What is the similarity between the deaths of Narendra Dhabolkar, Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh? They all fell to the bullets in a similar fashion at a point blank range. Dhabolkar was shot at Pune while he was on his morning walk in August 2013, Pansare was shot likewise in Kolhapur in February 2015, Kalburgi fell to the bullets of the goons at his residence in Dharwad in August 2015 and just a couple of days ago Gauri Lankesh was eliminated at the point of the guns just in front of her house in Bengaluru.
What is the common link that can be derived from these people? They were all rationalists, free thinkers, social activists and above all who stood by what they said and dared their adversaries through their bold approach in life. They were outspoken and candid in their views and some of them launched a crusade against blind beliefs and superstitions, others tried to advocate inter-caste marriages, advocated against empty and meaningless rituals or attacked the right wing hardliners on their uncompromising approaches. Tragically the antagonists could not challenge them and wanted to eliminate them at any cost and probably got it done through hired killers. That is what happens when you are opposed to any voices of dissent, which is the bane in a civilised society. The views of some may not agree with others but then there is a way to contest through democratic means but not through violent killings. It is worth noting that after each of the above killings there had been widespread protests by people who swear by righteous ways and the same can be seen in the latest case of Gauri Lankesh whose death was mourned by the entire nation.
What we feel deeply dejected is the failure of the investigating agency which has not succeeded in cracking a single of the aforesaid cases in a conclusive manner, apart from making a few arrests and trying to draw a parallel between the said murders. When the murderers are untraced and move freely it only encourages them to further their clandestine designs. It is good that in the Gauri Lakesh case the Karnataka government has set up a SIT to fast-track the case and has expressed its openness for a CBI enquiry.
We only detest the immature comments made by Rahul Gandhi against the BJP and RSS, despite the fact that the Gauri Lankesh case falls in Karnataka which has a Congress government. Though no one takes his views seriously he should learn to downsize his articulations.
