The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Set Binayak free

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Saturday, May 17, 2008
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Set Binayak free

The editorial “Set Binayak free” (May 15) will lend strength to the campaign to secure the doctor’s release from jail. Freedom from wrongful imprisonment is a fundamental human right. Yet Dr. Sen, known to the people of Chhattisgarh as ‘the barefoot doctor,’ is languishing in solitary confinement for championing the cause of the ordinary people and taking on the establishment. As a passionate defender of civil liberties and an outspoken opponent of Salwa Judum, he was instrumental in exposing the atrocities against adivasis.

It is inconceivable that one who provided healthcare at the grassroots level can be accused of treason. As for his purported allegiance to Maoists, it is the one card the government plays to sully his name and marginalise him.

G. David Milton,

Maruthancode

The editorial has come not a day too soon. On the 60th year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 15th year of the formation of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Sen’s continued detention is reflective of the general state of civil and human rights. It shows the near-hopelessness of the situation in which the state can bulldoze hapless citizens. I join millions in urging the NHRC to take suo motu cognisance of the issue, and initiate remedial action to free the humanist. The larger issue of striking down the much-abused Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act is for the Supreme Court to address.

M.G. Premachandran,

Tiruchi

It has been apparent to Dr. Sen’s friends and admirers all over the world, and indeed to the discerning and unbiased observer, that there has never been any basis for his arrest and prolonged detention; it is equally clear that the actions of the Chhattisgarh government in this regard have been in retaliation to Dr. Sen’s humanitarian activities. Both Dr. Sen and Ajay T.G. should be released, as the editorial has urged, and all charges against them withdrawn. An unequivocal apology must be extended by those responsible for the abomination to the families of both and, in Dr. Sen’s case, to his many patients.

Ranjit Mani,

Rockville, Maryland

The demand for Dr. Sen’s release is not justified. The charges against him are serious and include sedition. That some foreign agency chose him for an award cannot absolve him of all charges. Let an impartial judiciary try Dr. Sen under the law of the land. When the issue is in court, other pressures must not be allowed to prejudice the trial.

B.N. Gangadhar,

Bangalore

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