Intellectuals and activists, including Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy, have stepped up protests against the “shocking” imprisonment of rights activist Binayak Sen and demanded immediate hearing of his appeal after granting him bail.

Sen’s supporters have also started an online campaign (see below) for his release by posting a petition on the Internet seeking his release which will be sent to President Pratibha Patil. Nearly 4,000 people have signed the petition, so far.

While Chomsky and 81 other intellectuals issued a statement, Roy and religious leader Swami Agnivesh joined students, teachers and activists at a protest meet to deplore the sentence awarded to Sen on charges of sedition. In the statement, the intellectuals demanded that his appeal should be heard “expeditiously” with “enlightened reason”.

Sen never resorted to violence or incited anyone else to resort to violence and on the contrary, as a doctor and a human rights activist he stood up in defence of the rights of down trodden, they said.

“Yet he has been handed down this sentence whose savagery is unbelievable,” the statement signed among others by Romila Thapar, Prabhat Patnaik, Ashok Mitra and Mushirul Hasan said.

Noting that such an impression must be avoided, they said, the damage done by this “shocking” verdict must be undone and the higher judiciary must grant him immediate bail till the end of the appeal.

Sen, Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata-based businessman Piyush Guha were sentenced to life imprisonment last Friday for sedition and colluding with Maoists to establish a network to fight the state.

At the protest organized at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Roy said there was “hardly any connection” between the judgement that was given on Sen, Guha and Sanyal and the evidence that was produced in the court.

“The two seem to be completely on separate tracks,” she said and identified Sen as a “symbol” of something “terrible that’s happening”. “His life and work had already been destroyed,” Roy said.

Describing Sen as a “dedicated soul,” Agnivesh said the case has shaken everyone. “If you are charging Sen with sedition, then slap the same charge against me also. I am with him,” he said.

The All India Milli Council also came in support of Sen with its general secretary Mohammed Manzoor Alam saying that his case could be the “beginning of the degeneration of our democracy into a police state.”

The online petition claimed that the charges against Sen have not been corroborated by any of the witnesses or evidence produced in court so far. “On the contrary there have been numerous instances of the prosecution resorting to use of fabricated documents and contradictory testimonies to press its case,” it noted.

Statement by Academics on Dr. Binayak Sen judgment
From www.binayaksen.net/

We are deeply shocked by the judgment of a Chhattisgarh court holding the human rights activist Dr. Binayak Sen to be guilty of sedition, and sentencing him to life imprisonment.

Dr. Binayak Sen never resorted to violence against any other person, never incited anyone else to resort to violence, never entered into any conspiracy against the Constitutional order of the country, and never entered into regular service of any organisation that was involved in any such conspiracy, for furthering its cause. On the contrary, as a doctor he served the people with devotion and helped to save many lives; as a human rights activist he stood up in defence of the rights of the downtrodden. And yet he has been handed down this sentence whose savagery is unbelievable.

Such an action on the part of the State in the name of preserving the Constitutional order will only serve to undermine that Constitutional order itself. It will inevitably raise the thought in the minds of many that an order within which the activities of a person like Dr. Sen can be held to be “seditious” is not worth defending.

Such an impression must be avoided. The damage done by this shocking verdict to our Constitutional order must be undone. The higher judiciary of the country must hear his appeal expeditiously, must grant him immediate bail till the end of the appeal process, and must judge his case with enlightened reason.

