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Unite to keep BJP out of power, Gauri fans tell parties

Rai tells activists to hit the streets against fascist forces
Last Updated 29 January 2018, 16:33 IST

Slain journalist Gauri Lankesh's 56th birthday was marked by leaders like freedom fighter H S Doreswamy and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani calling upon all parties to unite and ensure that the BJP did not come to power in Karnataka.

Speaking at the 'Gauri Day' function at Town Hall, Doreswamy, chairperson of Gauri Lankesh Trust, urged parties to unite against the common enemy and not give an opportunity for Modi and BJP in Karnataka. Doreswamy also urged the state government to keep an eye on Dakshina Kannada district for Gauri's killers.

Actor Prakash Rai said that when people like Gauri die, many more voices are born to create one big voice of protest.

"Fascist forces never last long. Now, they are there for five years and they will try, with difficulty, to be around for another five years. But the wounds they leave behind could last for 20 years. To prevent such wounds, we should not restrict ourselves to speaking at such platforms, we should go out on to the streets," Rai said.

The event was addressed by Mewani, former JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, former vice-president Shehla Rashid, JNU student Umar Khalid, and Richa Singh, first woman president of the Allahabad Central University students' union. All of them, referred to as 'Gauri's children,' spoke against right-wing forces.

"RSS is a terrorist organisation. They made the first terrorist attack in India by assassinating Gandhi. And I don't hesitate to say that they murdered Gauri. The Sanatan Sanstha, responsible for the Goa blasts, is roaming around free. The Karni Sena ran amok and attacked children. How are these terrorist organisations getting impunity," Shehla asked.

Irom Sharmila, known worldover for her 16-year hunger strike against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur, also took part in the event.

Newspaper to be launched on Mar 8

The Trust announced that they would bring out a newspaper to continue Gauri's brand of journalism on March 8, the birth anniversary of her father P Lankesh and the date when 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike' had been launched in 2005.

Doddipalya Narasimhamurthy, president of the Trust, said that so far the Trust had collected about Rs 6 lakh and they need at least Rs 1 crore to launch the paper.

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(Published 29 January 2018, 16:24 IST)

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