WHAT: All India coordinated mobilizations for Justice for Gauri on October 5th.
In Delhi, this mobilization will take the form of a March for Democracy
DATE: October 5th
TIME: 1 pm
PLACE: Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.
Contact: Bittu (8179542651) Poonam (9811136242)
We request all people to join this rally in the largest possible numbers. In several parts of India there will also be programs for Justice for Gauri on the same day. In Maharashtra there will be a large protest in Mumbai on 5th October as well as actions in Nagpur; in Madhya Pradesh there wil be actions in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and other districts. in Orissa, programs will be held in Bhubaneshwar, Bethampur,Puri, Baleswar and Phulabani districts. In Tamil Nadu there will be a hall meeting in Chennai on October 5th, Kerala there will be multiple rallies on October 5 and 6th, in Telangana a large joint event is taking place in Hyderabad and another is taking place in Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh. In Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal there have been many mass public meetings and the series of public protests has not abated since the day of Gauri’s assassination. We request all people to join these actions in the largest possible numbers.
The assassination of Gauri Lankesh, two years after a similar horror was perpetrated on scholar M.M.Kalaburgi in Karnataka, follows the same eerie pattern as the murder of rationalists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar in Maharashtra. These killings are inseparable from the chain of killings of Dalits and Muslims in the name of ‘cow protection’, ‘religion’ etc. There have been many threats to journalists and activists who have been countering communalism, and this has continued even after her death, with the killing of Santanu Bhowmick and as seen from the way eminent Bahujan academic Kancha Iliah was grieviously threatened and even physically attacked.
The question is: did those who killed Gandhi kill Gauri too? The enquiry process will reveal who the perpetrators of her killing are. Meanwhile the silence of the Prime Minister on the justification and celebration of Gauri’s assassination by people who are in various ways linked to the ruling dispensation is unacceptable in a civilized society.
In Maharashtra there will be a large protest in Mumbai on 5th October as well as actions in Nagpur; in Madhya Pradesh there wil be actions in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and other districts. in Orissa, programs will be held in Bhubaneshwar, Bethampur,Puri, Baleswar and Phulabani districts. In Tamil Nadu there will be a hall meeting in Chennai on October 5th, Kerala there will be multiple rallies on October 5 and 6th, in Telangana a large joint event is taking place in Hyderabad and another is taking place in Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh. In Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal there have been many mass public meetings and the series of public protests has not abated since the day of Gauri’s assassination. We request all people to join these actions in the largest possible numbers.
Being a founder member of Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike (The Communal Harmony Forum, Karnataka), Gauri Lankesh was actively involved in the resistance against reactionary forces along with other progressive sections of Karnataka who had responded pro-actively and consistently to counter the growth of such trend in the society. Yet the above assassinations and other developments clearly demonstrate that whatever has been done is just not sufficient to counter their terror. But after the killing of Gauri Lankesh a stronger reaction has come from various sections of society with whom she had pledged her solidarity, including artists (including ‘mainstream’ cinema), journalists, ex-civil service officers, legal fraternity including former judges, academicians, religious heads (especially the Viraktha Basava tradition Swamijis of Karnataka), LGBT community etc and more. Youth and students formed the major chunk of the different mobilisations against this killing. So, NOW is the time to respond. We appeal to every individual and collective, all those who think and feel for the future of humanity as a whole, to come forward and support the voice of unity for a harmonious and vibrant society.
We:
Demand that the police investigation primarily focuses on the most probable killers and the real political actors behind them as is the normal procedure. The most probable killers here are obviously only those who were Gauri’s main adversaries, the most retrogressive forces which had threatened to kill Gauri and which have justified and celebrated her killing. We demand that the state government in Karnataka expedites action in this direction by all means.
We insist above all that it is the utmost responsibility of the offices that are supposed to safeguard the constitutional values to discharge their duty impartially. But unfortunately the present dispensation in the centre is unashamedly upholding and supporting the forces which are destroying communal harmony and democratic values that are entrenched in our society. Hence it is all the more necessary that ‘we the people of India’ apply moral and political pressure on the prevailing regime, such that an unbiased enquiry is conducted not only to arrest the criminals behind the acts but also the extra constitutional forces behind them.
Signatories:
Teesta Setalvad (Journalist, Activist, Educationist, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Jignesh Mevani (Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Kavita Krishnan (AIPWA, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Ganesh Devy, (Convenor, Dakshinayana, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Anand Patwardhan (Film maker, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Irfan engineer (CSSS, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Narayana Rao, Telangana (Civil Liberties Committee, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
K. Neela (AIDWA, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Vasu (Karnataka Janashakti, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Dr. Mrigank, (IFTU, Forum against the killing of Gauri Lankesh)
Justice P.B, Sawant (retired) SC
Justice Hosbet Suresh (retired) Bombay HC
Justice Kolse Patil (retired) Bombay HC
Annie Raja, NFIW
Prashant Bhushan, Swaraj Abhiyan
Mariam Dhawale, AIDWA
Poonam, Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan (PMS)
Rajni Tilak, Rashtriya Dalit Mahila Andolan
Shabnam Hashmi, Anti-communal activist
Ovais Sultan Khan, Anhad
Neeraj, AISA
Maimoona Abbas Molla, AIDWA
Asha Sharma, JMS
H. S. Doresamy, veteran freedom fighter, Karnataka
Padmasri Devanoora Mahadeva, noted writer, Karnataka
Girish Karnad, Jnaanapeet awardee, Karnataka
A. K. Subbaiah, senior advocate, Karnataka communal harmony forum
K.Marula Siddappa, noted writer and former president, Sahitya academy, Karnataka
Chandrashekhar Patil, Former president Kannada Sahitya parishat, Karnataka
Ravivarma kumar, Former advocate general, Karnataka
S.R. Hirematt, Samaja Parivarthana Samudaya, Karnataka
Dr. Ram Punyani, Centre for the study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai
Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Meera, National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements
Gabriele Dietrich, Pen Orumai Iyakkam, National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements
Prof. Marx, Civil liberties activist, Tamil Nadu
Dr. Sivakumar, Retd. Principal, Govt. Arts College, Gudiyattam, Vellore District., Tamil Nadu.
