Dissertation - Pepe the frog in Indian context

Memes are not just jokes—they are potent tools of communication, identity-building, and sometimes propaganda. The dissertation highlights how art, when placed online, loses traditional notions of authorship and becomes subject to collective reinterpretation—both constructive and harmful.
This dissertation examines the evolution of the Pepe the Frog meme, with a particular focus on how it has been appropriated within the Indian internet context. Originally a harmless cartoon character, Pepe was transformed into a global internet symbol, later hijacked by far-right groups in the West. In India, a similar pattern emerged where upper-caste Hindu right-wing users adapted Pepe—referred to as “Bhagwa Pepe”—to propagate Hindutva ideologies and spread hate speech against minorities, particularly Muslims and Dalits. These memes, often circulated on less-moderated platforms like Reddit and Discord, include disturbing visuals celebrating mob lynching, caste-based violence, and communal hatred. The study argues that memes in India are not just humorous internet content but powerful vehicles of political propaganda, mirroring the digital radicalisation seen in Western alt-right circles. Through Pepe, the dissertation highlights the intersection of meme culture, casteism, and communalism in India’s digital public sphere.
Note- All the image are sourced from the internet I dint own any of the material.