CHENNAI: Journalists in the city on Monday condemned the killing of senior Karnataka journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was silenced in what was seen as the latest in a series of efforts to thwart the voices that are not in line with the rising culture of authoritarianism and majoritarianism.The meeting was organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association (TPWAA) at the Chennai Press Club.
“Gauri Lankesh was a journalist who was not dependent on circulation or advertisements but the strength of her convictions. While we must have confidence in the investigating agencies to unravel the murder, the discussion on freedom of expression has acquired a new voltage,” said former Governor of West Bengal and diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi.“The Whistleblower’s Bill must become an Act. Anyone who asks questions and demands answers must be a national responsibility,” he added.Looking at the larger picture, N Ram, Chairman, Kasturi and Sons Ltd and senior journalist, said, “India figures in the Committee to Protect Journalist’s list of 13 countries where journalists are killed with impunity.”
“27 journalists have been killed for their work since 1992 and there is not a single conviction. In Lankesh’s case, sources said, there was still no indication of a breakthrough. This shows that this could be a conspiracy and there are indications of them having political protection,” he said.A Arulmozhi, lawyer and activist, Dravidar Kazhagam, said, “Gauri Lankesh was not killed by her ideology, she was killed by the ideology that was at the other end of hers. After Gandhi was killed, they could not come to power for almost 42 years. They suffered a setback because of their ideology.”
Journalists and writers also emphasised the need for journalists to come together whenever free speech is thwarted in whatever way, not waiting for it to end in something as unfortunate as murder.
Tamil writer and poet Manushyaputhiran said, “ This murder is a warning to all of those who are alive. It is an attempt to stop free thinking. Even during the British reign, the worst that would happen to a journalist for writing against it was imprisonment, not murder.”