In UK, rise of Indian-origin extremist ideologies risks deepening divisions: analysts
UK Home Office report marks Hindutva as ideology of concern, while analysts note ‘very serious’ issue of Sikh separatism fuelling radicalism
A leaked UK Home Office report has, for the first time, identified Indian-origin Hindu nationalist extremism, Hindutva and the Sikh separatist movement as domestic security concerns.
Analysts said the United Kingdom must navigate these ideological tensions carefully, as unchecked extremism risked fuelling further violence and deepening divisions within diaspora communities.
The UK Home Office’s report, commissioned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in August 2024, was recently leaked to the right-leaning Policy Exchange think tank.
The report called Hindu nationalist extremism “an extremist ideology that advocates for Hindu supremacy and seeks to transform India into an ethno-religious Hindu state”.
Hindutva was described as a political movement that “advocates for the hegemony of Indian Hindus and the establishment of a monolithic Hindu Rastra or state in India”.
The report noted: “Tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities in the UK are still evident and the events in Leicester show how disinformation can play a role in offline action.”
