Please forward this to all
RELEASE BINAYAK SEN NOW
HUM SAB BINAYAK SEN!!
PROPOSALS FOR NATIONAL ACTION
28th Dec, 2010
Dear friends,
The last four days has seen spontaneous public outrage in city after city since Dr. Binayak Sen was convicted, sentenced for life and sent back into the jail. In more than 20 Major cities of the country protests have either happened or will happen this week. (see chart below). And we are very happy that just before finalising this letter we received news of the decision of staging a protest in Raipur on the 31st of December. We may have missed out some of the protests. Till now we have received the following information This is because information may have not reached us as not everybody has our contacts. So please forgive us incase that has happened and send us the information as we will be updating this frequently.
S,No | City | Date |
| 1 | Mumbai | 24th Protest 28th Mumbai Preparatory meeting to plan further |
| 2 | Kolkata | 24th onwards almost everyday some one or the other is protesting, Week long programmes planned, doing press conferences and planning meetings regarding joint public action taking place |
| 3 | Chandigarh | 25th Panjab University 27th Sector 17 28th |
| 4 | Hyderabad | 25th Protest Press Club 29 th Press Club meeting planned |
| 5 | Delhi | 25th Jantar Mantar 27th Jantar Mantar |
| 6 | Aurangabad | Preparataory meeting held on 25th and public action planned |
| 7 | Jaipur | 27th planning meeting 30th protest meeting |
| 8 | Allahabad | 27th December Protest |
| 9 | Chennai | 29th December: Eliot Beach 31 December |
| 10 | Bhopal | 1st January, 2011 |
| 11 | Bangalore | 26th Preparatory Meeting 29th December, 2010 |
| 12 | Ranchi | 28th December |
| 13 | Ahmedabad | 26th December Meeting took place |
| 14 | Pune | 30th december (to be confirmed) |
| 15 | Calicut | 26th December a rally protesting the judgement 28th Protest also planned |
| 16 | Lucknow | 31st Protest. |
| 17 | Ajmer | 25th Planning Protest date to be announced |
| 18 | Indore | Dates to be announced |
| 19 | Patna | Dates to be announced |
| 20 | Raipur | 31st Dec Meeting by CPI, CPM, CMM and others at Budha Talab, Meeting, PUCL and other organizations on 4.1.2011 |
- The campaign has taken off internationally too. Spontaneous protests took place on the 24th of December in Harvard and San Francisco. On the 30th of December a meeting has been planned to reject this judgement and plan public action. We have heard that more protests are being planned on the West Coast. Our friend Mary had some suggestions about the international campaign, which I am copying below:
NATIONAL WIDE ACTION PROPOSALS
While the decentralised action has been fantastic, we need to also plan some common action and activities in order to step up our campaign for RELEASING BINAYAK SEN NOW. Some of the plans that are being proposed for first phase of the campaign beginning now and concluding on the 30th of January 20011 are as follows.
- Please send greeting cards, letters, Messages to Binayak Sen wishing him New Year and Happy Birthday as his 61st Birthday is on the 4th of January, 2011. Letters have to be sent to Dr.Binayak Sen, Central Jail, Raipur: 492001, Chhattisgarh State.
- Organising Seminars on Sedition and Judicial accountability in all cities between now and before the 30th of January. In Delhi it could be organised around the 15th of January, 2011. The outcome of this meeting can be the forming in every city a broad based committees demanding the repealing of the section on sedition.
Using this case as a peg, seminars and meetings should focus on
- Use of the sedition law in Binayak's case
- Other recent cases national and local
- Examining historically the law on sedition and Gandhi a victim of this section with his views needs to be shared and discussed.
- Planning campaign activities, Planning steps will include putting pressure on Political parties, MLAs, MPs as well. ensuring that there is a media campaign on this locally.
A central committee to coordinate the demand for repealing the section on sedition will be constituted who will put together materials and draft memoranda to be sent to groups.
- 30th January : Martyrs Day : Jail Bharo Abhiyan
Nationwide call demanding the Release of Binayak Sen Now and the repeal of the IPC sec 124 (A) "sedition" and other security sections from the IPC along with the anti-democratic laws like the UAPA, CSPSA, AFSPA.
The call should be jointly given and endorsed by various Dalit, Women, Tribal, Workers, Religious Minorities, Farmer, Student, Trade Unions, Gandhian, left groups, Writers organisations, Sexual Minorities, Academics, Journalists ad others.
On the 30th we can have Public Meetings, Rallies and finish it by A JAIL BHARO.
The slogan being:
Hum Sab Binayak Sen, Hum Sab Jail Jayenge,
Agar Sach Bolna Rajdroh hai, toh hum Sab Rajdrohi hai"
(Please translate into English and local languages)
- Book: There is also a suggestion that a book needs to be written and published about Binayak, in Hindi, English and other regional languages, telling the truth about the man and his work, and circulating it in and around 36garh; it is all well and good that the national media and the English-speaking public at least have the opportunity to hear this and make up their own minds but the citizens of 36garh only know what the police tell the local papers to print.
- Translation of the Judgement and the critique: The Judgement has already been translated in English, last minute whetting is happening. Teesta took the responsibility in Urdu and Marathi, which is also underway, Clifton is coordinating the Kannada. We need the judgement and the critique translated in every regional language. CAn we have people taking responsibilities in Telegu, Tamil, Oriya, Malayalam, Gujarati, Pnajabi, Assamese, Manipuri, KAshmiri, Naga, Bodo, Garo, Khasi, Mizo, Sikkimese and all other languages. Please offer yourself for this week.
