I still remember the brief meeting I had with her in Bengaluru in mid August 2014 when Karnataka Kaumu Sauhardu Vedike had organised an all India Consultative meeting of Progressive Organisations and individuals to discuss the post-poll situation. We know people’s anger over her killing in fact further propelled investigation into her murder and the conspiracy behind it hatched by the rightwing fanatics who consider ‘destruction of evil doers as spiritual practice’. It is for everyone to see that by her committment to the cause and the way she evolved into an uncompromising figher against rightwing extremism, she has touched lives of thousands of people which was evident in the tremendous outpouring of grief on the streets of Bengaluru when she was taken for cremation. Her contention was that judiciary in a democracy is ‘expected to be independent of not just the legislative and the executive’ but also ‘be independent of social biases’ and when a judge ‘displays his/ her biases blatantly’ s/he fails miserably. ‘When the Eye of Justice is Jaundiced’ (), the title of her intervention itself displayed how she viewed the speech. The honourable justice supposedly had talked the language of Hindu Unity there to build a Ram temple. One of the remarkable intervention she did in public life pertained to her raising questions about the then Chief Justice of Karnataka’s speech at Udupi Mutt – which he had visited at the invitation of Pejavara Swamy, known as one of the founding members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. In one such case of defamation lodged by a BJP leader, the court had even convicted her and she was out on bail. A tactics much used by the rightwing forces to deter conscious people from challenging them and to keep them booged down in cases after cases, in a judicial system where the process itself becomes a punishment. One is rather amazed by the tremendous energy she possessed that she persisted in the struggle against heavy odds, did not give up despite cases being filed against her in different courts of Karnataka for her work of defence of human rights and a consistent opposition to communal politics. There are many aspects of Gauri Lankesh’s life which are inspiring to everyone, the way she abandoned a bright career in English Journalism and opted to continue her father’s glorious legacy by writing in Kannada, the way she did not limit herself to writing but also turned to activism, the way she adopted a very daring path of speaking truth to power- without fearing for the consequences. It is now history how she was assasinated by rightwing Hindutva fanatics outside her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar on 5 September 2017.Ī killing which shocked not only the people of Karnataka but everyone who believed in a just and equitable society elsewhere.įor us this is a day of rememberance and also renewing a pledge, to rededicate ourselves to the tasks she bequeathed to us. We lost Gauri Lankesh, journalist, activist and very passionate human being, exactly five years back Share on WhatsApp Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Telegram Share on Reddit Share on Email
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