Introduction
In the landscape of global perceptions, India has long occupied a paradoxical position. On one hand, it is celebrated for its ancient spiritual heritage, vibrant cultural exports like Bollywood and yoga, and its burgeoning role as an economic powerhouse with a diaspora that has achieved remarkable success in fields such as technology and medicine. On the other hand, particularly from 2023 to 2025, there has been a marked escalation in anti-Indian sentiment, often manifesting as outright hate or subtle biases. This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as “Indophobia,” has gained traction in online spaces, media narratives, and even real-world incidents, fueled by a confluence of factors including immigration debates, online behavior, and deeply entrenched stereotypes.
The current date, December 25, 2025, marks a poignant moment to reflect on this issue, as the festive season—encompassing Christmas globally and ongoing celebrations in India—highlights both cultural vibrancy and the environmental fallout from such events. Recent reports indicate that this sentiment is not merely anecdotal but backed by data: online slurs targeting Indians surged by over 1,300% on platforms like 4chan and X (formerly Twitter) between 2024 and 2025, according to the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH). Hate crimes against South Asians, predominantly Indians, increased by 220% in Canada from 2019 to 2023, with trends continuing into 2025. Globally, perceptions have shifted, with a 2025 Pew Research Center survey revealing a median favorability of 47% toward India across 24 countries, down from previous years in several key nations like Australia and South Korea.
Table of Contents
This expanded analysis delves deeper into the roots of this rising tide, incorporating new dimensions that contribute to negative stereotypes. Beyond traditional factors like the Great Replacement Theory and online disinformation, everyday civic behaviors in India—such as disruptive festival celebrations on public roads, poor civic sense leading to littering and garbage dumping, bathing with soap in rivers and canals causing pollution, and religious processions that block traffic—play a significant role in shaping international views. These actions, often captured in viral videos and shared globally, reinforce dehumanizing tropes, including the infamous “Pajeet” slur, which associates Indians with uncleanliness, disorder, and environmental disregard.
Drawing on recent evidence from 2024-2025, including reports from environmental organizations, social media analyses, and international media, this article examines how these behaviors exacerbate anti-Indian hate. For instance, a 2025 World Bank report estimates that poor waste management in India costs nearly $13 billion annually in environmental degradation, much of it linked to public littering and festival-related pollution. Similarly, Social Media posts from 2025 highlight global frustration, with users decrying “filth and noise” as synonymous with Indian public spaces. By exploring these elements in detail.
Historical Context of India’s Global Image
India’s international reputation has undergone several transformations since independence in 1947. Initially, the nation was viewed through the lens of its anti-colonial struggle, epitomized by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and satyagraha. This “soft power” extended into the Cold War era, where India’s non-aligned stance positioned it as a moral leader in the developing world. Cultural icons like Buddha, yoga, and Bollywood films further burnished this image in the late 20th century, with global audiences associating India with spirituality, diversity, and artistic expression.
The economic liberalization of the 1990s marked a shift, portraying India as an emerging tech hub. The Indian diaspora, now numbering over 35 million, played a pivotal role, with success stories in Silicon Valley reinforcing the “model minority” stereotype in the West. However, this positive narrative began to erode in the 2010s amid rising domestic issues like religious polarization and environmental degradation. By 2024-2025, global perceptions have darkened further, influenced by viral incidents of civic lapses.
Historically, stereotypes of India as “dirty” or “chaotic” trace back to colonial times, when British narratives emphasized unhygienic practices to justify rule. Post-independence, these persisted in Western media, but modern amplifiers include social media. For example, a 2025 Social media with millions of likes highlighted Indians’ expectation of “world-class cities and clean rivers” while contributing to littering and pollution. This duality—clean homes versus dirty streets—stems from caste and class hierarchies, where public spaces are seen as “someone else’s responsibility.”
In 2025, festivals like Diwali and Chhath Puja have drawn international scrutiny for their environmental impact. Diwali fireworks in New Delhi pushed air quality to “hazardous” levels, with CNN reporting a sharp deterioration post-celebrations. Similarly, religious processions during led to 25 incidents of violence and vandalism, per reports, fueling perceptions of disorder. These historical threads intertwine with contemporary behaviors, perpetuating biases that now intersect with global issues like immigration and climate change.