1. Professor Prabhat Patnaik, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
2. Professor Noam Chomsky, MIT, Cambridge, Mass, USA
3. Professor Amiya Kumar Bagchi, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
4. Dr. Ashok Mitra, former Finance Minister, Govt of West Bengal
5. Professor Akeel Bilgrami, Columbia University, New York, USA
6. Professor Romila Thapar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
7. Dr Vina Mazumdar, National Research Professor, New Delhi
8. Professor Jasodhara Bagchi, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
9. Professor Utsa Patnaik, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
10. Professor Muchkund Dubey, former Secretary and Ambassador, Government of India
11. Professor Partha Chatterjee, CSSS Kolkata
12. Dr S.P. Shukla, former Member, Planning Commission, Government of India
13. Professor C. P. Chandrasekhar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
14. Professor T. Jayaraman, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
15. Professor Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
16. Mr Sashi Kumar, Journalist and Educationist, Chennai
17. Dr B. K. Chandrashekhar, former Minister, Karnataka, Bangalore
18. Dr Vinod Raina, Educationist, New Delhi
19. Ms Indira Chandrasekhar, Tulika Publishers, New Delhi
20. Dr Mushirul Hasan, Director, National Archives of India
21. Professor Mohan Rao, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
22. Professor Alok Rai, University of Delhi
23. Dr. Praveen Jha, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
24. Professor Zoya Hasan, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
25. Dr Anita Raina, University of Delhi
26. Dr. Vikas Rawal, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
27. Professor Malini Bhattacharya, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
28. Ms Smita Gupta, Institute of Human Development, New Delhi
29. Ms Githa Hariharan, Writer, New Delhi
30. Professor Anuradha Chenoy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
31. Professor Mihir Bhattacharya, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
32. Professor Kamal Chenoy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
33. Professor Aijaz Ahmad, New Delhi
34. Professor Nivedita Menon, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
35. Dr. G. Arunima, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
36. Professor Neeladri Bhattacharya, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
37. Dr. Aditya Nigam, Centre for Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi
38. Dr Chitra Joshi, University of Delhi
39. Rahul Roy, Film maker
40. Professor Vijay Prashad, University of Connecticut, USA
41. Prof. Rajeev Bhargava, Centre for Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi
42. Seema Mustafa, Journalist, New Delhi
43. Prof. Achin Vanaik, University of Delhi
44. Pamela Philippose, Journalist, New Delhi
45. Fr Cedric Prakash, Director, PRASHANT, Ahmedabad
46. Dr Partho Datta, University of Delhi
47. Mr Prashant Bhushan, Lawyer, Delhi
48. Professor Sumit Sarkar, formerly University of Delhi
49. Professor Tanika Sarkar, Jawaharlal Nehru University
50. Dr Himanshu, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
51. Dr Avinash Jha, University of Delhi
52. Ms Teesta Setalvad, Mumbai
53. Dr Badri Raina, University of Delhi
54. Professor Sumangala Damodaran, Amedkar University, New Delhi
55. Professor Nandini Sundar, University of Delhi
56. Dr AJC Bose, University of Delhi
57. Dr Parthapratim Pal, Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata
58. Dr Saumyajit Bhattacharya, University of Delhi
59. Mr Harsh Mander, Member National Advisory Council, Delhi
60. Dr Rahul Roy, Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi
61. Professor Venkatesh Athreya, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai
62. Professor Sushil Khanna, Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata
63. Ms Dipa Sinha, Right to Food Campaign, New Delhi
64. Dr Dilip Simeon, University of Delhi
65. Ms Rajarshi Dasgupta, Kolkata
66. Professor Surajit Mazumdar, ISID, New Delhi
67. Mr Ankur Khanna, actor, Kolkata
68. Mr Praful Bidwai, Journalist, New Delhi
69. Dr Ayesha Kidwai, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
70. Mr Pradeep Magazine, Journalist, New Delhi
71. Mr Indrajit Hazra, Journalist, Delhi
72. Professor Tulsi Ram, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
73. Mr Vinod Sharma, Journalist, New Delhi
74. Ms Radhika Menon, Tulika Books, Chennai
75. Dr Neeraj Javed, University of Delhi
76. Mr Asad Zaidi, Publisher, New Delhi
77. Dr K. R. Nayar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
78. Mr Nasir Khan, New Delhi
79. Dr Smitha Francis, Economic Research Foundation, New Delhi
80. Dr Murali Kallummal, Centre for WTO Studies, New Delhi
81. Ms Kamla Bhasin, Jagori, New Delhi
82. Prabir Purkayastha, Delhi Science Forum, New Delhi

Online petition to the president

From www.petitiononline.com/
Indian Justice Has Failed Dr Binayak Sen

To:  The President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

We, the undersigned are shocked at the conviction of well-known public health doctor and human rights worker Dr Binayak Sen by a Raipur Sessions Court on charges of ‘sedition’ and ‘waging war against the Indian State’. The conviction carries a sentence of life imprisonment, a drastic and completely unjust fate, to be handed out to one India’s finest social activists.
We call upon the higher Indian judiciary to uphold principles of law, justice and the rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution and undo the severe damage done to the reputation of the judiciary itself through the Raipur court’s flawed judgment.

The charges against Dr Sen, of allegedly aiding outlawed Maoist rebels in Chhattisgarh, have not been corroborated by any of the witnesses or evidence produced in court so far. On the contrary there have been numerous instances of the prosecution resorting to use of fabricated documents and contradictory testimonies to press its case.

