'I won't quit like Perumal Murugan': Malayalam writer dares extremists

P Jimshar, the young Malayalam writer, who was beaten up by religious extremists for invoking the name of God in the title of his upcoming book, has vowed that he won't be cowed down by such violence and threats.   
 

Also read: Young Kerala writer beaten up for 'insulting god'
 

Jimshar told Asianet News that he will not quit like Tamil novelist Perumal Murugan who decided to give up writing following threats and protests against his novel 'Mathorubhagan (One Part Women), four years after its release. In fact, recently the Madras High Court upheld Perumal Murugan's right to publish the novel. It also emerged that his statement to the effect that he would pulp the book and quit writing were forcibly extracted by those who claimed to be offended.

"No one has the authority to interfere in the creative freedom of a writer," said the young writer who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Palakkad after being attacked by a four member gang on Sunday night.  "No one sets a route map for birds. Nobody has the right to dictate a singer on which song to be sung. A painter will decide what to paint," he said. He also alleged that certain religious extremists were behind the attack on him. 

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code against four persons in connection with the attack.  

• P Jimshar
• attack on Malayalam writer