Binayak’s issue raised in the Rajya Sabha on 17th; 16th rallly a success
Dear Friends,
Many of you participated in the rally that was organised outside the Parliament on the 16th of December. The rally was a success. We all would like to once again thank the NTUI who took initiative and made this rally a success. We can also be proud of the fact that today the 17th saw some members of the the Indian Parliament take on the issues of Dr. Binayak Sen’s continued incraceration by the Chhattisgarh police.
We were informed by certain MPs that today morning during question hour in the Rajya Sabha when the disucssion was to taking place on “Naxal Violence”, D. Raja MP (CPI) raised supplementary questions on this issue. His first specific question to the HOme Minister demanded that the UPA Government make its stand clear on Salwa Judum, whatever be the directions and the engagement at the level of Supreme Court. His second specific question also directed to the HOme Minister was what the UPA Government was doing in the context of Dr. Binayak Sen. When the second question was raised more than a dozen MPs joined in the chorus demanding an answer.
To the first the HOme Minister made it clear that in no way did the GOI support that Law and order be handed over to non State Actors, like what Salw Judum was. Despite an intervention made by Prakash Javadekar of the BJP who tried to state that it was a poeple’s own spontaneous movement, it was firmly stated by the HM that law and order was the responsibility of the State.
Secondly to the question on Dr. Sen, he said that the issue of Dr. Sen’s incarceration had been brought to his notice and that he was siezed of the matter and would be examinig it shortly.
So this was what transpired today morning.
Yesterday following the rally and public meeting outside Parliament house some of us stayed back and had a small meeting at the Constitution club. Two types of decisions were taken. One ws to explore the possibility of stepping up the agitation for the release of Dr, Sen in Raipur itself. Several suggestions came which included that of a long dharna in Raipur by activists from all over the country as well as filling jails if required.
Secondly, it was felt that modest goals like people reaching Raipur for the trial, contacting medicos in Delhi and elsewhere and doing medical camps would help in generating awarness about the wrongful confinement of Dr. sen.
It was felt that the two were not contradictory and could go hand in hand.
Kavita Srivastava
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Poster Campaign: Another India is possible
www.binayaksen.net and www.tasveerghar.net call upon netizens and all those interested anywhere to make posters on the theme of ‘Another India is Possible’. The idea is to encourage artists and others to think afresh of what a positive vision of a future India could be like- in an imaginative, constructive but provocative way.
The posters could be digitally produced or hand-made but they need to be available in soft copy form to be put up on a specially created website for this purpose. Some of the suggested topics are: (a) Democracy (b) Justice (c) Dignity (d) Human Rights (e) Children (f) Indigenous People (g) Gender (h) Access to Health (i) Safe Environment (j) Social Harmony.
The campaign will culminate on 31st January 2009 and the best 50 posters will be compiled into a ‘Visual Election Manifesto’ to be presented to all the political parties prior to the next national general elections. A panel of eminent artists and social activists will vet the posters and special prizes will be announced during the campaign for the best poster (s) in different categories.
CONTACT: saeed.yousuf@gmail.com or satyasagar@gmail.com
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An Evening of Music and Poetry at Jamia Nagar
In Solidarity with the people of Mumbai
In defence of Peace, Secularism and Democracy
Against Hate, Violence and Fascism
Performances by Vidya Shah, Ustad Zamir, Shubendu Sen, Qazim, Wagesh Jha and students of JamiaTikona Park (Jamia Nagar), 6th December, 5.30 pm onwards
For Tikona Park, go down the road on Jamia Millia Islamia. You will reach a fork: take the road on the right hand and you will come to tikona park)
- jamia teachers’ solidarity group (Manisha: 9811625577/ Ghazi Shahnawaz 9898221506)
- AWAM theatre group (Aslam: 9990748079)
- south asia initiative for peace (Apoorvanand: 26495976)
- residents of jamia nagar (Mahtab: 9811209345)
Another South Asia is Possible
As the horrific details of the terrorist massacres in Mumbai emerge there is deep sense of shock and sheer disbelief among the people of India and indeed around the entire world. Together with all this there is also great sorrow and even despair among those everywhere who understand the value of life and what the loss of each individual being really means.
What does one call those, who with planned precision butcher completely innocent people and in as many numbers as possible, with not a shred of discrimination, mercy or remorse? What ever could be the justification for this act of cold-blooded inhumanity in any religion or ideology and what purpose could it serve towards any political or national objective? What blueprints of the future will they paint with the oozing red blood of someone’s mother, child or father, their life cut short in a moment of sheer insanity?
Was it plain revenge, for real and imagined wrongs of the past, that motivated the killers and whoever financed, trained and facilitated their murderous intentions? If so, when will this cycle of ‘revenge’ and ‘counter-revenge’ ever really end ? And who gave these terrorists the licence to ‘represent’ any religion or people anyway? Are we to accept quietly the diktat laid out by fanatics of all hues that they are our future, the future is already here and looks like a graveyard where bodies are not just buried but also cremated?
Should we the people of South Asia, home to one-fourth of all humanity and the repository of the world’s most ancient cultures, meekly accept this dreadful future as a fait accompli and become a sub-continent of permanently sealed fates? Are we to succumb to the language of terror and counter-terror for the rest of our lives, our tongues in constant motion spewing venom or permanently locked from cold fear? Is this the world we want to leave behind for our children, of high-security borders, of bullet-proofed bodies and souls, our hands in blind paranoia shooting at our own moving shadows?
