To: Dr. Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh
 
Cc: Shrimati Pratibha Patil, President of India
Cc: Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
Cc: Justice Rajendra Babu, Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission
Cc: Shri Ramvichar Netam, Home Minister, Government of Chhattisgarh
Cc: Shri Shivraj Singh, Chief Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh

I am writing to you to express my solidarity with the ongoing Satyagraha in Raipur, and urge you to release Dr. Binayak Sen immediately. March 16th onwards, batches of 50-100 people are courting arrest in front of the Raipur Jail, every Monday, to demand the release Dr. Binayak Sen. Supporters in other cities around the world are holding solidarity actions during this period. I fully support this Civil Disobedience movement which has been launched by individuals and organizations in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, to protest the unjust and illegal imprisonment of Dr. Binayak Sen under false and unproven charges, and the repeated denial of his bail application.

I, the undersigned, extend my fullest support to the Satyagraha in Raipur and demand that the government of Chhattisgarh take immediate steps to: 
1. Release Dr. Binayak Sen and stop harassing other human rights defenders, including Ajay T.G.
2. Repeal CSPSA and restore civil liberties for all citizens
3. Disband Salwa Judum, the state-sponsored militia whose involvement in large-scale arson and killings have been indisputably documented, and provide full compensation and justice for all its victims
 

Even though the state has been unable to produce any evidence against him, Dr. Binayak Sen's pleas for bail have been repeatedly refused by judicial institutions at all levels in the country.

Bail cannot be used as a punitive measure; rather, it is an inherent civil right in democracy, and is an essential part of the Indian criminal justice system.

In the days and months following his incarceration, Dr. Binayak Sen has received tremendous support from within India and outside. Twenty two Nobel Laureates have signed a letter in support of Dr Binayak Sen. International and national media, through news stories and editorials, have consistently pointed to the unjustified nature of Dr. Binayak Sen's imprisonment. The current Satyagraha represents the public's indignation and frustration with the responses of the Indian legal system and executive. 

The Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005 (CSPSA), under which  Dr.Binayak Sen has been arrested, allows the state to bypass many routine forms of due process through the law's unreasonably broad definition of unlawful activity, and acceptance of vague and unreliable evidence, all in the name of national security. Salwa Judum, the State-sponsored militia set up in 2005, has been responsible for killing, looting, rapes and forced eviction from their homes of more than 1,00,000 indigenous people to camps with inhuman conditions. Common concern for many is that the arrest and detention of Dr. Sen was directly related to his activities in defending the rights of the indigenous communities in Chhattisgarh state, and to his open criticism of the Salwa Judum. We condemn the state government for arming Salwa Judum and abetting terror against innocent civilians and tribals. 

I expect you to respect the civil rights of your citizens by dropping charges and releasing Dr. Binayak Sen, repealing CSPSA and disbanding Salwa Judum with immediate effect. 

Yours Sincerely,