Free Binayak Sen – one face, a million profiles, May 14

Dear reader,

This is a call for action. Do you -

Believe in Human Rights?
Believe that human rights defenders, i.e. people working for human rights, should be protected, and not jailed?
Believe in democracy? In fairness and equality?
Have a Facebook account?

If you checked a yes to all the four above, let me introduce you (you might already know…) to a person, a human rights defender, named Dr Binayak Sen, a pediatrician, who was put into jail by the Government of the state of Chattisgarh, India, in May, 2007. Neither he, nor his family, were shown the FIR, chargesheet, or complaint, which led to his arrest.

I did a short radio documentary on Dr Binayak Sen for our college internet radio. A small excerpt -

A pediatrician by profession, hailing from Chattisgarh, Dr Binayak Sen undertook may health related activities in the rural areas of the state. He helped set up a hospital, and trained community health workers, along with his wife Illina. While working with marginalized communities, Dr Sen also got involved with People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), a forum working for human rights. In March 2007, Dr Sen and the PUCL helped draw attention to the murder of several adivasis under the controversial state funded Salwa Judum project.

Dr Sen was detained on May 14, 2007. The police accused him of absconding for the past one week.

During the year, his house was searched and computer examined, with the police finding no incriminating evidence. He was not shown the FIR, Complaint, or Grounds, on which he was detained. His wife says that there is no charge-sheet against him either. He was being detained on the slain that he was a Maoist messenger. Allegedly he helped transmit a message from an ex-maoist, who happened to be Dr Sen’s patient. The item described by the police as incriminating turned out to be a postcard, dated 1 and a half years previous to the arrest.

In December 2007, the Supreme Court heard the appeal for Dr Sen’s Bail. Of the 2 judges who heard the case, one was replaced, and the other was extended hospitality by the Chattisgarh government just days before the trail. The appeal was dismissed, 35 minutes into the trial.

In 2008, it was revealed that Dr Sen was put in solitary confinement for periods longer than a month.

He was awarded the R R Keithon Gold Medal of the Indian Academy of Social Sciences in December 2007, and he was selected for the highest international honour in Global Health and Human Rights – the Jonathan Mann Award in 2008, by the Global Health Council.

He was not given parole to attend either of the functions.

Since 2007, protests against Dr Sen’s arrest has been led by prominent organization and people like Amnesty International, The British House of Commons, Noam Chomsky, Amartya Sen, Arundathi Roy, retired Delhi High Court Judge Rajinder Sachar, and many other professors, scientists, and human rights groups in India, United States of America, United Kingdom, and Australia.

The British Medical Journal, and the Wall Street Journal, were among the countless Indian media, which publicized the illegal detainment of Dr Sen.

‘Free Binayak Sen’ campaign have erupted worldwide, with millions to Dr Sen’s support. Documentaries, film festivals, seminars, and petition have been made and organized in his favour.

And yet, even today he remains in jail.

In 2007, the Tehelka reported “It is feared that Sen’s arrest may be followed by arrests of other activists in Raipur. Activists in other parts of the country could also be targeted.”

Two years later, Dr Sen is still in jail.

Yes. Two years later, Dr Sen is still in jail. Without reason. Without warrant. Without examination.

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