- We need help with Hindi to English translations of the evidence – Prosecution witnesses 65-97, and defence witness
- The legal haul will formally begin in early January. However, there are already some activities initiated , like translating the judgement into English, preparing a critique of the judgement. We will need to begin to draft the petition, and among the people who have offered to help are Sudha, Mahendra Dube, Anand Grover, Rebecca Mammen and Amit Jogi.Mr Surendra Singh will return from vacation in January.
- Fundraising needs to be coordinated- perhaps Dr Zachariah at Vellore and Vivek in Mumbai can anchor this for all of us.
- Secretariat on egroup with Kavita, Pappu, Ilina, Vivek has been established. WE feel that more people should come in. Please offer. email address:binayakfreein2011@gmail.com
We would like you to immediately endorse these proposals. Please send your name organization and email, so that we can be in touch with you. Please let us stay connected and work to get Binayak back for his family and friends as soon as possible The critique of the judgement we have developed is enclosed.
Love and solidarity,
Ilina, Kavita and Sudha.
(the three of us were together for the last three days and have worked on these ideas . Needless to say, suggestions and initiatives are welcome).
Mary Ganguli wrote
As for overseas campaign ... I think it was a major coup that this time both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times covered the verdict and sentence immediately. During 2007-2009 it took us much time and hard work to get the WSJ on board and we never succeeded with the NYT. I have forwarded the information to all the American journalists with whom I have had any personal contact. Simply pitching a story does not work. Philip Reeves was the one who covered it for National Public Radio in the past; the only connection we have to him is through his mother who was a friend of the late Janet Ganguli, whose husband Manan Ganguli is coordinating the UK campaign. However to my knowledge the British media have not picked it up yet... nothing on BBC or Guardian websites. People are working on those.
PM's daughter Amrit is an ACLU lawyer; I have written to her and sent material in the past, not received a response but that does not mean she did not do anything. When I wrote I did not invoke the family connection but rather tried to emphasize the common interests of ACLU and PUCL. I can try this again, but if someone actually knows her personally that might be more effective.
Op-eds are hard to get published, it seems, without connections. Unfortunately many prominent Indian expats and NRIs (first and second generation) seem to have BJP connections. I did send a letter to the NYT in response to their article, let's see if they take it.
Amnesty International has issued a statement; I am sure Physicians for Human Rights will do so soon because Jonathan Fine was actually at the trial in Raipur when the verdict was delivered. I am trying with Global Health Council (who gave Binayak the Jonathan Mann Award in 2008) but everyone in leadership there has changed so it may take time. I am also trying to reactivate the Nobel Laureates who signed that petition. It being Christmas week here, the lack of response may simply be a delayed response. I will also try Physicians for Social Responsibility. It is very distressing that no Indian professional organizations such as Indian Medical Association, Pediatrics association, etc etc have taken a stand at any time, it seems they all are afraid or else want to distance themselves.
I have written to my US senator and asked him to do the same as he did in 2007, i.e. ask the US State Dept to contact the GOI through the ambassador and express concern. I have also encouraged others in the US to do the same. I know supporters in the UK are writing to their MPs."
Satya Sivaraman wrote
Am sending you a list of campaign ideas that some of us have already started working on:
a) Free Binayak Sen health camps in different parts of the country. Calcutta, Ranchi and Delhi have already begun discussing dates/doctors available etc.
b) Free Binayak Sen Film Festivals. K.P.Sasi and others are putting together a package of 'resistance' music videos to be distributed to any group which wants to screen them around the country.
c) A program by 'Artists for Human Rights' is planned on 8th January in Delhi with performances by various singers, poets, theater people etc.,
d) On 31st December a group in Delhi which works among homeless people is going to distribute blankets as part of the campaign. Many of us will join them.
e) A reading of 'seditious' literature by prominent intellectuals is being planned for the first week of January in Jamia Millia Islamia university.
f) A campaign among school children in Delhi (and other places) to explain who is Dr Binayak Sen and what the case is all about.
g) Our petition 'Indian Justice fails Dr Binayak Sen' has now more than 3000 signatures and when it hits 5000 we want to take a printout and send a delegation of eminent citizens in Delhi to meet the President of India. Please advice who can be part of this delegation.
Other ideas are still coming in from various quarters and will keep you informed.
with regards
Satya
Teesta Setalvad Wrote
Communalism Combat, Sabrang and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) as part of their commitment to the Free Binayak Sen Campaign and the Binayak Sen Solidarity Forum will be putting out a series of articles by social scientists, jurists activists and writers which will also be pasted on our websites and sent out on emails from tomorrow They may be used by anyone after sourcing them Hindi Urdu Marathi and Gujarati translations will also be sent out
These will be sent by email as well as posted on our websites
In faith and hope for saner and better tomorrows
Love
Teesta
--
Kavita Srivastava
(General Secretary) PUCL Rajasthan
Address for correspondence :
76, Shanti Niketan Colony, Kisan Marg, Barkat Nagar, Jaipur-302015
Tel. 0141-2594131
mobile: 9351562965
Attachment(s) from Kavita Srivastava
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--Palash Biswas
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