Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 10: Paul Zacharia, one of Kerala’s best-known writers, was caught by the neck and roughed up yesterday, allegedly by activists of the ruling CPM’s youth wing.

Zacharia, 64, had criticised the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) for the way it had “exposed” a sex scandal involving a Congress leader, barging into the politician’s home and dragging him and his woman companion out.

Zacharia, a non-conformist in his life and writings, was pushed and abused as he was waiting near a hotel after a book release at Payyannur in Kannur district. The attackers allegedly threatened to cut off his head and limbs if he dared return there.

“Prasanth, son of former CPM member of Parliament T. Govindan, caught me by the neck. I can identify all the assailants by their faces,” Zacharia said at his home here.

He said he did not want to register a police complaint for fear that the force would target him and let off the assailants, whose party was in power.

At a literary seminar at the book release, Zacharia had criticised activists of the DYFI and People’s Democratic Party (led by Abdul Nasser Madhany) for humiliating Congress general secretary Rajmohan Unnithan and his companion at Nilambur in Malappuram district last month.

“If a man and a woman happen to be in a house, why should we pry into their privacy? We’ve reduced ourselves into a set of marauders, waiting to pounce on others,” he said.

After the seminar, a member of the audience walked up to him and shouted at him. Soon, the assault followed. Another novelist, C.V. Balakrishnan, came to Zacharia’s rescue.

“The DYFI was never like this,” Zacharia said. “Left leaders used to follow a progressive approach to the man-woman relationship. It’s all changing now. Those who air their opinions are being dealt with physically.”

Zacharia’s open, uncompromising stand against those he considers communal, retrogressive or reactionary have made him controversial. He has been attacked by the Sangh parivar in the past, and now the Left.

The change in the Marxists’ attitude that Zacharia alluded to mirrors a similar development in Bengal where cracks have appeared in the long-standing bond between the Left and “intellectuals”, with some artistes and writers deserting the CPM.

The police are yet to register a case, lending credence to the charge that the force was being partisan because the accused are linked to the ruling CPM.

Renowned critic Sukumar Azhikode said the attack was a disgrace to Kerala society. “We need more of his (Zacharia’s) tribe who speak out their minds, without fear or favour. Such attacks endanger democracy,” he said.

Progressive Literary Movement president V.N. Murali said the incident was “unfortunate”. But as usual, the majority of Left intellectuals remained tight-lipped, apparently because the victim was not a fellow traveller.