Gauri Told Me That Death Threats Would Not Shut Her Up: Kanhaiya

Kanhaiya: Gauri told me, “If they attack you, then you are doing something right.” And then, she was killed.

“She was like my mother”, Kanhaiya Kumar remembers Gauri Lankesh. An old photo of the two of them together.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Kanhaiya Kumar)

(This article was first published on 6 September 2017, a day after journalist Gauri Lankesh was assassinated in Bengaluru. It is being republished on the occasion of her first death anniversary.)

Gauri Lankesh was like my mother. She used to say, “Mera beta hai Kanhaiya.”

Speaking to The Quint, activist and former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar remembers the time journalist Gauri Lankesh told him that her life was under threat.

“She would tell us that she was aware of a threat to her life, that she was the top threat now for some people. But she told us that she would not get scared, she would not stop writing the truth.”

Kanhaiya adds, “Gauri Lankesh's death is a huge loss to the nation. She shared a special bond with those fighting for social causes. For example, she was very close to Jignesh Mevani.”

In her activism and her journalism, she was fearless and independent. She fought for the oppressed, she fought against injustice. Through the power of her pen, she raised a voice for the oppressed.”

Kanhaiya remembers the time he spoke to Gauri after he was attacked in Indore. “She told me not to worry. She said, "If they are attacking you, then you are doing something right.” And now, she has been killed. By her own standard, it tells us that she was fighting the good fight.”

Also Read: ‘Adopted Sons’ Jignesh Mevani & Kanhaiya Kumar Mourn Gauri Lankesh

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam