South Asia Citizens Web

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.

In the eyes of the government of Chhattisgarh, the crime of Binayak Sen is that he dared question the corrupt and brutal methods used to tackle the Maoist upsurge. In 2005, the state government promoted a vigilante army that spread terror through the districts of Dantewada, Bijapur and Bastar. In the name of combating Naxalism, it burned homes (and occasionally, whole villages), violated tribal women, and attacked (and sometimes killed) tribal men who refused to join its ranks. As a result of its depredations almost a hundred thousand adivasis with no connection at all to Maoism were rendered homeless.

It’s 10 years since Irom Sharmila began her fast, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in Manipur. Ten years during which she has been force-fed nutrients through a tube. But nobody’s listening…

In a recent report, the National Forest Rights Act Committee has also recognised that the Himachal government has failed to implement the act and that no forests should be diverted for projects like the Renuka Dam until the rights are recognised. Further, as per 2009 ministry guidelines, getting a ‘no objection certificate’ from the gram sabhas (village councils) of project-affected villages is necessary before diverting forestlands. But this hasn’t been done in the case of the Renuka project, which is going to submerge lands owned by over 1,000 families of 37 villages at Sirmaur. The submergence of these lands won’t only destroy a thriving agricultural economy but also the socio­cultural fabric of the Giri Valley.

The life sentence handed down against Dr Binayak Sen by a court in the India state of Chhattisgarh violates international fair trial standards and is likely to enflame tensions in the conflict-affected area, Amnesty International said today