Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 6: Karnataka is still in a state of shock, after news of eminent journalist Gauri Lankesh being shot dead, flashed on the headlines. Among very few woman editors in Kannada journalism, Gauri Lankesh is known to be a staunch critic of right-wing and Hindutva politics and used to openly express her pro-Naxal and Leftist views.
Born in 1962 in Shivamogga, Gauri was the daughter of Poet turned journalist P Lankesh and founding editor of Kannada weekly tabloid ‘Lankesh Patrike’.
She finished her Bachelor of Arts at Central College and obtained her Masters in Journlaism in Delhi. She began her career as a journalist in 1984 and has worked for the Times of India, Sunday and ETV.
Gauri Lankesh with progressive thinker and Dalit writer Devanooru Mahadeva and JNU students'union leader Kanhaiya Kumar
When her father died in 2000, she stepped into his shoes and became the Editor of Lankesh Patrike. However, differences arose between Gauri and her brother Indrajit over the paper’s ideology and eventually she started her own Kannada weekly ‘Gauri Lankesh Patrike’ in 2005.
“I am not afraid of physical attacks at all. I used to come home at 3 am alone many nights,” she had told a news website when they had interviewed her.
Gauri hit the spotlight after she published a story on Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi and BJP leader Umesh Dushi in January 2008 that led to a long-drawn defamation case. She was convicted by a magisterial court in Hubballi last year.
The cold-blooded killing of Lankesh has brought back memories of the murders of writer MM Kalburgi in Dharwad in 2015, Left leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur in 2015 and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune in 2013.
“As a citizen of India, I oppose the communal and totalitarian politics of the BJP. I oppose the twisted interpretations of Hinduism and I stand against its caste system, inequality and gender discrimination,” she recently said in an interview to the newspaper.
Gauri had in the past worked for the rehabilitation of Naxals who wanted to return to the social mainstream and was one among those involved in the founding of Citizens Initiative for Peace (CiP) in the state.
Lankesh has been a strong advocate of freedom of press, in an interaction with The Wire had said that ‘she was concerned about the state of freedom of expression in the country’. She had also raised apprehensions about how people are targeted because of their ideology.
“She was finalising the proofreading for this week’s edition which was supposed to go for print on Wednesday. She stood in support of Yogesh Master, who was assaulted for expressing his views,” said Shivasundar, a close associate of Gauri.
Gauri's killing has parallels with Kalburgi's killing. We have formed three teams to hunt the killers. She had called me last Thursday and said she wanted to meet me. She was to meet me on Monday but she never turned up. She had received no threat calls," home minister Ramlinga Reddy told reporters.
Writers, activists, journalists and politicians condemn the act
Calling it a dastardly act and strongly condemning it and seeking immediate action against the killers, social activist Vidya Dinker, speaking to daijiworld said," This, aims at striking fear in the hearts of ordinary citizens. We are not cowed down by those who have a different concept of how the country has to function. Our Idea of India is further renewed. Dissent is important for the democracy. Gauri was an important voice in today's polity. We won't allow it to go silent."
Investigative journalist Sudipto Mondal told daijiworld, "If you asked Gauri what kind of death she'd like, she would say it was like the one she got. She is an anti communal activist and covered investigative stories including like the Baba Budan Giri and Hubali issue. She walked around with a death wish. This incident is a tribute to her greatness - that they couldn't shut her up. She has been an inspiration as a journalist and a woman, to many other journalists. I know about many male journalists who would think ten times before arguing with her. She was that solid with her facts and reasons. Everyone who knew Gauri would know she was always on the hit list; she had the 'come get me' attitude. She's set an example to male and female journalists."
Speaking to daijiworld, renowned Kannada novelist, story writer poet, critic, thinker, central award winner and close friend of Gauri Lankesh, Veerabhadrappa Kumbar, demanded immediate arrest of the murders and said, "If the killers of Kalburgi were arrested, I think this murder would not have happened. Today, our nation is facing a big threat from communal forces and communal minded politicians. For power, they do anything. Murders are happening in broad daylight. We, all the progressive thinkers and common citizens, should condemn this murder.
I have been closely associated with Gauri the past 40 years. Her father was a social thinker and a fighter. But Gauri's interest on such issues was twice as much as his. She actively wrote on issues like Baba Budangiri and Naxalism. Being a rational thinker and reflective person she worked in the society without fear and compromise. In her days as a student, she started opposing communalism. She did not just die; she was martyred for her thinking."
AICC general secretary PC Vishnunath, told daijiworld, "The Gauri Lankesh murder is condemnable. She fought against the communal forces and tried to show real faces behind communal politics and their agenda. She took leadership in condemning the murder of Kalburgi and demanded to find the communal hands that caused this murder. The communal groups hated her. They now succeeded in eliminating her. But the communal forces should remember that the fight against communalism will not stop with these types of murders. More people will come forward in the fight against anti-social elements."