Baburaj Bhagavathy, a Kerala-based author, rights activist, and vocal critic of state repression of Muslims, known for his extensive work documenting Islamophobia and communal narratives in the state, has had his Facebook account restricted in India following a legal request from Kerala Law Enforcement.
The move, carried out by Meta in accordance with local laws, has raised serious concerns over political censorship, as it targets a journalist and activist whose writings consistently challenge both societal prejudice and the actions of a Left-ruled government that claims to uphold civil liberties.
Bhagavathy has been a prominent figure in Kerala’s intellectual and activist circles, co-founding the Islamophobia Research Collective and co-authoring Islamophobia Padanangal (Studies on Islamophobia), a significant academic intervention into the communal discourse in the state.
He also co-edited the Kerala Islamophobia Report 2024 with academic Dr K Ashraf, a widely discussed document that examined how anti-Muslim bias manifests in Kerala’s political, media, and institutional spaces.
Reacting to the action, Solidarity Youth Movement Kerala, through its state president Thoufeekh Mampad, criticised the move as a targeted silencing of a prominent voice against Islamophobia and the repression of marginalised communities.
The organisation noted that Baburaj Bhagavathy had been one of the most active figures in Kerala’s public discourse, with his Facebook page previously hosting numerous writings that exposed anti-Muslim remarks and state-backed communal interventions, many of which played a significant role in shaping public awareness and resistance.
A member of the editorial board of Maruvakku magazine and formerly associated with Thejas Daily, Bhagavathy has used digital platforms to comment on casteism, communalism, and the misuse of state power. His Facebook page, now inaccessible within India, had served as a consistent platform for analysing and confronting public narratives that marginalise minority communities, particularly Muslims.
The action by Kerala Law Enforcement has been viewed by civil liberties observers as a deliberate attempt to silence dissent, particularly as it emerges from a government that projects itself as progressive and secular. The restriction not only cuts off a significant voice from the online public sphere but also reveals an increasing discomfort within the state machinery towards critical engagement with its own policies and actions.