Amid the violence that erupted in Nagpur during Hindutva groups’ protests demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb, several right-wing social media handles shared a picture of cauliflower farms with the caption, “Nagpur violence has a solution.”
The widespread posting of “cauliflower farming” as a social media meme carries disturbing implications, as it serves as a coded call for the mass slaughter of Muslims.
What is “Cauliflower farming” in this context?
The cauliflower reference alludes to the Logain massacre, also known as the “Cauliflower Massacre,” during the 1989 Bhagalpur violence, where hundreds of Muslims were brutally murdered.
In the Logain massacre, 116 Muslims were killed, and their bodies were buried and concealed by planting cauliflower and cabbage saplings to hide the evidence. The riots were fueled by the radicalization of Hindu masses through the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s Ram Janmabhoomi movement, creating an atmosphere of anti-Muslim hatred and distrust.
Ironically, Hindutva outfits, including the same VHP, triggered the violence in Nagpur on Monday by burning a cloth inscribed with the “Kalima” during a protest demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb.
In Bihar’s Bhagalpur, the violence, which lasted nearly two months, resulted in the deaths of around 1,070 people and injuries to 524. A total of 11,500 houses in 195 villages were destroyed, displacing 48,000 people. Additionally, 68 mosques and 20 mazars were destroyed. The majority of those killed—almost 93%—were Muslims.
The Bhagalpur silk industry, primarily led by Muslims, suffered severe devastation, with 600 power looms and 1,700 handlooms burned, causing immense economic loss and wiping out livelihoods.
Social Media calls for violence
A right-wing X handle, @HPhobiaWatch, posted “Nagpur violence has a solution” alongside a picture of a cauliflower farm. The account, reportedly run by a person named Chandan Kumar, who describes himself as a “Cauliflower farmer” in his X bio, regularly shares Islamophobic content, including posts glorifying violence against Muslims.
The post, which garnered 15,000 likes, has the potential to incite communal violence.
User @Karthik0412 posted on X:
“Agriculture has a calming effect on violent minds. Maybe Nagpur needs more cauliflower farming.”
This statement is a direct call for the massacre of Muslims.
Another handle, @SaumyaSharma, wrote on X:
“In 1989, we had an amazing cauliflower product (IYKYK),”
glorifying the Bhagalpur massacre in an attempt to normalize it.
The handle @randomsena posted:
“Organic cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables” with a smiling emoji, further mocking the massacre of Muslims.
While there is no explicit mention of the Bhagalpur riots in these posts, the accounts’ history of spreading anti-Muslim narratives, justifying communal violence, and mocking victims suggests a deliberate attempt to evoke the massacre. The use of a smiling emoji reflects not only insensitivity but also a subtle, indirect incitement to violence.
Such coded rhetoric, designed to incite Islamophobia, constitutes hate speech disguised as humor—a tactic widely used by Hindutva groups to spread divisive narratives, provoke Muslims, and avoid direct accusations of incitement.
