Sujith Bhakthan is one of the most prominent travel Bloggers from Kerala, with over 20 lakh subscribers to his channel on YouTube. He recently visited Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and uploaded the video, following which he now faces death threats from radical Islamists.

Sujith is on a car trip all over Bharat and reached Uttar Pradesh with his family. They visit important cities and share their daily routines through his YouTube channel. They reached Ayodhya, filmed the temple construction, and uploaded them on YouTube. 

This triggered radical Islamists in Kerala, and soon his YouTube and Facebook profiles were flooded with hate comments, cyberbullying, and even death threats. His profile and personal details were shared with Islamic groups, and a hate campaign was organized against him.

Fearing the wrath of these terrorists, not many arrived to defend him and his family. BJP President K Surendran refused to remain pinned down and came out in support of Sujith.

This incident shows the dire state Kerala is going through right now. Radical Islam has grown so strong in Kerala that they dare to command Hindus not to visit the Ram temple. Social media reminded us that if the central government and the rest of India are not taking this issue seriously, we will end up as the next Kashmir.

Rattled, Sujith came forward with an explanation through Facebook; let’s read.

I am a wanderer and have traveled all over Bharat by car for the past 6 months, visiting different places. I have covered Hindu temples, Buddhist shrines, Muslim mosques, Sikh gurdwaras, and Christian churches. Although my knowledge about other religions is limited, I try to go as much as possible. In some places (of worship), we are not allowed entry. We go wherever it is permitted.

In the last six months, we traveled across 24 Bharatiya states. Now we are in Uttar Pradesh (UP), and UP has mostly Hindu pilgrimage sites. Since I have my elderly father and mother with me and believe in Hinduism, we visit such places (Hindu temples).

Even before I went to ‘sensitive’ Ayodhya, I knew something like this (objections) would happen. Therefore, my video did not contain anything that could raise controversy about the said place (Ayodhya). I have no desire to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments.

I am restricting the comment box of this video as no one is interested in seeing people fight each other. No one should fight because of me. Everyone claims I belong to a particular political party (BJP) because I am a Hindu and have Bhakta in my name.  I have only one thing to tell them. I am human and a human living in Bharat.

This was when Kerala BJP President K Surendran intervened.

Surendran wrote on Facebook that Pinarayi Vijayan and his colleagues preach fiercely about freedom of expression but bow down to religious fundamentalists. He warned that Kerala is heading towards a dangerous path where radical Islamists decide who should say what, what to present (on social media), what to eat, what to write, and where to go. The latest example is the Jihadi cyber attack on social media against famous travel influencer Sujith Bhakthan, he noted.

Sujith posted a video of his visit to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, which caused outrage among religious sectarians in enlightened Kerala. Ayodhya is a holy place for Hindus, and Bhagwan Ram is a worshipful figure. Cyberjihadis questioned Sujith as to why he went there. This is Talibanism (in Kerala), where fundamentalists decide where you go and what you see.

Finally, the young YouTuber had to delete all the hateful comments and post a comment proving his secularism. This is the land of the Chief Minister (Vijayan), who constantly reminds citizens that this is ‘Kerala.’ It is a land where nothing happens unless Islamists approve.

The Left government is hounding those who displayed the fighting spirit of soldiers igniting patriotism at a school art festival. The sad picture of Kerala today is evident in that the convenor of that art group faces threats to his life and has requested the government to protect him. 

Surendran was referring to the Indian Union Muslim League, Congress, and several communists led by Vijayan’s son-in-law P A Mohammed Riyas objecting to a theatre group that staged a drama that allegedly depicted Muslims as extremists at the recently concluded Kerala school Arts Festival at Captain Vikram Maidan, Kozhikode. The dance-drama showed soldiers overpowering a terrorist who wore the headgear and attire used by fundamentalists like Osama bin Laden.

Riyas instigated radical Islamists when he said there were attempts in the country to portray a particular community as extremist. Riyas, the Public Works Department minister, added that Kanakadas, the office bearer of Perambra-based MATHA Kalakendra who directed the drama, should be investigated for his alleged links with Sangh Parivar! 

Surendran added that recently, a senior chef like Pazhayidam had to step down from a public event in fear of religious fundamentalists. Shockingly, a minister like Minister Mohammad Riyaz is directly leading such Islamization. Let me remind the Minister and his entourage that not everyone in this country is ready to accept the hegemonic attitude of the Jihadists.

The above-mentioned youth festival saw the withdrawal of famous cook Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri for serving vegetarian food. Green communists claimed ‘Brahminical hegemony’ and wanted non-vegetarian food (halal meat) served, which had not happened at the State School Arts Festival since its beginning in 1956. 

Pazhayidam clarified that the government asked for vegetarian food and that the person who provided the lowest quote would be awarded the contract for providing food at the event. He was just the contractor following those instructions.

The threats were such that police erected barricades around where the food was prepared. The most famous chef of Kerala had to give special protection to his kitchen and stay awake overnight to save it from sabotage. The fault they saw in Pazhayidam was that he was an upper-caste Brahmin. 

Unable to watch the poisonous seeds of communalism and casteism being sown even in the diet of adolescents, Pazhayidam left. Having won the psychological battle, Riyas announced that the next art event would consist of non-vegetarian food. Experts opined that if one introduces meat, naturally, halal and beef will follow.

Though several Hindu Organizations warn that the above incidents felt like the advanced stages of fascism, no one cares, especially the so-called ‘secular’ Hindus. Even the basic human rights of Keralite Hindus are being trampled upon, and no one interferes.