Evidence of Rising Anti-Indian Hate (2024-2025) (Expanded)
The surge in anti-Indian sentiment is quantifiable and multifaceted, spanning online platforms, hate crimes, and public opinion polls. In 2024-2025, the CSOH documented 128 hateful posts on social media garnering 138 million views, many targeting Indian-Americans in U.S. politics. Stop AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Hate reported a 75% increase in online harassment against South Asians post-2024 U.S. elections.
Real-world manifestations include a 143% rise in hate crimes against South Asians in Canada from 2019-2022, extending into 2025 with temple vandalism. In New Zealand, a Sikh procession was disrupted in December 2025 by protesters chanting “This is not India,” highlighting anti-Indian racism. In Australia and the U.S., attacks on Indian students spiked, often linked to stereotypes of “uncleanliness” amplified by viral videos of littering and pollution.
Social media searches reveal pervasive negativity: A 2025 post with thousands likes lamented Indians’ “mass scale disdain for basic manners, littering, being noisy.” Another, with thousand of likes, listed behaviors like “spitting on the road” and “throwing garbage anywhere” as emblematic of poor civic sense. Environmental protests in Delhi, like the November 2025 India Gate rally against air pollution, were marred by accusations of anti-nationalism, further polarizing views.
Pew’s 2025 survey shows favorability at 47% median, with declines in Europe and the Middle East attributed to perceptions of chaos from festivals and pollution. A Hindustan Times video of post-Diwali trash in Delhi sparked global discussions on civic responsibility, with 2025 views exceeding millions. These evidences underscore how civic behaviors feed into broader hate narratives.
Key Contributing Factors (Expanded with New Sections)
The rise in anti-Indian hate is not monolithic but arises from interconnected factors. While immigration and online disinformation are prominent, civic behaviors in India—captured and disseminated globally—exacerbate stereotypes. Below, we expand on these, drawing from 2025 reports.
1. Immigration and H-1B Backlash
Indians hold 70-72% of U.S. H-1B visas, fueling resentment amid 2025 reforms like $100,000 fees. Far-right figures label Indians “invaders,” tying into Great Replacement fears.
2. Indian Online Behavior and “Hate Factory”
India’s role in spreading pro-Israel content during the 2023-2025 Gaza conflict alienated Arab nations. Domestic hate speech rose 74% in 2024.
3. Festival Celebrations on Roads: Disruptions and Noise Pollution
Indian festivals, while culturally rich, often disrupt public life, contributing to global views of disorder. In 2025, Diwali noise levels in Pune spiked to 97 dB, exceeding limits and causing health issues like stress and hearing loss. The Hindu reported urban noise as a “neglected crisis,” with festivals amplifying pollution.
Road celebrations block traffic, as seen in 2025 Diwali processions in Noida, where waste and clogged sewers dampened spirits. Globally, CNN linked Diwali fireworks to New Delhi’s “hazardous” air, reinforcing uncleanliness stereotypes. SM posts criticize “poop festivals,” linking celebrations to environmental neglect. A MDPI study compared Diwali pollution to global events, noting overuse of firecrackers.
These disruptions, often without permits, highlight poor planning. In 2025, ETV Bharat noted Diwali’s hidden noise impact on mental health, with conversations focusing on air but ignoring psychological effects. International tourists share videos of chaotic streets, perpetuating chaos narratives. The Indian Express reported 25 years of noise monitoring during Ganesh festivals, showing persistent violations. This behavior, when viral, fuels Indophobia, as seen in U.S. groups calling Diwali “garbage.”
4. Poor Civic Sense: A General Overview
Poor civic sense—encompassing disregard for public spaces—is a core driver of negative perceptions. A 2025 Global Villager report detailed littering, chaotic queues, and waste dumping, backed by statistics showing 90% of urban waste mismanaged. Countercurrents.org linked this to casteism, where cleaning is “beneath” higher classes.
SM users echo this: A post with Thousands of likes listed spitting, littering, and loud talking as hallmarks of Indian behavior. Another with many thousands of likes attributed it to caste hierarchies, noting “picking up trash is someone else’s job.” Times of India explored “clean homes, dirty streets,” blaming education gaps and enforcement.
