistic speech.
It is crucial for extreme misogyny and disrespect of women’s autonomy to be addressed with the same degree of seriousness as any other form of violent extremism. Although some incel and nationalist activity can be linked to mental illness, this is not a direct cause. Addressing the mental health needs of men across the globe is paramount. Although not a direct solution for ideological violence, it provides a safer space for men to deal with their grievances and grow into individuals who can heal instead of resorting to violence, allowing them to better integrate into society. India’s national government must more seriously allocate resources to mental health research and facilities, particularly ensuring their distribution and accessibility to men.
While forced religious conversion is a serious issue, current domestic laws in India that deal with this problem are deeply divisive. The government would benefit from fine-tuning and amending its laws against forced conversion to ensure that no particular communities are singled out and any false accusations are penalized appropriately. In addition, such laws must ban and penalize vigilante actions like “punishment imposition” by Hindu nationalist men who believe it is their duty to “save” Hindu women by coercing them out of relationships with Muslim men, as well as penalizing physical and psychological violence against women in these cases.
In a globalized world, anyone can find someone who thinks like them and can validate their point of view, generating unique threats to society. Extremists benefit by being able to form forums and groups where their ideologies and various aspects of their identities intersect. Although developed independently of one another and with different reasons for origin, Western incel ideology and Hindu nationalist misogyny share significant commonalities and converge sufficiently in a manner that ought to raise alarm and flag the potential for extremist attacks in India that are similar to those seen in Canada and the United States.
Author: Riddhi Likhe
Managing Editor: Jordan Roberts
Web Editor: Elizabeth Mattson
