Gauri Lankesh Biography 
Gauri Lankesh was an Indian journalist and activist from Bangalore, known for being a critic of right-wing Hindu extremism. She was the daughter of P. Lankesh, well-known writer, film director and journalist from Karnataka. Her siblings - Indrajit Lankesh and Kavitha Lankesh too are associated with Kannada film industry. Known for her outspoken character, she was quite active in social life with debates for television channels and many other works. She was shot to death outside her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar by unidentified assailants on September 5, 2017.
Gauri Lankesh was born in 1962 to well-known writer and media personality, P. Lankesh. She was married to Chidanand Rajghatta, an opinion columnist based in Washington, D.C. Gauri started her career as a journalist with The Times of India in Bangalore, and has later worked as an editor in Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly started by her father. In between she had 16 years of work experience as a journalist and took over the editor post of Lankesh Patrike, soon after the death of her father in 2000. Lankesh Patrike was to cease the operation. But Gauri along with her brother Indrajith took things forward.
Very soon differences developed between the siblings over the paper's ideology, and relationship turned tense. In a press conference held in 2005, Indrajith accused her of promoting Naxalism through the paper. But she denied the accusation stating that her brother was opposed to her social activism. Very soon she started her own Kannada weekly called Gauri Lankesh Patrike. She criticised the right-wing Hindutva politics, and has invited many controversies since then.
She endorsed minority religion tag for the Lingayat community, and has been closely associated with many social activities. Gauri was known for advocating freedom of the press and was openly critical of the caste system. On 5 September 2017, three unidentified men on motorbikes shot her to death at her house in Bangalore. She was unlocking the main door of her house after returning from her office, at around 8 pm, and she was shot dead on the spot.
Published: N/A
Updated: June 15, 2018
