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Journalist Gauri Lankesh, known critic of Hindu right-wing extremism, murdered

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The Karnataka Police is tracing the killers of senior Kannada journalist, Gauri Lankesh, a critic of Hindu extremism, who was shot dead at her house in Bengaluru on Tuesday evening.

“The three special teams set up to crack the case are on the lookout for the suspected assailants. We are taking the movements of people and vehicles at check posts and inter-state borders,” deputy commissioner of police (West) M N Anucheth told IANS in Bengaluru.

According to the police, at least three suspects were involved and Lankesh was found dead on her verandah around 8pm with bullet wounds to her head and chest. Television reports said seven bullets were fired at her and three hit her.

Lankesh, 55, was the daughter of famous poet-turned-journalist P Lankesh. She was the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, writing often against Sangh organisations and communal violence in the country.

“This is not the death of a journalist, but the death of democracy and constitutional values. She had raised her voice against communal violence with us and we know that all our lives are in danger. But we did not expect this,” said KL Ashok of the Karnataka-based Komu Souharda Vedike (Communal Harmony Forum), who worked closely with Lankesh.

Ashok said there “was no doubt” that Lankesh’s killing was part of a larger conspiracy to kill rationalist ideas. “Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and now Gauri Lankesh. They were all rationalist thinkers, and that is why they have been murdered,” he added.

In 2015, Left ideologue and Kannada author Prof MM Kalburgi was shot dead in a similar manner by an unidentified gunman at the doorstep of his home.

Bengaluru deputy commissioner of police MN Anucheth said, “It is too early to comment on the issue, we cannot reveal any further details at the moment.”

Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy said there were two CCTV cameras and three police teams were working on the case.

People began gathering outside her residence as news of her murder spread and protests started at the Corporation Circle in the heart of Bengaluru and near her home.

In November, Lankesh was convicted by a court for defaming two BJP leaders for articles published in her periodical in 2008. She was sentenced to six months in jail and asked to pay Rs. 10,000 penalty. Lankesh had been granted bail.

Journalists as well as several politicians condemned the killing.

Shortly after the murder, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed shock in posts on Twitter: “In fact, this is an assassination on democracy. In her passing, Karnataka has lost a strong progressive voice, and I have lost a friend”.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi too spoke out against the murder.

In an interview she gave to Newslaundry in 2016, Lankesh expressed concerns over freedom of expression being under attack from right-wing trolls.

She recounted the 2015 murder of Left ideologue and Kannada author Prof MM Kalburgi, who was shot dead in a similar manner by an unidentified gunman at the doorstep of his home

Two months after Kalburgi’s murder, a young Dalit writer of a book critiquing the Hindu caste system was abducted and assaulted by goons in Karnataka. Writer Huchangi Prasad said his assaulters kept calling him a traitor.

Before Kalburgi, Maharashtra rationalist and communist leader Govind Pansare was shot along with his wife during a morning walk on February 16, 2015, near their home in Kolhapur. He died in hospital four days later.

The main suspect in the Pansare murder is allegedly associated with Sanatan Sanstha, a Hindu right-wing group.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...n-bengaluru/story-jMu0FJ3bGTW5P4FZrThPpJ.html
 
Shocking stuff. What makes it even worse is that it happened in a cosmopolitan city such as Bangalore and not some backwater in Bihar or UP. What is going on in India?
 
There seems to be an eerie parallel to the murder of journalists or bloggers in Islamic countries, except this seems to be involving a different religion, hence perhaps it may only cause quiet discomfort rather than blaring headlines.
 
Most probably done by either right wing nut or some uber patriotic guy.

Gauri lankesh was very critical of Indian army's role in Kashmir. She also openly blogs about supporting Naxalites and has no sympathy for CRPF men killed by Naxals. Kanhaiya kumar was her mooh bola beta. She supported him openly when Kumar was chanting slogans against India. Kumar is not in news anymore. Seems to have gone into hiding.

Sad stuff. A couple of rationalists were also killed for criticizing religion and blind rituals.
 
Most probably done by either right wing nut or some uber patriotic guy.

Gauri lankesh was very critical of Indian army's role in Kashmir. She also openly blogs about supporting Naxalites and has no sympathy for CRPF men killed by Naxals. Kanhaiya kumar was her mooh bola beta. She supported him openly when Kumar was chanting slogans against India. Kumar is not in news anymore. Seems to have gone into hiding.

Sad stuff. A couple of rationalists were also killed for criticizing religion and blind rituals.

Well you have certainly provided a good size list of reasons why her enemies might consider she had it coming. Although noticeably your version removes the Hindu extremist label from the blame associated in the article in the OP and redefines as right wing or uber patriotic guy.
 
Shocking stuff. To kill someone because of the words they say or write is the lowest of the low.

It's undeniable that the most likely profile of her killer(s) is some right wing nutter although her brother has recently stated that she was receiving threats from the Naxals too. Hope the authorities get to the bottom of it quickly.
 
