Following the cold-blooded murder of senior Bengaluru-based journalist Gauri Lankesh on Tuesday evening, women journalist groups and organisations in India have released statements calling for justice and vowing that they will continue to carry forward her work.
Statement from The Network of Women in Media
To the spirit of Gauri Lankesh, you inspire us forever. To journalists everywhere, this is a note of solidarity. We the Network of Women in the Media, India solemnly swear to uphold the values of journalism. This does not and should not need to be prefaced with good. Or courageous. Or brave. We must simply power on in the face of the greatest adversity, threats and political opposition to do what our job mandates. To be free and fair and stand together solidly behind each other to be able to rise against the tidal wave of intolerance and often criminal intimidation that surrounds us and tries to prevent us everywhere. We want to declare to ourselves and to everyone that is watching with and without malice - we will not be prevented, silenced, outdone or shut down.
We at NWMI also take this opportunity to say we continue to back, fight for and voice each other’s concerns legally, politically, journalistically. We urge everyone to not share insensitive pictures of Gauri's body post her killing. We would also like to bring to the notice of the Press Club of India, the Editors' Guild and Twitter of the online lynch mob that has surrounded the murder of Gauri Lankesh. In particular the twitter handle of @JagratiShukla29 and others like her that have been baying for Gauri's blood need to be disbanded immediately.
In continued determination, steadfastedness and support of each other and the universe of journalism we inhabit.
The Network of Women in Media, India
September 05, 2017
Statement from Indian Women’s Press Corps
The IWPC expresses its deep shock and outrage at the brazen and dastardly killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bangalore. Lankesh was the editor of Lankesh Patrike and was known for her outspoken views and steadfast commitment to liberal values. She was a trenchant critic of obscurantism and conservative values. The silencing of a journalist in this manner has dangerous portents for Indian democracy. The IWPC demands that the government apprehend the perpetrators at the earliest and expose those behind this planned murder of a senior woman journalist.
Shobhna Jain (President) Aditi Tandon (General Secretary)
Editors Guid of India
Meanwhile, The Editors Guild of India, in a statement, said that it was “deeply shocked and strongly condemns the murder of Gauri Lankesh.”
“Gauri Lankesh was a known critic of the Central government on key issues and had fearlessly expressed her views in the newspaper she edited as well as in other forums. Her killing is an ominous portent for dissent in democracy and a brutal assault on the freedom of the press. The Editors Guild of India demands that the Karnataka Government acts with alacrity to bring the culprits to justice apart from instituting a judicial probe into the killing,” the statement said.