Karnataka High Court says Indian society among 'most racist', calls for rationality

The Karnataka High Court on Friday made strong observations about the state of social divisions in India, with Justice M.I. Arun remarking that Indian society was “one of the most racist societies in the world” and often failed to “see humans as humans.”

The comments were made during the hearing of a petition filed by controversial television anchor Sudhir Chaudhary and his channel, Aaj Tak, seeking quashing of an FIR accusing them of promoting enmity between communities.

The case relates to a 2023 broadcast on the ‘Swavalambi Sarathi Scheme’, which allegedly suggested that a government subsidy was available only to minorities, thereby depriving Hindus. The FIR was registered by the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with hate speech and acts that may incite communal disharmony.

During the proceedings, Justice Arun turned to the larger issue of how community identities influence interactions and political behaviour in the country. He said Indian society frequently categorises people through rigid filters of caste, religion and community, creating divisions that mirror — and sometimes surpass — racism elsewhere.

“We accuse others of practising racism and apartheid, but we are no less,” the judge observed, noting that such attitudes shape electoral politics as well. He pointed out that political parties often choose candidates based more on community considerations than merit, reinforcing systemic divides.

Justice Arun also expressed concern about declining scientific temperament in public discourse. He said societal progress was driven by law, science and rational thinking, not by religious or communal identities. Warning against what he described as a new form of “neo-colonialism”, he said corporate influence and discriminatory attitudes had, in some ways, replaced earlier colonial structures of domination.

The Bench emphasised that democratic institutions and constitutional values required citizens to move beyond entrenched prejudices. The court will continue hearing the matter as it examines whether the broadcast in question constitutes hate speech under the law.