Subject:Petition to protest against the continued detention of Dr. Binayak Sen (December 2007)To, Dr. Raman Singh The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Chhattishgarh CC: 1) Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India (Fax: 011-23016857) 2)ESL Narsimhan Hon'ble Governor of Chhattishgarh 3)Ram Vichar Netam Hon'ble Home Minister of Chhattishgarh Dear Chief Minister, We, the undersigned, are dismayed and deeply disappointed at the rejection of bail for Dr. Binayak Sen, by the Supreme Court of India.More than 7 months since his arrest on vague and unsubstantiated charges under a draconian law, the State of Chhattisgarh is yet to produce any semblance of evidence against Dr. Sen and continues to drag its feet at every opportunity. This was evident several times during the last 7 months, most notably when the government only brought charges, which at best can be described as baseless, on the 89 th day of his arrest, barely meeting the 90 day limit. Even as the State holds Dr. Sen with no credible case or evidence against him, the actual naxalite problem has only worsened in recent weeks and months. The recent escalation of violence and rise in death toll as well as the security breach in Dantewada prison, being the latest events in an increasingly violent state. Innocent people of Chhattisgarh continue to suffer even as the situation worsens. Dr. Binayak Sen, besides doing stellar work in the fields of public health, is a strong proponent of peace and has repeatedly condemned naxalism as he did violence of any type. We demand the following 1) That Dr. Sen be immediately released and all cases against him be dropped. 2) That the Chhattisgarh Government take immediate steps to restore peace and end the violence by the naxalites as well as the Salwa Judum. 3) That the Government end its support of the Salwa Judum immediately. 4) That the Government looks after the interests of all citizens of Chhattisgarh including understanding the underlying reasons why the naxalite movement is gaining strength in regions of the state. Background: Dr. Binayak Sen, a graduate of CMC Vellore is the General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and a pediatrician and public health/social activist of repute. He has been working in Chhattisgarh on health, social and human rights issues for over 25 years. He is responsible for stellar contributions to the cause of healthcare for all in Chhattisgarh including setting up the Shaheed Hospital for Mine Workers in Dalli Rajahara and the establishment of the Mitaneen program, a pioneering model putting the Village Health Worker at the forefront of rural healthcare. Dr. Sen during his PUCL work brought to light the human rights situation in Bastar and Dantewada districts of the state, where a civil war like situation has been prevailing, even as the state propped up by providing money and arms, an organization called the Salwa Judum to supposedly counter the attendant naxalism. Dr. Sen was arrested on May 14, 2007 under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2006 (CSPSA which gives the state sweeping powers, for allegedly being in contact with a naxalite leader who is in jail. Dr. Sen maintains that these meetings occured with the express written permission of the state. The State is yet to provide a single credible piece of evidence or a specific charge. AID Previous petition on same issue In Solidarity Privacy PolicyEmail addresses are required to verify the authenticity of the petition. They are kept strictly confidential and will not be disclosed to anybody. List of SupportersClick here to view the supporters who have signed up. |