Writer G. Rajashekhar and many other organisations condemned the murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh here on Wednesday. Gauri Lankesh was gunned down at her residence in Bengaluru on September 5.
Mr. Rajashekhar told The Hindu that that he had known Gauri Lankesh for over 20 years. “I can only describe her as an ideal journalist. She was bold. She was determined and ready to face any consequences. I think she was facing six to seven cases in the courts. She had told me once that she was getting hate mails. She knew she had a lot of enemies,” he said.
“I know Guari’s family to some extent. My sympathies are with her mother, Indira. Gauri was close to her,” Mr. Rajashekhar added .
Speaking at a candle-light protest organised by the Dalita Damanitara Horata Samiti (DDHS), Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike (KKSV), and Popular Front of India (PFI) at the Martyr’s Memorial here, K. Phaniraj, KKSV leader, said that Gauri Lankesh’s death had mostly likely taken place for the liberal views she held. There were no other reasons for her murder as was being wrongly speculated in a section of the media. Gauri Lankesh was a soft person who believed in discussing matters. “The government should treat the murders of thinkers and rationalists as acts of terrorism and use all its resources to track down their assailants,” he said.
Shyamraj Birti, DDHS leader, said that Gowri Lankesh was responsible for the “Udupi Chalo” rally organised by the progressive groups here on October 9, 2016. She provided the voice to the Dalits views and thoughts in her weekly Kannada tabloid. She fought against fascist forces. It was most likely that the forces against whom she wrote were responsible for her murder, he said.
Jayan Malpe, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti leader, said that by murdering one Gauri Lankesh, it was not possible to shut down her views, several others with similar views will take her place.
Earlier, the members of Udupi District Working Journalists’ Association staged a dharna at the same venue and demanded immediate arrest of Gauri Lankesh’s assailants.
