Bengaluru: Late Gauri Lankesh has been selected posthumously for Anna Politkovskaya award along with Gulali Ismail, who similarly to Gauri, is fighting against the Islamic extremism in Pakistan.
“We are proud of Gauri being selected for this award. It is the first international award to be given to one of our family members,’’ Gauri’s brother Indrajit Lankesh told reporters here on Thursday.
To mark the anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya’s murder on October 7, 2006, and to honour Anna and other women like her in the world, Reach All Women in WAR (RAW in WAR) annually presents this award to a female human rights defender from a conflict zone who, like Anna, stands up for the victims of the conflict, often at great personal risk.
Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist, was killed in 2006 in Moscow for her courage to speak out on behalf the suffering of the civilians in the war in Chechnya. She was poisoned on a plane while flying from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don to help resolve the 2004 Beslan School hostage crisis. She was murdered in an elevator on October 7, 2006.
The award will be presented to the winners in March 2018 at Women of the World Festival in London.
Satisfied but not happy
Expressing concern over the delay in nabbing the murders of late Gauri, Indrajit Lankesh has said his family members (mother Indira and sister Kavitha) were satisfied with the efforts made by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) but not happy.
“We are satisfied with 150-member SIT. We know the SIT has to investigate the case meticulously since the culprits executed Gauri’s murder meticulously. They have to go through lot of evidences and witnesses before nabbing the culprits,’’ Indrajit Lankesh said.
Eager to know motive
Late Gauri’s family members, especially her mother who was struggling to control tears, want to know the motive behind the murder.
“Late Anna’s son has said he was interested to know the motive of the killers since he believed that justice is done when the motive of the killers is known. So, we too are eager to know the motive of the killers. I am of the opinion that knowing the motive will solve other murder cases such as Pansare and Kalburgi,’’ Indrajit Lankesh said.
Film on Gauri
Kavitha Lankesh, the sister of late Gauri, has said family members are not in favour of making a movie on her sister at this juncture since the investigation has not been completed.
“We do not want Gauri to become a character in the film for commercial purpose. It is too early to think about making a movie on Gauri. The people who want to make the film have to discuss with us. We are still mourning. There is no urgency for making a film on Gauri,’’ Kavitha Lankesh said.
She has also said that it would be better if a documentary is made on late Gauri. “I think documentary will have the scope to highlight late Gauri’s ideology,’’ she said.
My mother sent legal notice
Indrajit Lankesh, who is also a film director, has said his mother Indira has sent a legal notice to Kannada film director AMR Ramesh and Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) restricting them in making a film or registering a title on Gauri.
“I do not know why my name has appeared in a section of media,’’ he said.
