JOIN USThe murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, in Bengaluru on Tuesday was not only an assault on freedom of speech and expression but also an attack on the values and ideals held dear by the people of Karnataka. It is shocking and was unthinkable till now that such a terrible attack could be made on a public personality in Bengaluru. Gauri was a writer and editor who had the courage to hold and express views that were not palatable to many. She also had the courage of conviction to live by them. In some ways, she was one of the conscience-keepers of Karnataka as she imbibed the best intellectual, social and cultural traditions of the state and held on to them without compromise. Empathy for the poor and the weak, secularism in faith and practice, fairness of views and a sense of justice are some elements of this mindset and culture. Gauri was driven by these and was committed to them in her life and writing.
The fatal attack on her is another instance of this culture coming increasingly under attack. An intolerant atmosphere has spread and gained strength in the country in recent years. Differences are not accepted as
normal and natural, and contrarian views are suppressed and punished. Opinions are countered with beatings and gunshots. Gauri was a consistent critic of Hindutva ideology and politics. It may be too early to say that she was shot dead for her views as the investigation is at an early stage. But a personal angle may be ruled out as she was not known to have had any personal enemies. Her murder was similar to the murder of Kannada writer and thinker Prof M M Kalburgi in Dharwad in 2015, and to the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune in 2013 and CPI leader Govind Pansare the same year. It is believed that they were killed for their non-conformism, rational thought and opposition to Hindutva. Gauri was also a rationalist and may have been silenced for her views.
Gauri had inherited the legacy of her late father Lankesh, founder and editor of Lankesh Patrike, and the greater legacies of a secular state and democratic polity. These are in danger now, and the greater danger is that the freedoms and values at the core of these legacies — the very idea of India — are being imperilled with the knowledge of, and even inspiration from, governments and establishments. That is the greatest threat to our democracy and our nationhood. That danger should be allowed to grow no further.