The whitewash begins. Similar to every time the Hindutva mobs carry out lynchings and sometimes burn down whole areas, there is always the cyber army quick to deflect blame onto other parties or the minorities themselves as in the Gujarat riots of 2002. Like clockwork.
 
She was killed by bullets, which is the weapon of choice of naxals and professional killers. So rules out religion based groups.
 
She was killed by bullets, which is the weapon of choice of naxals and professional killers. So rules out religion based groups.

Did she say anything bad about Naxalites in the recent past. I thought she was a big supporter of Naxalites and anti CRPF.
 
Shocking stuff. To kill someone because of the words they say or write is the lowest of the low.

It's undeniable that the most likely profile of her killer(s) is some right wing nutter although her brother has recently stated that she was receiving threats from the Naxals too. Hope the authorities get to the bottom of it quickly.

Why would she get threats from Naxalites? She was a cheer leader for them. Unless she uttered a couple of bad sentences about Naxalites, they would not target her.
 
Why were naxalites threatening leftist journalists just because she was bringing them to mainstream politics?

She had done nothing of great significance to coz issues to right wing compared to other leftists.

So much confusion on this case ,sad though there is already shortage of Kannadiga leftist mainstream.
 
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Why would she get threats from Naxalites? She was a cheer leader for them. Unless she uttered a couple of bad sentences about Naxalites, they would not target her.

Read her brothers statements. The Naxalite movement does her corporate sponsors and she might have ticked them off. To note, she was always against Hindutva elements and had been writing against them. Why kill her now?
 
Why would she get threats from Naxalites? She was a cheer leader for them. Unless she uttered a couple of bad sentences about Naxalites, they would not target her.

According to the article..because she was bringing them to mainstream..
 
Anand Ranganathan, the editor of News Laundry, put up the list below on twitter.

It's interesting that there was no mass outrage over all of these guys. Their killings certainly didn't get the coverage Lankesh is getting.


AMUHVVwt.jpg
 
^ Being a Journalist is no joke. That's a lot of people killed for reporting and expressing their opinions.
 
^ Being a Journalist is no joke. That's a lot of people killed for reporting and expressing their opinions.

Some were killed for personal reasons, a lot were killed because the journalists in question were exposing certain criminals and a number were killed for political reasons. Yet their names barely got a mention in the press or over social media at the time.
 
Anand Ranganathan, the editor of News Laundry, put up the list below on twitter.

It's interesting that there was no mass outrage over all of these guys. Their killings certainly didn't get the coverage Lankesh is getting.


AMUHVVwt.jpg

I didn't want to post that list. One of the guys implicated Akhilesh Yadav in his dying statement but it was never highlighted by our media. Non-English journalist are given a step motherly treatment in our media
 
There seems to be an eerie parallel to the murder of journalists or bloggers in Islamic countries, except this seems to be involving a different religion, hence perhaps it may only cause quiet discomfort rather than blaring headlines.

In those countries they are targeted by outlawed groups but here by voters and supporters of the prime minister and his party. Modi is taking control.
 
Pamphlets Were Printed Against Her as She Was Rehabilitating Naxals: Gauri Lankesh’s Brother

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New Delhi, September 7: Indrajit Lankesh, brother of late senior journalist Gauri Lankesh who was killed by two unknown assailants outside her home in Bengaluru two days ago, on Thursday, while addressing the media informed that the latter was working to rehabilitate Naxals. ” When she brought few of the Naxalites to the mainstream, a lot of voices were against it. They printed some pamphlets against Gauri,” said Indrajit.

“My sister wanted to uplift the one ostracized in the society and for the past 14 years she ran the ‘Lankesh Patrike’ from her savings, without any advertisements,” stated Indrajit. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah informed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to sketch out the truth behind Gauri’s murder and also assured the Lankesh family to hand over the case to CBI if the family wants it.

Replying to Siddharamaiah’ gesture to the media, Indrajit appreciated it saying “We want justice.” Indrajit further stated that Gauri, a staunch critic of right-wing and Hindutva politics, had strong ideological views of Naxals and right wing. Indrajit also said he would cooperate with SIT constituted to probe the case.

To come to the right conclusion, Indrajit urged the administration to look at all the angles and reward justice to the Lankesh family. Hoping for the SIT to resolve the case soon, Indrajit further added that his late sister had no personal enmities.

Kavita, a sibling of Gauri who was also present at the press conference told that last weekend she and Gauri had observed a person moving around the house but the latter was unfazed and continued to do her work.

As per Times of India, Kavita said that Gauri even loved to meet those who did not agree with her ideologies bur reiterated that her ideology got her killed.

https://in.yahoo.com/news/pamphlets-were-printed-against-her-110939846.html
 
Most probably done by either right wing nut or some uber patriotic guy.

