Love Jihad and Other Fictions: Simple Facts to Counter Viral Falsehoods (by Sreenivasan Jain, Mariyam Alavi & Supriya Sharma)

An Indispensable, Fact-Checked Antidote to the Headlines and Forwards Tearing Communities Apart.

Love jihad, Muslim appeasement, forced conversions—these conspiracy theories have quickly shifted from fringe talking points to everyday conversations across India. Amplified by mainstream political figures, sensationalized media broadcasts, and relentless WhatsApp forwards, they are frequently accepted as undisputed reality by millions. But are these urgent claims—that India's minority populations are actively plotting to destabilize the majority community—anchored in truth? Or are they meticulously crafted fictions designed to serve the structures of political power?

In Love Jihad and Other Fictions, veteran journalist Sreenivasan Jain, along with co-authors Mariyam Alavi and Supriya Sharma, systematically interrogate the most prominent narratives dominating Indian social media feeds. Through rigorous data analysis, deep investigative journeys to the states passing strict anti-conversion laws, and careful trawling of parliamentary archives, the authors provide a clear-eyed, scrupulously researched breakdown of the real numbers and facts behind the rhetoric. This book serves as a vital, timely tool for any reader looking to separate highly charged viral myths from hard, verifiable reality.