India, June 28 -- On June 18, Tabrez Ansari, a 24-year-old Muslim boy, was lynched by a mob in Jharkhand's Kharsawan district on the suspicion of theft. This is the 11th case of hate crime in the six months of this year. In this week's column, I will examine what the anatomy of hate crime is all about. I will attempt to raise some uncomfortable questions that need answers. Hopefully, they should press us to think afresh and take action.

What is hate crime? It can essentially be described as a type of behaviour that is spurned or motivated by hatred towards a particular group. Typical signs of hate crime are where victims are chosen because of their particular identity: Like race, religion, caste and sexual orientation among others. Furth...