Thousands of Gauris rise in protest

Thousands of protesters holding posters saying “I am Gauri” appeared in cities across the country to condemn the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, shot dead outside her residence in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.

In her hometown Bengaluru, people came together in mourning, anger and defiance in protest against the assassination, which has chilling similarities to the killings of rationalists Narendra

Dabholkar

, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi.

From senior citizens to students, writers and activists to techies, hundreds gathered at Bengaluru’s Town Hall, singing songs and holding up banners warning against the rise of right-wing groups. They also sought swift action against the culprits.

Similar protest meets were held by media professionals, human rights organisations, artists and opposition party leaders in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Kerala and Pune.

Kolkata-based film director Goutam Ghose said, “Till today, we don’t know who murdered Kalburgi. Let the same not happen to Gauri. We don’t want to again read a headline saying ‘No One Killed Gauri’.” West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who termed the murder as “alarming and unfortunate”, participated in a candlelight march organised by the Kolkata Press Club.

The Pune Union of Working Journalists wrote to PM Modi demanding probe into the case. Dabholkar’s daughter

Mukta Dabholkar

, while condemning Lankesh’s murder, said, “Failure to punish killers has sent a message that nobody can punish you if you target rationalists and writers as they don’t have money, muscle and political power.” In Mumbai, hundreds gathered at the sea-facing amphitheatre at

Carter Road

promenade.

(With inputs from Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai & Kochi)