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Dr Binayak Sen is a paediatrician, public health specialist and national Vice-President of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in Chhattisgarh state, India. Dr Sen is noted for extending health care to the poorest people and monitoring the health and nutrition status of the people of Chhattisgarh. In May 2007, he was imprisoned due to his connection with human rights, raising global concern about his welfare.
Achievements in Health Care
Dr Sen helped to set up the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha's Shaheed Hospital, a pioneering health programme for the region. The hospital is owned and operated by a workers' organization for the benefit of all, regardless of caste or any other background.
Dr Sen is an advisor to Jan Swasthya Sahyog, a health care organization committed to developing a low-cost, effective, community health programme in the tribal and rural areas of Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh.
He was also a member of the state advisory committee set up to pilot the community based health worker programme across Chhattisgarh, later well-known as the Mitanin programme.
He also gives his services to a weekly clinic in a tribal community.
Dr Sen was the recipient in 2004 of the Paul Harrison award for a lifetime of service to the rural poor. This award is given annually by the prestigious Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, to one of its alumni.
Human Rights and Peace
Dr Sen is the National Vice-President of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and General Secretary of its Chhattisgarh unit.
In his PUCL capacity, he has helped to organize numerous fact finding missions into human rights violations. These have included:
- extra-judicial killings,
- prisoners likely to be at risk of torture.
He participated in investigations which drew attention to the severe adverse impact on ordinary citizens of the local government-backed "Salwa Judoom" (sometimes spelt "Salva Judum") - an anti-Maoist armed movement.
Dr Sen has been noted for his advocacy of peaceful methods. Talking to reporter Purnima S. Tripathi of the magazine Frontline in March 2006, he said of the violence in Chhattisgarh: "These senseless killings are unfortunate and must stop and both sides should sit down to talk and find a way to peace." (Frontline, Volume 23, Issue 05 : March 11 - 24, 2006).
Dr Sen's Arrest
On 14th May 2007, Dr. Sen was arrested in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, after being accused by the police of absconding for a week and also of visiting prisoners belonging to extremist groups. Dr. Sen pointed out that contrary to allegations of "absconding", that he had been on a holiday (planned long in advance) and that he had returned as soon as he heard about the allegations.
In a TV interview given whilst under judicial remand, Dr Sen said that all his visits to prisoners were undertaken openly, in the course of his human rights work, and under close supervision by jail authorities.
On 16th May 2007 Amnesty International issued a call to the Government of Chhattisgarh to "immediately release Dr. Sen unless he is charged with a recognizable criminal offence and take urgent steps to end the harassment of the other human rights defenders in the state."
On 18th May 2007 Dr. Sen appeared in court and asked for legal requirements to be observed, including the First Information Report, Complaint and the Grounds on which he was being detained. None were provided. The police request for transferring him from judicial remand into police custody was rejected by the court. He remained in judicial remand.
On 19th May 2007 the police searched Dr. Sen's house. According to indepependent observers present during the search and local press reports, no incriminating evidence was found. A complete and detailed inventory of items taken by the police was released by the PUCL. No banned items appear on the list. (- in Hindi).
Items which police have described to the press as incriminating evidence turned out to be a postcard from the jailed Narayan Sanyal dated 3.6.2006, regarding the prisoner's health as well as his legal case, duly signed by the jail authorities and carrying the official jail seal.
On '22nd May 2007 Dr. Sen appeared in court again and was sent on judicial remand to Raipur Central Jail until 5th June, 2007. The Court passed an order that Dr. Sen's computer (now in police custody), would be examined by a government expert in the presence of the District Head of the National Informatics Centre, plus a lawyer - with knowledge of computers -representing Dr Sen. Dr Sen protested against attempts to handcuff him, and the court ordered that he should not be handcuffed. Dr Sen's lawyers then moved a bail application which will be heard on 24th May 2007.
correct as at: 29 December 2024
Worldwide Codemnation of Arrest
Protests against Dr Sen's arrest have been led by prominent personalities such as Magsaysay Prize winner Aruna Roy, Booker Prize winner Arundathi Roy, retired judge Rajinder Sachar of the Delhi High Court, many eminent medical professors and scientists in India, the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and beyond.
Many Indian human rights groups have protested the arrest. A list can be found at InfochangeIndia.org
Amnesty International issued a call to the Government of Chhattisgarh to "immediately release Dr. Sen unless he is charged with a recognizable criminal offence."