A fringe group or an individual claiming to be 'Sahishnu Hindu,' has been threatening to kill writers and activists who are critical of the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ever since April 2022, an anonymous person has been writing letters which have been sent to over six writers, multiple times. The letters mention that over 64 authors and intellectuals are targets of 'Sahishnu Hindu's' elimination list.
Apart from public intellectuals and social activists, politicians and former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy have also been part of the list complied by 'Sahishnu Hindu'.
Despite, the writers bringing the letter to police's notice, little progress has been made in the case, apart from giving them protection.
Police Sit Silent As Death Threats Rise On Democratic Voices in Karnataka
Some of prominent names included in the 'hitlist' are Devanuru Mahadeva, Baraguru Ramachandrappa, BT Lalitha, Siddaramaiah, HD Kumaraswamy, Mahua Moitra, and also film-maker Leena Manimekalai.
However, the letters have been addressed to specific writers and authors who voiced their opinions on the Chakrathirtha textbook committee's recommendations and the Hijab controversy in Karnataka.
Poet SG Siddaramaiah and writer Vasundhra Bhupati received a letter each, while activist BT Lalitha Naik, writer BL Venu and poet Chandrashekhar Talya received three letters each. Meanwhile, authors Kumbara Veerabhadrappa and Banjagere Jayaparakash got five letters each.
After much criticism, the Karnataka police has asked an SP-rank police officer to look at all the 21 letters that have been sent to authors residing across the state. However, no leads have been made after the FIR got filed.
When The Quint, reached out to Sanjay Nagar and Harohalli police, where cases have been booked based on complaints lodged by BT Lalitha Naik and Banjagere Jayaprakash, the police refused to comment on the investigation.
Sources in police department also told The Quint, that they have got no substantial lead yet. "Most of the letter have the same handwriting, there is also a deliberate attempt to make grammatical errors, and they also are posted from the same post office in Davanagere," the source added.
No Lessons Learnt From Gauri and Kalburgi's Killing: Authors
In an interaction with The Quint, Banjagere Jayaprakash, one of the writers who has received death threat from 'Sahishnu Hindu,' said that he has always been against the use of weapons. But, he is now forced to have a gunman accompany him every time he steps out of the house.
Residing in a small village called Harohalli in Ramanagara district, the author recollects, "Back then Gauri Lankesh and MM Kalburgi voiced their opinions and spoke about what was going wrong in government's treatment of minority castes and communities. But, they were silenced by the Hindutva forces. Today, it is the same for us."
Though, a case have been registered in Harohalli police station and the superintendent of police has assured speedy investigation, no arrests have been made in this regard.
"Right-wing outfits have ensured that the government drop works by Dalit and minority writers and include only works by dominant castes in textbooks. They have communalised the issue of hijab and have selectively targeted Muslim students. I have expressed my opinions on these matters. But, the opposition to my words are not ideological, it is criminal. They want me to be prepared for my murder."Banjagere Jayaprakash, Kannada Writer
The letters which consistently target writers for speaking their mind, accuse them for being 'anti-Hindu.' The letters lash out at progressive writers and also call them 'sympathisers of Islamic terrorism.'
"The government doesn't seem to have taken this issue seriously. I am not surprised that the police are lackadaisical and the home minister has said nothing about these letters," said writer SG Siddaramaiah to The Quint.
The authors allege that ignoring of similar threats to progressive thinkers and writers, led to the brutal killings of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi, and Gauri Lankesh by Hindutva forces.
"These letter that we are getting are indicative of the growing radicalism that is being promoted by extremist Hindutva outfits. But, the administration and the police seem to be learning very little from these assassinations," added writer Banjagere Jayaprakash.
The author also recollected the horrific day when MM Kalaburgi was murdered in Dharwad on a morning of 30 August 2015, when two bike borne men reached the house of Indian scholar pretending to be his students and opened fired at point-blank range.
Recently, the SIT probing Gauri Lankesh's murder, revealed that the assassins used the same gun to kill three public intellectuals – Gauri Lankesh on 5 September 2017, scholar MM Kalaburgi and activist Govind Pansare in February 2015.
The Irony of Sahishnu Hindu's Death Threats
"Sri.....Sri.....Sri"
This is how the letter begins – with a Hindu religious word said in repentance seeking prosperity and well-being. But, it soon begins to make accusations at the recipients and threatens to kill them.
"I am writing to you once again. The last time I wrote to you, you filed a police complaint. Now, this is a real death threat," read a line from the third letter that social activist BT Lalitha Naik got on 20 July 2022.
The letter which claims to be coming from a being 'tolerant Hindu' soon starts justifying his calls for murder and death.
On examining the letters sent to BL Venu, BT Lalitha Naik, SG Siddaramiah and Banjagere Jayaprakash, The Quint learnt that the letter contain similar texts and sentences.
"Death is lurking around you, be ready to die."
"Death is very close to you and it might strike you anytime."
"Inform your family to make arrangements for your funeral."
These were some of the sentences that kept repeating in all the letters that had been written to more than six writers.
The term 'Sahishnu Hindu' means tolerant Hindu. But the letters signed by this 'tolerant Hindu', bait for communal violence.
Speaking to The Quint, BT Lalitha Naik said, "I have received three letters till now, the most recent being on 16 July, 2022. Accusing me of being an anti-national and a dharma drohi, the person writing this letter to me, openly calls for my killing. I don't understand how this is being called tolerant."
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