Journalists and activists in Hyderabad on Wednesday organised protests to condemn the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in Karnataka. In two meetings organised at the press club and at the journalists’ union office in the city, scribes accused Karnataka and Union governments of having caused the death of Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her house on September 5.
Wednesday protests also had the solidarity of activists and writers of Hyderabad, including Vara Vara Rao of Virasam Revolutionary Writers Collective. Speaking to The Hindu Mr. Rao said, “Gauri Lankesh was instrumental in bringing out many cases of State violence, including those committed by Right-wing forces like Bajrang Dal. She and I together wrote against the expressway project between Telangana and Karnataka that displaced people. Her death was orchestrated by those she exposed.”
Telangana balladeer, who was once associated with Communist Party of India (Maoist), Gaddar, remembered Gauri Lankesh as a writer who represented the voice of politically persecuted people. “She was killed for her writing which had the power to oppose Right-wing forces and governments which target people. During my days of armed struggle underground, she wrote many articles to prevent police action against me. I managed to stay alive. They killed her,” an emotionally wrought Mr. Gaddar said.
Members of Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) shared their organisation’s concerns at the protest venue. NWMI asked Press Club of India, Editors' Guild to take into account “Twitter and online lynch mob that has surrounded the murder of Gauri Lankesh.” The organisation asked PCI to help disband “twitter handles... which have been baying for Gauri's blood.”
Journalist Malini Subramaniam, who reported from Chhattisgarh before she was evicted by police for writing against human rights violations in the Adivasi belt, asked journalists of the country to unitedly fight against the tendency to suppress media voice.
“Ms. Lankesh’s killing was a warning to other journalists who expose fascist forces, who prey on people. Journalists across the country should unite to fight these forces,” Ms. Subramaiam told The Hindu . Journalist Vanja asked women journalists to follow Gauri Lankesh's lead to keep up their fight in the society and media houses.
Hyderabad journalists held marches to Raj Bhavan Road and Basheerbagh junction to register their protest against the murder. Individual journalists, especially women, were seen holding placards reading “I am also Gauri.” The protests demanded a probe into the murder and asked governments concerned to punish the culprits. Most of them called Gauri Lankesh’s death a political assassination. NWMI asked supporters not to display photographs of her body as a mark of respect.
The third in a series of protests in Hyderabad against the killing of journalist activist Gauri Lankesh saw hundreds of citizens and journalists turn up for a protest in central Basheerbagh area of the city on Wednesday.
At 4 p.m., working journalists’ union organised another protest meeting at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram. “Nahi chalegi nahi chalegi gundagardi nahi chalegi,” and a host of other slogans denouncing the killing of Gauri Lankesh rent the air. Many of the protestors held up placards in Telugu, Hindi, English and Urdu with slogans to denounce the killing.
“We have reached the end of the road. The killings appear random, but there is a systemic planning that's happening while the resistance is fragmented. I am devastated. We can keep shouting slogans but what is the road ahead? I am disturbed by that awareness,” said Kalpana Kannabiran, lawyer and rights activist, who had reached the spot to raise her voice against the killing.
