Noted journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru on 5 September. The activist, known for speaking her mind, had stepped out of the car and opened the gates when the attackers opened fire at her.
Lankesh’s murder has outraged many, especially journalists, NGOs and activists. Amnesty International India has questioned the state of freedom of expression in the country in their press release.
Gauri Lankesh was never afraid of speaking truth to power. Her assassination must be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.Asmita Basu, programmes director at Amnesty International India.
The 55-year-old was the chief editor of political tabloid Lankesh Patrike. She was in the limelight multiple times because of her ideological differences with the BJP. She was known to be a staunch detractor of Hindutva politics.
Just a few hours before she was gunned down, she had tweeted about fake news. Earlier this year, she spoke about the threats she received.
Gauri Lankesh’s murder is not the first of its kind. Activist Narendra Dabholkar, who was at the forefront to persuade the Maharashtra government to pass an Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Bill, was shot dead in 2013. Communist leader Govind Pansare, who was associated with social campaigns involving the unorganised sector, was killed at close range outside his residence. Writer and scholar MM Kalburgi was shot in the head by unidentified assailants two years ago.
The Amnesty press release has also highlighted that as per The Committee to Protect Journalists, there has been no convictions in any of the 27 cases of journalists murdered for their work since 1992. Last year, the committee had urged the central government to submit draft proposals for journalists’ safety and protection.
The Editors Guild has also put out a few statements to the effect of bringing justice, apart from instituting a judicial probe. The organisation said, “Her killing is an ominous portent for dissent in democracy and a brutal assault on freedom of the press.”
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