The Freethought Party of India (FPI) organised a condolence meeting on Sunday on the death of eminent Kannada journalist Gauri lankesh, who was gunned down on September 5 at her residence.
FPI general secretary B Ram Chandra CST Voltaire opined that without free speech and toleration of biting criticism, democracy is sure to fall flat. Democracy becomes a monolithic dictatorship in the absence of free speech and the murder of a freethinker like Gouri amounts to murder of democracy, Voltaire said.
Chief guest CERI Odisha unit head Manas Jena lamented that eliminations of eminent rationalists like Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, Prof MM Kalburgi and Gauri lankesh do create an atmosphere of fear and therefore India will continue to remain a land of caste-ridden and idol-worshiping people. If the Supreme Court does not come forward with an iron hand to deal with the goons and hoodlums, then India is sure to remain mediaevalist and backward, he said.
Among others, former MlA Sarat Chandra Mishra, AMOFOI co-founder Swapna Bijayini, Odisha Dalit Addikar Manch (ODAM) advisor MS Yadav, educationist NIrmala Kumari Mohapatra, Gandharb Nayak and Babaji Kumar were present.