Evidence of Online Radicalization Mechanisms in ‘X’ Platform during the Death of Indian CDS Bipin Rawat

Abstract

The sudden and tragic demise of General Bipin Rawat, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, triggered discussions, and emotions on social media platforms, with Twitter (now X) emerging as a prominent battleground for public discourse. A sentiment analysis was done, to assess the discourse on Twitter during this critical period and revealed that Twitter became a polarized space, with both supportive and critical voices, expressing their views on the deceased General. The study discusses how the microbloggers were radicalized by extremist ideologies and political motivations and exploited the situation to amplify their agendas. To understand this process, the 12 mechanisms of political radicalization stated by McCauley & Moscalenko is used as a tool for analysis. Understanding the process of online radicalization during Bipin Rawat’s death is crucial for policymakers to counter the spread of extremist ideologies on online platforms. This research contributes to the broader discourse on the intersection of social media and radicalization, emphasizing the importance of propagating facts and peace journalism to counter fake news and hate speech.