“Today we salute Gauri Lankesh, who continued writing for the rights of Dalits, adivaasis and minorities, and that is why she became the target of fascists. Now her friends, who are merely continuing the work that many revolutionaries started, have been targeted,” said Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor Chaman Lal.
Gauri was shot dead on September 5, 2017.
‘Fascism spreading’
Speaking at the protest meet on Wednesday, where several people had gathered to mark one year of the journalist’s death, Prof. Lal said, “Today nobody is certain if they will reach home safe or not. We have seen how both Gauri and [scholar, rationalist and teacher M.M.] Kalburgi were killed in their own homes. The ones in power are the biggest betrayers and fascism is being spread all over the country.”
Delhi University Professor Rakesh Ranjan said, “The government is trying to silence every single voice that speaks up. This is being done to distract people. Hence, terms like ‘Urban Naxal’ are being used. A year back, Gauri was also silenced. If she was an ‘Urban Naxal’, then so are all of us.”
Professor S.A.R. Geelani, who was booked on sedition charges in February 2016, said, “The arrests are an attempt to stifle the voices that question and it is being done in desperation. Anybody who talks about the downtrodden is labelled as a Maoist. This seems like a preparation for the 2019 elections, and that is why it is happening systematically.”