Bengaluru: More than 10,000 people took part in a rally in the city in Tuesday, each saying “Naanu Gauri, Navellaru Gauri,” (I am Gauri, We are all Gauri) and pointing out that “communal forces have taken the country to the brink of fascism”.
Renowned journalists, progressive thinkers, activists, political leaders, religious heads and writers participated in the ‘resistance meeting’ and condemn the brutal killing of Gauri Lankesh, the outspoken critic of right-wing groups.
Those present at the ‘resistance meeting’ includes social activist Swami Agnivesh, Civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad, Sagarika Ghose, economist Irfan Ali Engineer, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani.
55-year-old Gauri Lankesh was brutally gunned by unidentified men outside her home in the city’s southwest suburb on September 5 night.
Firebrand editor of the weekly Kannada tabloid ‘Lankesh Patrike’ faced opposition and criticism for her alleged Leftist and anti-Hindutva views.
“For the past one-and-a-half decades, Gauri Lankesh was at the forefront of struggles against anti-constitutional and anti-human elements. Not only that, there have been serial murders of several progressive thinkers who upheld the values of our constitution,” the protesters announced at the meeting, reported Indian Express.
Targeting PM Modi, Swami Agnivesh said, “The general secretary of UN Human Rights Council has condemned Gauri Lankesh’s killing. I wish PM Narendra Modi would have spoken a word on it.”
Aactivist Teesta Setalvad said, “We both were born in 1962. But . she called me her little sister as I had to learn a lot from her.” Recalling the May 2014 victory of Narendra Modi-led BJP in Lok Sabha elections she said, “We cried together in May 2014, lamenting where the country has come to.”