Gauri lankesh was very critical of Indian army's role in Kashmir. She also openly blogs about supporting Naxalites and has no sympathy for CRPF men killed by Naxals. Kanhaiya kumar was her mooh bola beta. She supported him openly when Kumar was chanting slogans against India. Kumar is not in news anymore. Seems to have gone into hiding.

Sad stuff. A couple of rationalists were also killed for criticizing religion and blind rituals.

Woman after my own heart. Rest in peace.
 
Why would she get threats from Naxalites? She was a cheer leader for them. Unless she uttered a couple of bad sentences about Naxalites, they would not target her.

I am sure her brother knows more than PP posters. she was getting hate letters from Naxals
 
Flourishing democracy is more like flourishing circus
 
Flourishing democracy is more like flourishing circus

Right, because one person was murdered in a country of 1.3 Billion, we need to blame democracy for that. Her work made her an enemy of many, including Naxals, who mostly took her life
 
Right, because one person was murdered in a country of 1.3 Billion, we need to blame democracy for that. Her work made her an enemy of many, including Naxals, who mostly took her life

Yeah what difference does it make if 1 person or 10 or 100 dies in the country of 1.3 billion? At the end of the day it's just a number, isn't it?
 
Right, because one person was murdered in a country of 1.3 Billion, we need to blame democracy for that. Her work made her an enemy of many, including Naxals, who mostly took her life

as i said, she made lots of enemies, including her brother who threatened her with Revolver.. I have read the newspaper her father founded for nearly 30 years. They literally made 100s of enemies due to topics covered in the news paper, top politicians, underworld dons, local goondas, you name it and they have them as their enemy. So it is not all surprising she was murdered.
 
Yeah what difference does it make if 1 person or 10 or 100 dies in the country of 1.3 billion? At the end of the day it's just a number, isn't it?

So if we had any other kind of governance these lives will be saved is it?
 
as i said, she made lots of enemies, including her brother who threatened her with Revolver.. I have read the newspaper her father founded for nearly 30 years. They literally made 100s of enemies due to topics covered in the news paper, top politicians, underworld dons, local goondas, you name it and they have them as their enemy. So it is not all surprising she was murdered.

So if we had any other kind of governance these lives will be saved is it?

You tell me. Journalists in all countries make enemies.. that's what they do yet I don't see them getting killed in every country.

It's government's responsibility to ensure the safety of citizens and create law abiding justice body.

In your own posts you aren't surprised at all about this murder. Just because she made enemies, her murder is justified?
 
You tell me. Journalists in all countries make enemies.. that's what they do yet I don't see them getting killed in every country.

It's government's responsibility to ensure the safety of citizens and create law abiding justice body.

In your own posts you aren't surprised at all about this murder. Just because she made enemies, her murder is justified?

they get killed everywhere.. https://www.theguardian.com/media/g...ts-killed-in-2016-simply-for-doing-their-jobs
 
You tell me. Journalists in all countries make enemies.. that's what they do yet I don't see them getting killed in every country.

It's government's responsibility to ensure the safety of citizens and create law abiding justice body.

In your own posts you aren't surprised at all about this murder. Just because she made enemies, her murder is justified?

i never said her murder is justified. i am not surprised she was murdered. she was working to mainstream naxals who are highly violent and kill scores of people every year. So when you make such enemies there is a chance you will get killed.. should that be happening? obviously no. will it stop happening, again no. under no rule will such things stop.. So, yes, after following her and her father's career for nearly 3 decades, i am not surprised that she was murdered. I am sad and outraged, surprised no.
 
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That is what happens when you threaten Hindu fundo's in India to much. She is not the first neither will she will be the last to be killed by Hindu fanatics. By the way this lady followed no religion at all. Indian people still believe all is good and well in their country.
 
That is what happens when you threaten Hindu fundo's in India to much. She is not the first neither will she will be the last to be killed by Hindu fanatics. By the way this lady followed no religion at all. Indian people still believe all is good and well in their country.

This is what happens when you oppose Left/Naxals. She has been opposing Hindutva/Hinduism for decades (i have followed her, her sibilings and her father career for three decades) and nothing happened. She was working against Naxals and leftism for few couple of years and she ends up dead. She was receiving threats from Naxals as informed by her brother .
 
I thought Srirama Sene is just a bunch of jobless goons who bash young men for going out with their girlfriends.

I only hear about them during Valentines day. These organizations need to be banned and the idiots need to be given a proper treatment in the prison Indian police style.
 
She was killed by bullets, which is the weapon of choice of naxals and professional killers. So rules out religion based groups.

http://m.ndtv.com/india-news/gauri-...om-naxals-brother-indrajit-tells-ndtv-1746983

We should probably not be too soon to judge, but then I expect people who have never been to India, to tell me how Naxalities and RSS are related

Her brothers statement seems to turn the needle towards naxals.

Is Sriram Sena a naxal group?
 
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