India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, has a hostile history of communal violence. Bordering New Delhi, the western region of Uttar Pradesh has a significant Muslim and Jat population and, thus, is particularly vulnerable. This region is witnessing a growing number of self-appointed Hindu vigilante groups. Driven by a deep sense of Islamophobia, these groups believe it is their moral responsibility to protect the Hindu religion from the ‘onslaught of militant Islam’. The recent threat by the Islamic State (ISIS) to take over India by 2020 has provoked these fringe groups to intensify recruitment and military training.

The Quint travels into the interiors of the region to meet members of these groups, their sympathisers and young Hindu recruits who are being trained and indoctrinated in this emerging brand of religious extremism. We sought to understand their psyche, question their inspiration and document their modus operandi.