We further believe that the charges against Dr Sen, made under draconian ‘anti-terrorist’ laws, are trumped up and intended to ‘punish’ him for his outspoken criticism of the Chhattisgarh government for its human rights violations against its own tribal populations. Dr Sen, a heart patient, has already spent over two years in prison from May 2007 to May 2009 and was released on bail by the Indian Supreme Court.

That the world’s largest democratic country cannot tolerate criticism and non-violent human rights activism is a matter of shame to Indian citizens everywhere and this attitude of intolerance needs to be roundly condemned. Such low quality of justice, routinely delivered in our courts, is indeed itself a threat to Indian democracy.

Not only should Dr Sen be released immediately from imprisonment and charges withdrawn, there needs to be a thorough inquiry against all those who have framed him so maliciously. We also demand adequate compensation to Dr Sen for being deprived of his basic freedoms and his family for being subjected to the most inhumane mental torture and persecution.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned
[Go to the website to sign the petition online: http://www.petitiononline.com/sen2010/petition.html]

A previous petition in support of Binayak Sen

RELEASE DR BINAYAK SEN, REPEAL CHATTISGARH ACT
[From www.savebinayak.ukaid.org.uk]

16 June 2007

We, the undersigned, are dismayed at the continued detention of Dr Binayak Sen, General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), since 14 May. Dr Binayak Sen is also National Vice-President of PUCL, one of the oldest civil liberties organizations in India .

Dr Sen epitomises a dwindling tradition in India of public health professionals taking health care to the poorest sections and most underdeveloped regions of this country. For the past 30 years, he has been promoting community rural health care centres. He was a member of the state advisory committee that piloted a community-based health worker programme in Chhattisgarh. He also helped establish the Shaheed Hospital in Dalli Rajhara, set up and operated by workers for over 25 years.

We believe that the arrest of Dr Binayak Sen is a grave assault on the democratic rights movement in India . PUCL Chhattisgarh has been one of the foremost independent organizations to draw attention to the excesses committed by the Chhattisgarh government under its Salwa Judum campaign. The fake encounters, rapes, burning of villages and displacement of adivasis in tens of thousands and consequent loss of livelihoods have been extensively chronicled by several independent investigations. Dr Sen's arrest is clearly an attempt to intimidate PUCL and other democratic voices that have been speaking out against human rights violations in the state. In recent days, the targets of state harassment have widened to include Dr Ilina Sen, who for years has been active in the women's movement, Gautam Bandopadhyaya of Nadi Ghati Morcha, PUCL's Rashmi Dwivedi, and other activists of PUCL.

Dr Sen has been detained under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2006 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004 on charges that are completely baseless. Both these extraordinary laws have been criticized by numerous civil rights groups for being extremely vague and subjective in what is deemed unlawful, and for giving arbitrary powers to the State to silence all manner of dissent. As was feared, these undemocratic laws have been used to target Dr Sen and PUCL Chhattisgarh.

We demand:

1.That all charges against Dr Sen be dropped and that he should be released immediately;
2. That the threats to and harassment of other activists be stopped immediately;
3. The immediate disbanding of the Salwa Judum; and
4. That the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2006 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004 be repealed.

SIGNATORIES

1. Professor Noam Chomsky
2. Professor Romila Thapar
3. Professor Irfan Habib
4. Dr Ashok Mitra
5. Habib Tanvir
6. Arundhati Roy
7. Professor Amiya Bagchi
8. Professor Prabhat Patnaik
9. Rajendra Yadav
10. Professor Sumit Sarkar
11. Dilip Chitre
12. Professor Jean Dreze
13. Professor Utsa Patnaik
14. Professor Namwar Singh
15. Shyam Benegal
16. Professor Jayati Ghosh
17. Anand Patwardhan
18. Professor Utsa Patnaik
19. Professor Imrana Qadeer
20. Dr Rama Baru
21. Dr Ritu Priya
22. Professor Tanika Sarkar
23. Anand Swaroop Verma
24. Sayera Habib
25. Professor Abhijit Sen
26. Geetha Hariharan
27. Professor Jasodhara Bagchi
28. Dr Uma Chakravarti
29. Professor Anand Chakravarti
30. Gopa Sen
31. Krishna Suman
32. Dunu Roy
33. Dr K. J. Mukherjee
34. Amar Kanwar
35. Vrinda Grover
36. Dr Mohan Rao
37. Professor K.R. Nayar