New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India today (July 28, 2004) condemned the attack on the office of Malayala Manorama at Kozhikode in Kerala allegedly by the demonstrators of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), youth wing of CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist), and asked the Centre and State Government to take immediate action against the culprits.

"The intolerance shown by the DYFI towards media organisations in Kerala, especially Malayala Manorama, is highly deplorable," Guild Secretary General Alok Mehta said in a statement in New Delhi.

He said it was a "wanton attack" because the DYFI had taken out a procession to protest against an incident, which had nothing to do with the newspaper.

The Editors Guild "strongly condemns the dastardly and macabre attack" in which one employee of Malayala Manorama was injured and glass-panels of the office were smashed, Mehta said.

He said the Guild appeals to the Centre and Kerala Government to immediately take action against those responsible for this "attempt to intimidate" independent media organisations like Malayala Manorama and ensure that "lawless" actions are not repeated.

The Guild appealed to the CPM to direct the DYFI to desist from violent methods and follow the democratic methods of protest.