Massive rally and a meeting was held in Bengaluru on Tuesday to condemn the murder of activist and journalist Gauri lankesh. Thousands of people coming across the country representing many organisation and left parties gathered in Bengaluru to protest against the brutal murder of Gauri lankesh by an unknown assailant recently. Progressive thinkers, activists, writers, students have gathered at central college grounds in the heart of the city to mourn the death of Gauri.
It was a scene of emotion and anger run down in the march which condemn coldblooded murder of Gauri.
The symbolic spirit of camaraderie with the message, “I am Gauri”, was everywhere — from arm bands and head bands to the slogans that those gathered were chanting. Sporting black badges that read - #IAmGauri — the protesters took out a rally from the Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station to the Central College grounds, where a protest meeting was held.
Speaking at the rally, Gauri’s mother Indira lankesh, said, “Gauri fought with every fibre of her body. For me all of you are Gauris and I want her spirit to live on”.
Another social activist and close associate of Gauri , Teesta Setalvad recalled her association with her and said “Though we are of the same age, she called me her little sister as I had a lot to learn from her. The only thing bearable in the death is the support that has come now. We can’t let cohesion resistance go in vain.”
Well-known Kannada writer and activist Chandrashekar Patil, who is also called Champa, read out a poem as a tribute to Gauri. “A few years ago, I was Dabholkar... then, Pansare. And, two years ago, when my classmate, colleague and comrade MM Kalburgi was assassinated, I became Kalburgi. Now, I’m Gauri,” he said.
P Sainath, a veteran journalist, said that in the midst of such a demoralising period, the presence of thousands of supporters was a mark of the fight against a culture of intolerance and hatred.
“This is the largest machine of hate since the partition and it has spread across various States. Senior leaders gloat over the murder of someone. This culture of intolerance is at the highest level of Government. They have a thought out plan, a coherent strategy,” he said. “The nature of Gauri lankesh’s murder was a message to all of us - yes it is us, we will do whatever we want,” he added.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said, “I’m here as a foot soldier of Indian democracy and idea of India. It isn’t abstract. It’s concrete and alive. It can coexist only if there is opportunity to discuss and debate without bullets to kill. That’s the spirit to kill caste, religious minorities. The battle of ideas is the idea of India. My India doesn’t remain if it is killed through bullets.” He added that the country had lost a person who disagreed verbally, who was an active participant and who never eliminated ideas.
Acclaimed Kannada writer and Dalit rights activist Devanur Mahadeva said when India got Independence, there were dreams of an ideal Indian society, of how it should be in the future. “What has happened nowIJ Our mentality is going backwards. The dream has become a nightmare. Now, the majority is ‘Indianness’. And Kalburgi, Gauri are being killed as the majority marches on.”
Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar said that the coming together of so many voices on one stage was reason for optimism.