An upcoming writer was brutally assaulted in Kerala, India yesterday. It happened near my place around 40 miles from here. Twenty six years old P Jimshar was waiting for bus at the bus stop in Kootanad. An unknown person started a pleasant conversation with him. Few others joined and suddenly they began beating him. Luckily they did not had any weapons. Though severely beaten he survived without any critical injuries.

Jimshar.P (from Facebook)

A compilation of his short stories was to be published next month. The title given to the book was “Padachonte chithra pradarsanam” ( a painting exhibition by the creator) . It was the title of one of the stories in that compilation. Padachon is a term usually used by Muslims in Kerala for creator or god. Jimshar is a Muslim too.After he made the cover of his upcoming book as profile picture in his Whatsapp he had got few threatening messages.

The story “Padachonte chithra pradarsanam ” was earlier published in a magazine Santham

“How dare you write a book about creator ? ”  This was the question asked by the goons as they were beating Jimshar.

Jimshar later told the Police that it was the Muslim extremist group, the Popular Front, that assaulted him.  No one has been arrested yet.

Popular front was also involved in the infamous incident of chopping of the hand of Professor Joseph in 2010 for using the name of Mohammed for a character in a question paper.

Islamists in Kerala are at it again. They think they should decide what one should write and speak. They did not like the title of an upcoming book. So they decided to assault the writer.

Religion with theists like this can’t coexist with democracy and freedom of expression.