Gauri Lankesh case: Another murder worrying Dharwad

Hubballi: Murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh has sent a shock waves among Dharwad litterateurs and rationalists, who had observed the second anniversary of killing of scholar Dr M.M. Kalburgi just last week.

Renowned literary critic and Padma Shri awardee Ganesh Devy issued November 28 deadline to the government to bring the culprits behind Dr Kalburgi’s killing to book and warned that thereafter, he will begin an indefinite fast thereafter with hundreds of other literary figures from across the country.

Thousands of students, college lecturers and eminent writers took out a march from the residence of Dr Kalburgi at Kalyan Nagar in Dharwad. They alleged that the government is on the defensive, while criminal power is getting stronger with attacks on freedom of expression, creativity and research works of rationalists.

“Killing of rationalists is a cowardly act. The state government is in a deep slumber despite an increase in the number of attacks on freedom of speech and expression over the last two years. This has raised panic in the literary world,” social activist and journalist Ramzan Darga said.

Students of Karnataka University also staged a protest on the campus by observing a bandh.

Ms Umadevi, Dr Kalburgi’s wife, claimed that the incident is another murder of an ideology before assailants of her husband are nabbed. Expressing shock over Gauri Lankesh’s death, she said that writers and thinkers are living in fear for the last two years.

“Gauri Lankesh was a strong litterateur like my husband. Her murder has caused a lot of pain as people have not yet forgotten the killing of my husband.  The situation in Karnataka has reached such a level that writers and rationalists cannot live without fear," she said.