Writer-activist Kamal C. Chavara has alleged that he was attacked by a man claiming to be a Sangh Parivar member at Kunnamangalam here on Sunday.
The incident took place at a bar at Karanthur, where, the writer said, the attacker approached him asking if he was the same ‘Kamalsi,’ who had burnt his book publicly on Saturday.
When he said yes, the attacker is alleged to have abused him verbally and then slapped and pushed him. The writer was admitted to the Government General Hospital in Kozhikode.
Mr. Chavara told The Hindu that the attacker claimed that he worshipped Hanuman every day and that he was from Wayanad. “He slapped me and pushed me several times on the chest. He seemed quite drunk. I informed the police and did not leave the bar for two hours as the man had threatened to attack again if I left the place”, he said. The attacker had expressed anger at the burning of a copy of his novel ‘Smashanangalude Note Pusthakam’ here.
The Kunnamangalam police, who took the attacker into custody, described the incident as a drunken brawl. They had not received any complaint and no case was registered.
Repeated threats
On way to hospital, Mr. Chavara said he had been receiving several threats from Sangh Parivar outfits ever since he was arrested on a sedition charge almost a month ago. “I was a strong critic of the Communist Party a while ago. Whatever is happening is not just party vendetta. I feel they have joined hands with the Sangh Parivar,” he said.
On December 17, the writer was arrested on a sedition charge based on a complaint filed in Kollam district. The complaint claimed that he insulted the National Flag in a Facebook post. He was later released but the case is pending in court. “I still do not know who filed that case. The police initially claimed that they had suo motu registered the case, but later changed the version. I am yet to get a copy of the FIR,” he said.
On Saturday, Mr. Chavara burnt a copy of his book, a quote from which was the reason for the sedition case, at the Kidson Corner in the city. The book was displayed for ‘public homage’ before it was burnt in protest against ‘continuing police harassment’.
