Hindu extremists travel unpunished,leading to a culture in which lynching, mob violence and hate crimes are increasingly, and horrifyingly,widespreadOnce quiet, civilised Bangalore is shaken to the core by the news of the shocking murder of its most noted journalist, and Gauri Lankesh. In stout cities and small towns across India thousands of people are protesting at the murder of a gutsy woman who fought for the marginalised,who called Dalit victims her sons, and who protested against injustice and venal politics in the face of death threats.
When you know someone, or their death hits you harder. Lankesh was the recipient of endless hate mail from Hindu extremists. She was vilified on two fronts. She dared to catch on the powerful Bharatiya Janata party (BJP),currently ruling most of India. She criticised them and their cohorts for attacking minorities and creating a culture that enabled lynching, mob violence and hate crimes. She also defended Dalit rights, and provoking the ire of many dominant-caste Indians across the political spectrum. Related: Indian journalist critical of Hindu extremists is shot dead in Bangalore Never has India witnessed the flood of hatred and vitriol currently being so openly spewedContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com