P. Lankesh
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P. Lankesh was an Indian writer and journalist, writing in the Kannada language.
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[edit] Early career
Lankesh began his writing career with Kereya Neeranu Kerege Challi, a collection of short stories published in 1963. He followed this with several more collections of short stories and poetry, three novels, critical essays, translations (including Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal and works of Sophocles) and several plays and films. His 1977 film Pallavi won India's national award for best direction.
[edit] Lankesh Patrike
He founded the controversial tabloid Lankesh Patrike in 1979. The tabloid gained tremendous popularity among the youth for its no-holds-barred attack against the corruption, nepotism, superstition and religious fundamentalism which had become widespread in Indian politics during the 1970s and early 1980s.
P. Lankesh often used the newspaper to campaign on behalf of the oppressed and the minority groups. His articles attacking the politicians, bureaucrats in bitterly laced sarcasm became hugely popular among the public, and gave them a forum to express their anger towards the establishment
It was the political class and the bureaucracy in general that bore the brunt of Lankesh's vituperative articles in the tabloid. However, during his last days, he showed a definite tilt towards the Congress Party and had planned to start a political party.
[edit] Death
After his death in 2000, his property was divided among his three children: Gauri, Kavitha, and Indrajit Lankesh. Gauri Lankesh took over the editorship of Lankesh Patrike although the ownership went to her brother Indrajit Lankesh. However, Indrajit later expelled Gauri from the newspaper citing Gauri's support to the Naxalite movement in Karnataka. Gauri then started her own tabloid titled Lankesh. Incidentally Indrajit and Kavitha Lankesh are both acclaimed film directors.
