Press Club of India: ‘Gauri Lankesh amar rahe’

Noted journalists, politicians, activists, students and many others gathered at the Press Club to express solidarity condemning Gauri Lankesh’s murder

WrittenBy:Shruti Menon
Date:
Article image
  • Share this article on whatsapp

“This is an unspoken and unwritten emergency,” said veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta who was part of a crowd of over 300 people present at the Press Club of India at Raisana Road. It was not a usual day, because it wasn’t the usual crowd of journalists that showed up for the famous egg-on-toast. Politicians from various parties, activists, students and professors besides noted journalists were present to condemn the murder of veteran journalist Gauri Lankesh.

subscription-appeal-image

Support Independent Media

The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.

Contribute

As soon as the reports began trickling in about the murder of Lankesh on Tuesday evening, social media became an outlet not just to mobilise those outraged over the incident but also for many of those who opposed Lankesh’s views. As Alt News reported on Wednesday, some of those handles are followed by famed politicians of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At the PCI, though there was an initial cheer as former colleagues greeted each other, everyone looked concerned. “Who is next”, read the posters hanging around the dais, but it was evident that was a question on their minds too as speakers gathered themselves to condemn the “cowardly act” (as many have called it). From veteran journalists to young budding ones, from politicians to students, everyone who wished to speak was given an opportunity. Ostensibly signalling how important an open forum of speech is, irrespective of one’s line of opinion. Most of them were voices of caution.

“Anywhere where someone is threatened with violence you have to report it,” said NDTV’s executive editor Nidhi Razdan referring to those trying to justify Lankesh’s murder while giving death threats to people trying to reason with them.

NDTV India’s senior executive editor, Ravish Kumar’s anger was visible when he spoke about political inclinations of journalists becoming part of their identity. “Jo chamchey hote hain, unke istemaal ki ek expiry date hoti hai. Jab expiry date khatam ho jai hai toh jo hukummat hai wo us dabbey ko uthake phenk deta hai ,” he said. Many expressed their anger at how a certain section in the social media seemed to be celebrating the murder of the veteran journalist. Kumar suggested that the vile reactions of Lankesh’s death on social media may have lead to more people joining in solidarity.

“What has made me angrier (besides Lankesh’s murder) is attempts being made to rationalise that violence,” TV Today’s consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai told Newslaundry.

Many present there had a personal relationship with her, some gathered the courage to speak about her bravado and her journalistic work while others restrained as they were still coming to terms with the loss.

Mai toh sadme me tha, raat ko so na saka,(I was grief-stricken, I couldn’t sleep at night)” said veteran journalist Om Thanvi while speaking to Newslaundry. Almost 24 hours after the incident, many of them were still recovering from the shock, irrespective of whether they knew Lankesh personally or not. Many of them perhaps thought the murder was noise to signal silencing of “dissenting” views.

“These are the times that should alarm us,” said veteran journalist Nalini Singh as she added that “may be next year, you and I won’t be able to do this interview”.

But as Thakurta spoke of emergency, it would be important to note that this is not the first time journalists have spoken of an “unwritten” emergency. In November last year, when NDTV India was at the receiving end of I&B Ministry’s gag order, similar concerns were raised. When NDTV‘s promoter Prannoy Roy’s house was raided by the CBI in June, similar concerns were raised and similar meetings were held at the same spot.

But this time, no matter the concerns, no matter the ideology Lankesh belonged to, one thing remained consistent, everyone wanted her work and her courage to be an example for the coming generations. “Gauri Lankesh amar rahe” echoed the gathering at the PCI. “I really hope Gauri hasn’t died in vain,” Thakurta told Newslaundry.

With inputs from Nidhi Suresh
subscription-appeal-image

Power NL-TNM Election Fund

General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.

Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?

Support now

You may also like