A birthday tribute to slain journactivist: Youth leaders from across India to unite on ‘Gauri Day’

Bengaluru, Jan 27: Nearly five months after fearless Kannada journactivist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead, youth leaders from across the country will come together in the capital of Karnataka to mark ‘Gauri Day’ on Monday, January 29, her birthday.

Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, and student leaders from Jawaharlal Nehru University Kanhaiya Kumar, Shehla Rashid and Umar Khalid, who Gauri regarded as her children, will hold a function at Bengaluru’s Town Hall. “They will assemble to declare their renewed commitment to uphold a secular and equitable democracy and to remember their fond association with Gauri,” a statement from Gauri Memorial Trust said.

Richa Singh, student leader from Allahabad University, will also make an address. Radhika Vemula, mother of Dalit student Rohith Vemula who committed suicide at the University of Hyderabad, Teesta Setalvad, and actor Prakash Rai will also be part of the function.

This will be followed by an ensemble of folk, rap and classical music programme, led by Arathi from Bengaluru, Sheetal of ‘Kabir Kala Manch’ from Pune, and musician T.M. Krishna. Two books — Gauri Hoovu, a compilation of her articles and essays, and a collection of poems penned by people after her death — will also be released.

Meanwhile, the plan to launch a weekly newspaper to memorialise Gauri has yet to come to fruition. Sources in the Gauri Memorial Trust said apart from the matter of funding, there is a temporary injunction order obtained by her mother Indira Lankesh restraining anybody from starting a paper with the terms ‘Gauri’ or ‘Lankesh’. “We will fight the injunction legally, but we want to ensure once the paper starts we will be able to sustain it financially. So we will carry out a fundraising drive in February with the aim of starting the paper by March 8,” a trustee said.