User:Vishal DSouza/sandbox

Critical Thinking has No Space in the "Developing Country"

The killing of Gauri Lankesh yet proved again that critical thinking in this democratic country has no space. Her sudden death is a shock to the entire nation which believes in the values of equality, fraternity and justice. The whole nation in a state of shock, remorse and despair that Gauri who taught differently has departed so suddenly, has left the vacuum in the hearts and minds of many young, budding rationalist, thinkers and Journalist. What surprises me that all are aware of the fact that who is behind this heinous crime?Now it is the job of the police or the state machinery to find out who which group pulled the trigger to silenced her?

Who is Gauri Lankesh?

Being a bold and courageous lady both in her thoughts and words she sent strong tremors now and then to the ruling government at the Center and the State. She was a fearless lady. Her writings evoked fear and tension to many communities including the Government. Her fight was not against any individuals. Her fight was against the structures which systematically silenced people in society which Hindu Fundamentalists could not withstand with her thinking and writings. Like her Father P Lankesh, she too had a charisma of boldness, fearlessness and challenged the unjust structures in the society. She was fascinated about the Naxalites and wanted to bring them back to the main stream of society. Her efforts of emancipation of Nexals were criticised by and large by the state Government. But the iron lady went on fighting for their rights in the society. She also contributed a lot to work for the communal harmony in the state of Karnataka. Being an active member of Komu Sauhardra Vedike, she worked day in out for the peace in society. Gauri Lankesh did not see journalism as a way to the rich and the powerful. She saw the journalism as an expression of her courage and conviction. It is easy to praise those in power, get into their good books and obtain positions of power. She saw herself as a crusader, fighting for causes dear to her.

Her Work

As we know that it is not only being a journalist Gauri had to pay for her death but her radical and critical thinking made her silent. There are people like Pansare, Dabolkar, Kalburgi have gone before her for their critical thinking and had paid the price for being radical in society. Some time it frightens me that if you think critically and question the unjust structures in the society, death is inevitable.

She encouraged them to surrender arms. She tried to mediate between the government and the Naxalites. And that is what Gauri Lankesh also tried to do while being a fearless journalist. However hard they try; the merchants of death will never be able to silence their critics. Democracy has one good quality. Those who tasted it once will never be able to tolerate dictatorship, whether religious or political.

She has already become an icon of dissent. There are many like me who consider her a martyr. There is uncertainty about the future of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike but there is no doubt that the tinpot and his supporters who have ruined the country by pulling down the GDP growth-rate by as much as 2.2 per cent since demonetisation will eventually find their Waterloo.

Conclusion

Democracy is not possible without dissent. Journalists fail in their duty if they become handmaidens of those in power. A good journalist is a useless journalist if he does not use his goodness to expose the wrong deeds of those in power or those who use wrong means to come to power. They owe it to the profession they chose.Silence is not an option when the fight is between the right and the wrong, between the oppressor and the oppressed, between the haves and the have-nots, between the privileged and the under-privileged and between morality and immortality. That is what the life of Gauri Lankesh teaches us.