South Asia Citizens Web

There is every reason to believe that an example has been made of Binayak Sen. By trying and sentencing him, the State has sent out this message to others who voice dissent: “Behave yourselves, or this is what will happen to you too.”

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) mourns the passing away of K.G. Kannabiran at his home in Secunderabad at about 5 pm on December 30 [2010].

Activists across the country have known Kannabiran as the unshakeable pillar of integrity and sagacity and as a person who stood as the pillar of the
civil liberties movement in the country. Those of us in Andhra Pradesh have
also had the privilege of having known him for his wisdom and courage on a
daily basis. He was a builder of the civil liberties movement in the State
in the post-emergency period. Over four decades, Kannabiran has helped in
articulating a uniquely Indian perspective on civil liberties, both through
his legal practice and through his writings and public speaking.

By systematically persecuting Dr Binayak Sen, a tireless champion of human rights and the rights of adivasis and workers, the Indian state is sending a strong message to civil society about the price of not toeing the line.

The headlines in the media, the constant talk in the market of how deep the corruption has sunk in our body politic and how nefarious role is played by the ill gotten money contribution to all political parties is a specter which is haunting the public all the time. Why inspite of CBI investigation in 2G Scam under Supreme Court monitoring or by J.P.C. or P.A.C. probe still not persuade the government to consider seriously to enact a effectively genuine Lokpal legislation to deal with this menace of corruption – if the draft of Lokpal Bill 2010 is any indication it would appear that realization of grave urgency is still missing – with the government.

’Queer’ activists out and proud in Delhi and Mumbai have little connection with those forced to live in small-town secrecy