Gauri Lankesh murder: Hundreds pay last respects

BENGALURU: Neither the scorching morning sun nor the torrential rain that arrived with Gauri Lankesh's body could diminish the determination of the supporters who gathered to pay their last respects to her. Keeping aside their ideological differences, they blamed the right wing for the journalist's murder.

They pledged that Gauri's sacrifice won't go in vain and they would stand up for the causes she lent her voice to.Prof G Ramakrishna, a former

National College

faculty, said: “I read this as a warning to people who want to articulate about the way things are in our country. It is a challenge to the democratic setup in which we all believe. As Gauri would have said, my opinion would be that they must come out and debate and not eliminate people.They must focus on eliminating the idea they are opposed to through debate, not just kill people.“

The supporters, who gathered in tens at

Ravindra Kalakshetra

were an agitated lot.“It is clear that the murder was carried out by the right wing,“ advocate

BT Venkatesh

said Several students who stood in long queues to get a glimpse of Gauri. “I want to do the kind of journalism she did,“ a student of an autonomous college said.

The long queues were disciplined, standing still even when the rain began pouring at about 1.30pm.There were at least 300 people by 1.40pm.

Members of women rights bodies, the LGBT community, dalits also paid tributes to her.