M M Kalburgi death anniversary revives debate on intolerance and freedom of expression

BENGALURU: The issue of intolerance and freedom of speech has resurfaced as thousands of writers, activists and intellectuals from across India representing abou 100 organisations took out a silent protest march and held a convention in Dharwad, Karnataka, to mark the first anniversary of the slaying of Kannada litterateur M M Kalburgi.

The residents of Kalyanagar in the quiet town of Dharwad, where Kalburgi was shot dead on his doorstep last year, joined the march, where the families of slain rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and activist Govind Pansare walked along with Kalburgi’s wife Umadevi.

“It has been a year. There has hardly been any progress in the investigation in the three murders with similar modus operandi,” Dabholkar’s son Hamid told ET. “We have told the governments and investigating agencies right from the beginning that this is a planned conspiracy to kill thoughts. Whether it is the Congress or the BJP, there has hardly been any attempt to act against organisations which are creating this atmosphere. It is saddening for democracy,” he added.

Dabhokar and Pansare were both murdered by youths on a motorcycle, shot dead on August 20, 2013 and February 20, 2015 in Pune and Kolhapur. The Maharashtra police have submitted tothe Bombay High Court that the same motorcycle was used in both cases.

Last month, Karnataka’s home minister G Parameshwara said that the state’s CID, which is investigating Kalburgi’s murder, had found a similarity in the bullets used in the killing of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi. Forensic Science Laboratories, Bengaluru, showed that 7.65 mm country-made pistols were used in all three incidents, which is awaiting verification by London’s Scotland yard.

Kannada litterateur Mallika Ganti told ET: “The issue is not just Kalburgi’s death and the investigation into it. We are using that as a reason to tackle the bigger issues of freedom of expression and intolerance. We have reached the stage where we cannot speak anything or write anything without feeling a fear of backlash. This has to change and all of us have to keep aside every other issue and any differences amongst us to find a way out, particularly for the youngsters who are getting deeply misguided.”

Academic Chaman Lal, formerly a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the march and the convention was addressing the fate of the country.

“The question in front of us is, do we stay liberal or become like Hitler’s Germany? What I am seeing here today is resistance to the crushing rule of the government in Delhi. Lots of youngsters are here, so are the 80-year-olds. People are not taking things lying down,” he said.

The writers and intellectuals had gathered on August 20 also, to mark the 2nd anniversary of Dabholkar’s death. All writers who returned their awards and activists who are concerned about the intolerance debate plan to meet in Goa in November to chalk out plans on how to spread awareness and the route forward.