Indian journalists, activists protest murder of newspaper publisher

Record ID: 909322

  • Title: Indian journalists, activists protest murder of newspaper publisher
  • Date: 6th September 2017
  • Summary: BENGALURU, INDIA (SEPTEMBER 6, 2017) (REUTERS) VAN CARRYING THE DEAD BODY OF SLAIN INDIAN JOURNALIST GAURI LANKESH PEOPLE GATHERED AT A CULTURE CENTRE WHERE THEY HAD GATHERED TO PAY HOMAGE TO LANKESH NEW DELHI, INDIA (SEPTEMBER 6, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE PRESS CLUB OF INDIA CROWD OF JOURNALISTS GATHERED AT THE PRESS CLUB OF INDIA TO PROTEST LANKESH'S KILLING CAMERAMEN INDIAN JOURNALIST SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN ADDRESSING THE GATHERING PLACARD WITH A PHOTOGRAPH OF SLAIN JOURNALIST READING (English): "The murder of Gauri Lankesh is a sign of insecurity." (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOURNALIST SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN SPEAKING ON MICROPHONE SAYING: "Let us be very clear about this. Let us be very clear that an assault on her is an assault on media. We have seen other examples of this. There is an ongoing attack in different parts of India against the media being able to do its work." PHOTOGRAPHER
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2017 16:02
  • Keywords: India journalists activists protest murder Gauri Lankesh Gauri Lankesh Patrike
  • Location: BENGALURU AND NEW DELHI, INDIA
  • City: BENGALURU AND NEW DELHI, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016XGMH53
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Indian journalists and rights activists protested on Wednesday (September 6) against the murder of an outspoken publisher of a weekly tabloid amid growing concerns about freedom of the press at a time of rising nationalism and intolerance of dissent.
    Gauri Lankesh, 55, the editor and publisher of the Kannada-language "Gauri Lankesh Patrike" newspaper, was shot dead on Tuesday (September 5) by unidentified assailants near her home in the southern city of Bengaluru.
    She had parked her car outside her gate and was walking to the main entrance of her home when the attackers fired at least seven rounds, killing her, police said.
    The motive was not known.
    Lankesh was a fierce advocate of secularism and opposed hardline Hindu groups associated with Prime Narendra Modi's right-wing, nationalist ruling party.
    Her weekly, with a circulation of more than 5,000, is regarded as influential in the state, read by policy makers and politicians.
    Lankesh spent decades with various media outlets before taking over the newspaper started by her father.
    Several journalist groups, including the Editors' Guild, Press Club of India and Press Association, held protests in cities across India, calling her murder a "brutal assault on the freedom of the press".
    They said she was a critical, secular voice at a time when the country was being swept by a wave of right-wing, Hindu nationalism.
    In recent weeks, Lankesh had posted videos on her Facebook page that were critical of Modi's economic policies and the rise of hardline Hindu groups since he came to power.
    Last year, she was sentenced to six months in jail after a defamation case was filed by a BJP member. She was released on bail.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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