Members of the Indian diaspora gathered outside the Indian High Commission here on Friday to protest against the murder of Gauri Lankesh and other political activists and journalists, and calling for an end to government silence on the issue and warning that rising intolerance was spreading to Indian communities in Britain and beyond.
Members of the diaspora groups, Indian Workers Association (IWA) and Southall Black Sisters (SBS) held portraits of Gauri, who was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru earlier this week, calling for a thorough investigation and urgent action from the government, and a strong stance condemning the rise in intolerance.
“Our key message is one of solidarity and an end to the intolerance that is on the rise: the killing of people and the attempts to prevent the battle of ideas … But no form of extremism can stop the march of ideas and democracy,” said Harsev Bains of the IWA, which submitted a letter to the High Commissioner on Friday, expressing concern about the attacks on minorities, and freedom of speech, as well as recent police treatment of protesting farmers.
Journalists’ concern
The Indian Journalist Association of Europe also expressed concern about the recent murders of 11 journalists in India in the past 39 months. “Freedom of expression which includes the right of newspersons to discharge their duties without fear, is sacrosanct in the Constitution. We call upon all concerned in India to bring to book perpetrators of such crimes and to prevent these incidents,” said IJAE president Ashis Ray.