Though the assassins of Gauri Lankesh and their backers succeeded in killing her, they have failed to silence her, say Bangalore activists

Bangalore: September 5, 2022, marks five years since Gauri Lankesh’s assassination.

She was not just a journalist but an empathetic human being and committed human right activist, and her gruesome murder stirred the conscience of civil society. Spontaneous demonstrations erupted not only in Bangalore, where she was killed, but all over the state, country, and different parts of the world like the US, Australia, Russia, Canada, France, England and so on.

Gauri was everything that the Sangh loves to hate – a fearless and opinionated single woman, an extremely important voice against Hindutva and someone who wrote extensively against caste. At a time when several journalists have aligned themselves closely with power, she kept the true meaning of journalism alive by speaking truth to power. Though she was receiving death threats, but Gauri never took the threats seriously.

she was shot dead outside her home. Journalists, academics, common citizens and students gathered outside the Press Club of India in Delhi the next day to protest this murder.

Right after her assassination the then Siddaramaiah led Government had Constituted an SIT which arrested 17 of 18 accused who have been in Judicial custody since then.

The investigation by SIT also revealed that the same Hindutva gang was responsible for the assassinations of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.

Now that almost 5 years are complete after her assassination, its trial is running in a Bangalore Court.

Today that Gauri is being remembered on her 5th death anniversary, a program was organized by Gauri Memorial Trust in Bengaluru where many prominent Personalities including Activists Arundhati Roy, actor Prakash Raj, etc. attended the gathering and paid tribute to the gutsy journalist who dared to question and expose the governments.

The speakers during the event said, though her assassins and their backers succeeded in killing her, they have failed to silence her.