In 2025, viral videos—like a man dumping trash into the ocean—sparked outrage, highlighting apathy. Reddit threads questioned why India remains “trashing its cities” in 2025. This sense extends to tourism, where unhygienic food and harassment deter visitors, as per a 2025 SM reel. Globally, it reinforces “dirty India” tropes, with NDTV reporting “zero civic sense” at hill stations.
5. Throwing Garbage on Roadsides: Environmental and Visual Impact
Littering is rampant, with open garbage dumps and roadside trash symbolizing neglect. A 2025 Arterial report noted poor waste management costs $13 billion yearly, driven by habits like dumping in neighbors’ lanes. MediaIndia.eu described it as a “national habit,” with people disposing waste on streets despite systems.
SM posts decry this: One with thousands of likes called India “synonymous with being dirty” due to littering beaches and parks. Another with few thousands of likes listed “throwing garbage anywhere” alongside spitting. Viral videos, like post-Diwali trash in Delhi, sparked civic discussions. Instagram rants highlighted frustration with trash and poor behavior.
Environmental fallout includes toxic air from open burning, per Countercurrents. Globally, tourists’ videos amplify this, tying into hygiene stereotypes. A Facebook post blamed poverty but noted systemic inefficiency.
6. Bathing with Soap in Rivers and Canals: Pollution and Hygiene Stereotypes
Ritual bathing in polluted rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna reinforces uncleanliness tropes. During Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, 450 million pilgrims bathed despite concerns over water quality, introducing soap and organic pollutants in foreign rivers n pools. CNN reported 600 million devotees ignoring pollution warnings.
A 2025 IJIRL(Indian Journal of Integrated Research in Law) detailed how bathing worsens Ganges pollution during festivals. DW highlighted environmental challenges at Kumbh, with waste management failing. Yamuna’s toxic foam in 2024-2025, per Euronews, put millions at risk during rituals. Phys.org noted devotees ignoring court warnings against bathing in sewage-filled waters.
Globally, this fuels “dirty India” narratives, with News.com.au describing stinking foam during Hindu baths. SM posts link it to broader pollution, amplifying stereotypes. World Economic Forum called for industrial action on river cleanup.
7. Religious Processions on Roads: Traffic Blockages and Global Criticism
Processions often block roads, causing disruptions. In 2025, Sikh processions in New Zealand were disrupted by protesters, highlighting diaspora tensions. In India, Muharram processions led to violence, per VSK Telangana.
Global criticism includes Bengali protests against Bangladesh lynchings blocking borders. In Israel, ultra-Orthodox protests blocked highways, but Indian parallels draw scrutiny. SM posts criticize “street power” assertions during festivals. Tribune India reported outrage over Auckland disruptions.
These events, when internationalized, contribute to perceptions of India as chaotic, intersecting with hate narratives.
8. Far-Right Narratives and Great Replacement Theory
GRT( Great Replacement Theory) originating from Renaud Camus’ 2011 book, now targets Indians via migration. The 1973 novel The Camp of the Saints resurged in 2024-2025, depicting Indian “invasions.” Far-right figures like Laura Loomer amplify this.
The Great Replacement Theory”
“The Great Replacement Theory” is a debunked, far-right, white nationalist conspiracy theory which falsely claims that white populations in Western countries are being deliberately replaced by non-white immigrants, typically from Muslim-majority countries, through a coordinated plot orchestrated by liberal or global elites. Proponents of the theory often cite declining white birth rates and mass migration as evidence of an orchestrated “white genocide” or “genocide by substitution” and use apocalyptic rhetoric, such as “invasion,” to describe immigration. This xenophobic and often antisemitic ideology, popularized by French author Renaud Camus in his 2011 book Le Grand Remplacement, has motivated several far-right terrorist attacks and mass shootings in recent years.
