This may look like hero worship. Its not intended so; but its open to interpretation and immune to destructive opinions. I’ve wanted to say this for a while now and here I am; make of it what you will.
Until Vasanth Giliyar came into the picture, the Dharmasthala case was a one-sided narrative that accused the administrative family of the temple and called them manipulators of law. This man single-handedly carried out an investigation (perhaps supported by a team of his own) and brought the investigation reports and court proceedings to public domain, enabling the right side to raise a voice too. Until then, the right side had no say in the narrative that confidently called names, pointed fingers and spun below-the-belt stories about pretty much anyone who dared speak for the temple.
After Giliyar’s videos surfaced, the scales tipped in favour of the truth and it has been somewhat of an even battle since. He made a video series in connection to the Soujanya case where the nuances of the inconsequential legal proceedings have been presented in detail for the people who asked ‘if not Santosh Rao then who?’ Since then, he has left no stone unturned to understand the propaganda completely and stand on the truth’s side while the media, social media ‘warriors’ and so-called activists have bashed him left and right.
Eventually, mainstream media picked up the issue and furthered the investigation with more rigour. There are few more names that deserve recognition for their unflinching stance with the truth. I am no authority to be granting them accolades; this post is simply an appreciation for a regional journalist whose journey I have been following since he first ventured into the Dharmasthala case. He has stood rock solid through the vicious attacks that threatened his life and reputation, and that of his loved ones. It takes a whole lot of courage to stand tall against that. And for that journey he undertook, this is a simple, rather minor but heartfelt post of appreciation.
Also read:
Leave a Reply