Women's panel decries online attack on 'Meesa' author's kin

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Women's Commission has taken a serious note of the ongoing online attack on the family of Malayalam author S Hareesh who was forced to truncate the publication of his novel 'Meesa' in a magazine owing to threats from radical elements. The Commission on Monday condemned the defamatory cyberattack and sought a detailed report from state police chief Lokanath Behera based on a complaint they received from a Manjery resident, Roopesh Chirakkal.

Commenting on the issue, the body said in its press release that the defaming comments, false propaganda and cyberattacks faced by the family members of S Hareesh and the complainant Roopesh Chirakkal are shocking and worth denouncement.

“It has been brought to our notice that the family members of novelist S Hareesh had been painted in a bad light using indecent phrases and wordings by a group of attackers on and off social media. We have sought a detailed report from state police chief regarding the issue. We will proceed to further actions after receiving the report,” Commission chairperson MA Josephine said.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had extended his support to Hareesh in a detailed Facebook post on Monday. He assured that all the infringements to freedom of expression shall be resisted by the state without any compromise.

Hareesh had withdrawn his novel from a mainstream literary magazine after publishing just three chapters. The novel invited the wrath of a few right-wing religious groups which alleged that a particular paragraph in the last published chapter paints temple priests and women visiting temples regularly in poor light.