The Camp of the Saints
The Camp of the Saints is a controversial 1973 French dystopian novel by Jean Raspail that serves as a foundational text for the “Great Replacement” theory and is widely revered by white supremacists and anti-immigrant groups. The novel depicts an apocalyptic scenario where a “horde” of one million impoverished Indian migrants sails to France in a dilapidated armada, and upon their arrival, the West is paralyzed by a sense of moral guilt and an inability to defend its borders, leading to the rapid and violent collapse of Western civilization. Raspail’s work, which portrays non-white characters in a dehumanizing and racist manner, functions as a polemical allegory that frames mass migration as an existential threat and a “conquest” that the West is too weak to resist.
The “Pajeet” Slur: Origin, Meaning, and Amplification
“Pajeet,” emerging on 4chan in 2015, mocks Indians with hygiene and scam stereotypes. Usage spiked in 2025, with 26,600 slurs in Canada. Behaviors like littering and river pollution directly feed this, as seen in SM posts calling festivals “poop festivals.” The 2024 documentary “India: The Worst Country on Earth” dehumanizes Indians similarly.
Global Perceptions and Stereotypes
SM analyses show stereotypes tied to civic lapses: Posts with thousands of likes decry filth, noise, and pollution. A 2025 post noted diaspora embarrassment from disruptive celebrations. International media like Action News Jax highlights unreliable pollution data masking crises.
Consequences and Outlook
This “feedback loop” risks diaspora safety and India’s economy. Reversing requires education, enforcement, and diplomacy. Positive diaspora advocacy could help, but 2025 trends suggest escalation without action.
References and Sources
- Pew Research Center (2025): Views of India.
- CSOH Reports (2025): Anti-Indian Racism.
- Global Villager (2025): Civic Sense in India.
- Times of India (2025): Civic Woes in Noida.
- Carbon Copy (2025): Protests at India Gate.
- Instagram Reel (2025): World-Class Cities.
- Logical Indian (2025): Dumping Trash Video.
- Action News Jax (2025): Unreliable Pollution Data.
- NDTV (2025): Zero Civic Sense.
- Facebook (2025): Yamuna Foam.
- Print (2025): Verma on Civic Failures.
- Hindustan Times (2025): Diwali Trash Video.
- ALM (2025): Festivals of Disruption.
- CNN (2025): Delhi Air Quality.
- Times of India (2025): Louder Diwali.
- Hindustan Times (2025): Noise Spike.
- Yahoo (2025): Hazardous Alert.
- NEXT IAS (2025): Noise Pollution.
- Indian Express (2025): Noise Monitoring.
- ETV Bharat (2025): Diwali Noise Impact.
- MDPI (2025): Festive Pollution Study.
- The Hindu (2025): Noise Policy.
- Down to Earth (2025): Kumbh Dip Safety.
- CNN (2025): Kumbh Dip.
- IJIRL (2025): Ganges Pollution PDF.
- DW (2025): Kumbh Challenges.
- Living on Earth (2024): Sacred River Polluted.
- WEF (2025): River Crisis.
- Phys.org (2024): Hindus Bathe in Polluted River.
- News.com.au (2024): Stinks but OK.
- Euronews (2024): Toxic Foam.
- Harvard RPL (Ongoing): Pollution and River.
- Times of India (2025): Clean Homes Dirty Streets.
- Arterial (2025): Great Indian Disconnect.
- Facebook (2025): Lack of Civic Sense Poverty.
- Countercurrents (2024): Lack of Civic Sense.
- Instagram (2025): Tourist Plastic Waste.
- Global Villager (2025): Civic Sense Loss.
- Instagram (2025): Lack of Civic Sense Poverty.
- Instagram (2025): Frustrated by Trash.
- Reddit (2025): Trashing Cities.
- MediaIndia (2025): Civic Sense Habit.
- Times of India (2025): Sikh Leader Condemns.
- Tribune India (2025): Outrage Protesters.
- MSN (2025): Not India Disruption.
- Hindustan Times (2025): Sikh Parade Heckled.
- Logical Indian (2025): Haka Warriors.
- The Hindu (2025): Bengal Protests.
- LiveMint (2025): Far-Right Group.
- VSK Telangana (2025): Muharram Violence.
- News of Bahrain (2025): Protests New Zealand.
- Yeni Safak (2025): Ultra-Orthodox Block.
53-93. Various SM Posts (2024-2025)