Dr. Aravind, Psychiatrist, Institute of Mental Health, Chennai
S. A Venkatesan, Chief technical officer, CNQ, Chennai
K.S. Karuna Prasad, Alternative Theatre activist, Chennai
Devasahayam, Retired IAS officer, Chennai
Mohan, General Secretary, Madras Union of Journalists
G. Boopathi, National Secretary, All India News Paper Employees' Forum, Tamil Nadu
Achin Vanaik – Retired Professor of International Relations, Delhi university, Trustee Centre for Marxist Studies
Rabin Chakraborty, associated with Frontier website, Kolkata
Prof Bijay Bahidar, Odisha, Political Science, presently in Ravenshaw University
Deboranjan, Documentary film maker, Odisha
Raja Suresh, Humanist rationalist, Odisha
Sudhir Patnaik, Samadrushti, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Bela Bhatia, Human Rights activist, Chattisgarh
Dr. Anil Sadgopal, All India Forum for Right to Education
Dr. Madhu Prasad, All India Forum for Right to Education
Kaluram Dhodade, President Bhumisena & Aadivasi Ekta Parishad, Maharashtra
Com Shashi Sonwane, National President Indian Council For Trade Union, Maharashtra
Dayanand Kanakdande, All India Convenor Yuva Bharat, Maharashtra
Shobha Karande, Editor, Saguna, Maharashtra
Dhanaji, Convenor, Vidrohi, Pune, Maharashtra
Dr. D M Diwakar, Former Director, Professor of Economics, Bihar
A N Sinha, Institute of Social Studies, Bihar
Prof M.N. Karn sociologist, Bihar
Rupesh, Noted social activist, Bihar
Subhash Ghatade, New Socialist Initiative
K.P. Sasi, Film maker
Kusumam Joseph, NAPM Kerala
Sarath Cheloor, Vibgyor Film collective, Kerala
Kunal Chattopadhyay, Radical Socialist
Fr. Stan, Jharkhand
Professor [Emerita] Zoya Hasan – Political Science, JNU
Tanika Sarkar, Former Professor of Modern History, JNU
Sumit Sarkar, Former Professor of History, Delhi University
Anuradha Talwar, Paschim Banga Khet Majur Samity,West Bengal
Swapan Ganguly, Convenor, Osongothito Khetra Shramik Sangrami Manch,West Bengal
Shaktiman Ghosh Secretary, National Hawker Federation, West Bengal
Sandhya, POW
Battini Rao, Convener, PADS, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
Dr.Sunita Tyagi Ex H.O.D.Zoology Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishvavidyalay Kanpur Sonipat Haryana.
Com.Sudesh Kumari, Advocate, General secretary, Jan sangarsh manch, Haryana
Anand Mohan Mathur, Freedom fighter, Former advocate general of Madhyapradesh and HC advocate
Madhuri, Founder member, Jagrit adivasi Dalit Sangatan
Murli Manohar Prasad Singh, General Secretary, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh
Bittu, Karnataka Janashakti, WSS
Payal, WSS
Vinod Koshy, Dynamic action
Rakesh Sharma, Film maker
Deepa Dhanraj, Film maker
Githa Hariharan, Writer, Indian Writer’s Forum
Sadananda Menon, Freelance media person
Maya Krishna Rao, Director, Vismayah, Delhi
Murli Manohar Prasad Singh, General Secretary, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh
Dr. Dharamvira Gandhi, MP, Punjab
Prof. Jagmohan Singh General secretary AFDR
Prof. A.K.Maleri president AFDR
Narbhinder organising secretary AFDR
Pirat Pal singh State Committee member AFDR
Dr. Virendra Vidrohi, General Secretary, INSAF
Umar Khalid, BASO
Kajal Ghosh, Parcham
Nagaraj Adve, PUDR
Girish Patel, Senior Advocate, Gujarat High Court and Human Rights Activist
Sharifa Vijaliwala, Professor & Head, Department of Gujarati
Ghanshyam Shah, Noted Academician and Scholar, Gujarat
Veer Narmad, South Gujarat University, Surat
Himanshi Shelat, Well known Gujarati Writer, Novelist, Abrama, Valsad
Manishi Jani, Social Activist, Gujarat
Uttam Parmar, Educationist, Dakshinayan, Gujarat
Neerav Patel, Dalit Poet, Founder, Navsarjan
Kanji Patel, Professor, Gujarat
Rohit Shukla Retd. Professor, Economics, Gujarat
Indukumar Jani, Editor, Naya Marg, Gujarat
Svati Joshi, Professsor, Gujarat
Shamshad Pathan, Advocate, Gujarat
Sanjay Shripad Bhave, Professor, English Literature
Aindrekar, Theatre Activist, Budhan Theatre
Sneh Bhavsar, IT Professional
Nita Mahadev, Gandhian Practitioner and Organic Activist
Vinay and Charul, Cultural Activists, Loknaad, Ahmedabad
Lalitha, Mohan and others, Jana Chinthana Kendra
Dipu, Pedestrian Pictures, Karnataka
Prof N. Ramesh ,V.S. Sreedhara and others, People’s Democratic Forum, Karnataka
Bhaskar Prasad and others, Dalitha Damanitha Swabhimani Horata Samithi, Karnataka
Sirimane Nagraj, Bhoomi mattu vasati hakku vanchitara samithi
