Panaji.. 7th sept 2017 … The Goa Union of Journalists joins journalist and civil society bodies around the country in unequivocally condemning the brutal murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.
The Goa Union of Journalists believes that the murder, and the manner in which it has been carried out, is a deliberate attempt to silence journalists and others who have been speaking up, questioning dominant narratives, and showing an uncomfortable light on the activities of fundamentalists, extremists and others who question the freedoms we all espouse.
The murder is not an attack on an individual journalist but an attack on the principles this nation has been built on, which today are threatened.
The Goa Union of Journalists at the protest meeting held at Azad Maidan on wednesday has resolved to not be cowered in the face of such attacks and instead strive to protect the freedoms especially the right to free speech.
The murder coming even as the perpetrators of other political killings — Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar — continue to evade justice embolden and send signals that such killings can go ahead with impunity.
In this context, it is imperative that the authorities act swiftly and arrest the culprits behind this murder and buck this alarming trend.
On behalf of journalists in Goa, the Goa Union of Journalists offers its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the bereaved journalist in this difficult time.
The Goa Union of Journalists has urged civil society at large to join hands with the media at this critical juncture to send a strong signal to the perpetrators of such heinous crimes that we are together to defend our liberties.
The Goa Union of Journalists extends its gratitude to all members as well as civil society members who made it for the protest at Azad Maidan despite the short notice.
