Newsroom, Oct 13: Fearless Indian journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was gunned down last year by extremists, has been honoured at a memorial commemorating reporters killed on duty at the Bayeux-Calvados Awards held in France.
Gauri Lankesh’s sister Kavitha Lankesh and niece Esha stand next to a pillar on which slain journalist’s name has been engraved
The Bayeux-Calvados Awards for war correspondents (Prix Bayeux-Calvados des correspondents de guerre) is an annual prize awarded since 1994, by the city of Bayeux and the General Council of Calvados. Its goal is to pay tribute to journalists who work in dangerous conditions to allow the public access to information about war.
Gauri Lankesh’s name was carved on a pillar along with those of other journalists killed in the line of duty. She had been gunned down outside her home in Bengaluru on the night of September 5, 2017 because her commitment to secularism and constitutional values, ran contrary to their divisive politics and anti-minority agenda.
Gauri’s sister Kavitha Lankesh and niece Esha were present at the ceremony. Speaking at the occasion Kavitha who is a film maker said, “Gauri’s values of democracy and constitutional values were born from our father P Lanesh who ran a successful newspaper for 35 years without any advertisements.”
“Gauri stood for all minorities, women, workers, Dalits and social outcast groups that still exist in India,” she added.
Kavitha went on to explain how Gauri, through her journalism was her activism, took on right wing extremists and spoke up against discrimination based on religion and caste.
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