The answer has to be a resounding No! For there is anything that is the central quality of all forms of life on Earth it is the ability, indeed the ferocious passion, to resist its own demise and of all that it cares for. What the tears of every mother who lost her child and every child that lost its parent in the mindless cycles of violence of our region tells us is the time has come to stand up and prove beyond doubt that we are alive, deeply in love with life and every wonderful gift it brings with it.
Indeed, what the tragedy of Mumbai and the countless ones from Islamabad, Colombo or Dhaka before it, plead with each one of us is to pause, reflect, breathe deeply and collectively change the course of our sub-continent forever.
We will not let a handful of political maniacs convert all of South Asia into a battleground of suicide bombers and homicidal hawks or turn us against each other in the name of country or religion. We will not let the artificial borders of our nation-states, inherited from colonial history, become the tripping-wires of genocide, holocaust and the apocalypse. We will not let the merchants of death trample upon even the slightest sign of life flowering in our lands or extinguish the faintest hope that dwells in the hearts of our people.
In the fight against terrorists of all kinds or politicians who place abstract nation, religion, ideology or pursuit of wealth above all that we value most in our lives there are no more Indians, Pakistanis, Afghans, Bangladeshis, Nepalis or Sri Lankans. We are first and foremost human beings and indeed we are the united people of South Asia who will strive for peace, justice and democracy and win the most beautiful future for our children. We want to live and let live, not kill or end up as collateral damage in the manipulated conflicts of our evil masters.
Another South Asia is not just Possible but begins right now with the raising of our collective voice against hate, violence, war and terror!
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Humanrights Defenders As Petty Swindlers: It’s All Maya!
By Subhash Gatade
03 November, 2008
Countercurrents.org
Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that numbers of people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running and robbing the country. That’s our problem.”
~Howard Zinn, from ‘Failure to Quit’
Three month old Babu who is affectionagely called Yuvraj also is not in a position to read the changes in his mother’s face nor can comprehend why everyone in the family has suddenly started looking tense these days. For the kid the world remains the same, but for his family members it has rather changed a lot.
When Babu aka Yuvraj grows up, possibly he would be told that how his father Vinod Yadav - an activist of the human rights movement - was one day ‘kidnapped’ from Lucknow (24 th Oct 2008)by personnel supposedly belonging to some anti-terrorist squad of UP and later handed over to the police after three days of interrogation which booked him under charges of swindling people (IPC 419/420). Perhaps he would also find out that the arrest happened on the eve of Diwali when grand preparations were on supposedly to celebrate his arrival in this world.
Read more
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National Convention: Countering Fascism: Defending the Idea of India
25-26 October 2008
Constitution Club Lawns
Rafi Marg,
New Delhi-110001
The urgency to intervene in defence of democracy, secularism and justice has never been more pressing than in the conditions prevailing in the country today. The rise of communal fascism has emerged as a threat not only to its immediate victims but to the very long-term survival of India as a unified nation of diverse religious, linguistic and ethnic groups.
In recent months, vicious attacks have been mounted across India against religious minorities by Hindutva fascist organizations and communalism has even become the dominant tenor of public discourse. Instead of rising to the challenge and confronting these fascist forces there is total apathy and indecisiveness among those in power. It is almost as if a silent coup has already taken place and India is on the verge of becoming a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.
The RSS and organizations under its umbrella have mounted a vicious campaign against the Christian community across India. Over 10 states have seen violent attacks on the Christian community, their institutions, religious places, property and businesses. The Hindutva terrorist groups like the Bajrang Dal are openly claiming responsibility for this communal violence against Christians and are yet being allowed to go scot-free. Read more
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From freebinayaksen.org- Updates from Google News
- Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers like Salwa Judum - Times of India
- With fear and hope - Hindu
- Orissa Police in Service of Hindutva (and POSCO) - Desicritics.org
- POTA 3.0: India's New Terror Law - CounterCurrents.org
- Mumbai attack: Who is asking the real questions? - Express Buzz
- Poetry: Matte Finish - Desicritics.org
- Reports From Indian Media
- With fear and hope - Hindu: Sunday Magazine
- Mumbai attack: Who is asking the real questions? - New Indian Express
- Equality before the law? - Oheraldo
- Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers like Salwa Judum - TOI: India
- Chidambaram says Govt disapproves of Salwa Judum - Express India-- Front Page
- Chidambaram says Govt disapproves of Salwa Judum - The Indian Express -- Front Page
- Centre disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers like Salwa Judum - Rediff: News
- Government disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers - NDTV National
- Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers - Hindustan Times: News
- Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers - Hindustan Times: India
- Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers like Salwa Judum - TOI: India
- Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers like Salwa Judum - Doordarshan
- Rhetoric rejected - Frontline
- Outcome shot in the arm for salwa judum - Asian Age: India
- PUCL Vice-President's bail plea rejected - New Kerala: West Bengal
- Chhattisgarh HC: PUCL vice president's bail plea rejected - IndLaw News
- Different kinds of silence - Telegraph: Opinion
- Whither democracy? - Oheraldo
- Q&A: 'Rights activism uses space within the Constitution' - TOI: Editorial
- The Shootin' Sheriffs - Outlook