Hyderabad: The impunity enjoyed by killers of journalists is encouraging others to take same path, said Indian Union of Journalists Secretary General Amar Devulapalli.
He was addressing a discussion to pay tribute to murdered journalist Gauri Lankesh and understand journalistic side of her life at Lamakaan on Saturday.
“I strongly believe that aligned media operating under the guise of independent media is a great threat to the freedom of expression and freedom of the press. It is a threat to democracy and plurality of opinion.
All the journalists and their organizations should forget their differences and unitedly defeat not only forces operating outside the media, but also operating within. Otherwise the very existence journalism and free and independent media will be threatened,” he said.
Amar said more than 110 journalists were killed in the country in last 25 years. Unfortunately, almost 90 percent of the cases are still pending before the courts or buried under the labyrinth of police files.
“We are campaigning for special law for the safety of journalists for last one decade,” Amar said.
Ch Sushil Rao, Senior Assistant Editor, Times of India (Hyderabad), said, “To be a Gauri, you don’t have to be a journalist. You can be yourself wherever you are.” He said that the technology has given everyone an opportunity to become a reporter.
“There are people who have such conviction about people suffering that they want to bring this to light no matter what it takes to them. All of us have equal opportunities considering the access to technology that we have today to bring out the truth, and to fight injustice,” Rao said.
“It is possible to be a rising rage and report emphatically. And I think Ms Lankesh represented that for a lot of us,” said senior journalist Nikhila Henry.
Hyderabad Youth Mirror Editor Fasiullah SM said through this discussion an attempt was made to understand how life of Gauri Lankesh could be an inspiration for young generation that wants to speak up truth come what may, and bring a positive change in the society. (INN)