For Dieter Grosskopf, a German, his wife Anitha of Malayalee origin, her three-year-old son, and Anitha's father, Joginder Singh, a retired Indian Information Service official, the decision to settle at Manjappara in Ambalavayal panchayat, near here, was the end of a prolonged search through relatives of Anitha's late mother and friends for a cool and calm place. Over the last 10 years, they converted a seven-acre plot into a rich farm and slowly built up their house. Of course, the barrier of language and cultural differences forced them to have only minimum interaction with local people as Anitha was the only person who could speak Malayalam.

Minor conflicts with some local people over grazing cattle entering theirpremises and some other petty issues distanced them from local people further. But the tides started turning heavily against them during the last few months.

While the local CPM and CITU leaders led by CPM local committee secretary Vasudevan, husband of Ambalavayal grama panchayat president Jagadamma, was engaged in collection of funds for the EMS Namboodiripad Memorial, they approached Grosskopf also. Looking at EMS' picture on the bucket, Grosskopf said that he would not donate for political parties. Vasudevan and others took it as a challenge to their authority and showered the choicest abuses publicly and even threatened Grosskopf.

Meanwhile, Grosskopf entrusted some construction work on contract to a local CITU man, Mohan Kumar, as they found it difficult to deal with labourers directly. But he left it halfway without any explanation. Their request to complete the work within the agreed time went unheeded.

Later, the Grosskopfs entrusted the work to another contractor from Sulthan Bathery. Hisworkers started work in the second week of January. On January 26 evening, while the workers led by mason Rasheed were returning home, they were attacked by a group of CITU men led by Mohan Kumar and Rajan near the shop of one Kuriakose, a few metres away from Delhikunnu, the farm house of Grosskopf and family. As they saw Rasheed and others being attacked, Anitha, Grosskopf and Joginder Singh rushed there with their video camera. When they tried to record the attack and save Rasheed and others, they were also attacked. Dieter and Joginder Singh sustained minor injuries. Some CPM men led by local ward member C Gafoor also stoned Anitha's house.

On receiving information, the Ambalavayal police reached the spot and took all, except some CPM and CITU men who escaped, to the police station. Four cases were registered, three cases against CITU men and one against their victims.

While Rasheed and other labourers were coming out of the station after registering the cases, they were again attacked by CITU men ledby Rajan, at the entrance to the police station. Rasheed ran inside the police station, bleeding. He was later admitted to the Sulthan Bathery government hospital with a deep wound on the backside of his right shoulder.

Anitha and Joginder Singh told The Indian Express that Vasudevan and other CPM local leaders publicly aired threats that they would be forced to flee from here. ``They also threatened a public boycott. They said that traders would be told not to sell things to us, and those who deal with us would also face ostracism.''

Their neighbour Sebastian told this paper that he finds no reason for such a barbaric attitude. ``If there is any minor problem, as happens everywhere, it should be sorted out amicably by the leaders,'' he added. Now, Dieter and his family live under constant fear of attack. They have run from pillar to post for protection. They had despatched petitions to the German Embassy, local police bigwigs, the District Collector and State authorities. The police, however, did put uppatrolling in the area for a few days.

Interestingly, a person said to be from the special branch police, threatened Dieter that he would suspend his residence visa immediately.Dieter told The Indian Express that he loved Kerala and wished to live here peacefully with his family. ``Being a person on residence visa, I don't want to be dragged into local issues. I remain here tending my farm. We did nothing wrong. What we wanted is a calm life. We have used up our savings of hard work for years in Germany to build the farm and the house,'' he added. Neither the CPM local secretary Vasudevan nor the others involved were available for comments. The CITU district secretary C Bhaskaran, when contacted, promised to inquire into the incident, but offered no comments.