Film Festival
Dr. Binayak Sen Film Festival in Pune -May 9th
Take a look at Two Years too Much!! Page for a list of actions happening around May 14th, 2nd anniversary of Dr. Binayak Sen’s unjust imprisonment
On 14th May, 2009, Dr. Binayak Sen – paediatrician and one of India’s finest human rights activist – will be completing two years in jail. Dr. Sen is in jail because he raised his voice against Salwa Judum – an illegal private army created by the Chattisgarh state government which now even the Supreme Court has criticised, because he was protesting the forcible displacement of lakhs of tribals in the state in the name of development, because he exposed fake encounter killings by the police. To silence his tireless and fearless voice, the government has incarcerated him under the draconian CSPSA and UAPA – undemocratic laws which give almost unlimited powers to the police to arrest and put behind bars for years ordinary people!
It is a part of the general attack on democratic rights taking place all over the country. It is related to the kind of development taking place all over the country in the name of globalization:
The politicians, bureaucracy, police have launched a ferocious offensive on the lands, water and forests of the poor. They want to seize control of these means of livelihoods of the common people and transfer them to giant corporations – Indian and foreign – so that they can set up mining projects, mega industrial projects, SEZs, tourism projects, residential projects for the rich, and so on, and earn super profits.
It has led to massive displacement of people and loss of their livelihoods. The people are obviously fighting back. And so, under all kinds of pretexts like fighting terrorism, the criminals and murderers who dominate the Indian Parliament are passing the most draconian laws which give almost unlimited powers to the police to arrest and put behind bars for years ordinary people!
To raise awareness among the people about the kind of development in the country and the attack on human rights, Lokayat is organising a documentary festival on this Saturday.
Dr. Binayak Sen Film Festival
Date: May 9, 2009
Time: 5 – 8 pm
Venue: Lokayat Hall, opp. Syndicate Bank, Law College Road, Near Nal Stop, Pune
Entry is free.
ViBGYOR 2009 Inagural Speech by Ilina Sen
This is the Inagural speech of ViBGYOR 2009 by Ilina Sen . Originally Published at ViBGYOR 2009 Website
Dear friends,
I feel greatly privileged and suitably humbled to be with all of you today and to inaugurate the fourth edition of the Vibgyor International documentary film festival. We have all worked and waited for this day; personally for me this represents a recognition of the work of Binayak Sen and his comrades in Chhattisgarh to be able to build a better world for the tribals and toiling people of the region. I am grateful to the human rights activists in Kerala who have agreed to step up the campaign for Binayak’s release.
Binayak Sen has today become an icon for the right of people to hold dissenting political and public opinion, to have the right to chose the kind of development model they want for themselves, and for the rights of all to basic legal safeguards in accordance with the constitution. He is in jail now for over 20 months because he was a vocal opponent of the Salwa Judum, a state sponsored vigilante militia let loose on the people of South Bastar in the name of curbing Naxalites. The fact that he visited a Maoist prisoner in jail has been used to fabricate a case alleging that he was involved in anti national and seditious activity. While we strive for the freedom of Binayak, it is important to remember that he is not the only one imprisoned in this way under the draconian Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act. Over one thousand persons are languishing in the various jails of Chhattisgarh, labelled as threats to Public Security, under this Act. It is symptomatic of the malaise of our system that the first arrest under the act was of a class 12 girl student, whose male friend is supposed to have had unsuitable political views. These large number of arrests and the general repression has driven much of the public dissent underground, and many people live in fear of speaking their minds. However, whatever is happening to the intelligentsia is being felt and lived many times over by the tribal people of our state.
The Adivasi people of Chhattisgarh are the inheritors of great natural resources and a rich cultural life. However, with the creation of the new state and its push to ‘develop’ the mineral resources and open them up to world markets, a saga of loot and plunder has begun. Lands are being acquired for ‘projects’ in total circumvention of constitutional safeguards like the mandatory consent of the gram sabhas under the fifth schedule operative in these areas. Once again it is symptomatic of the malaise that it was the now ill reputed firm of Price Waterhouse Cooper which was invited to draw up the Vision Plan for the state of Chhattisgarh, and not the spokespersons of peoples’ organizations in the state. Our government showcases adivasi culture through its presentations of tribal music and dance at the Republic Day Parade; however, this will not by itself save the adivasis from extinction, which the salwa judum and the policies of the government seem determined to achieve.
I want to end with saying that the situation I am describing is not only limited to Chhattisgarh. Many indigenous areas, in India and all over the world, are facing a similar situation. Documentary film makers have in the past played an important role in sharing the stories of these areas with the world. The challenge for them to continue to do so, and to remain the keepers of our conscience remains.I am sure the challenge will be accepted frontally not only by the established documentary film makers, but also by the younger generation waiting to grow with the times.
Ilina Sen, Thrissur, 04.02.09.
Vikalp@Prithvi to screen the work of arrested filmmaker…
MTG editorial
Two and a half months have passed. Ajay TG, journalist, filmmaker and human rights activist remains behind bars in a Chhattisgarh prison. His crime? He made a film about and attended the trial of Dr. Binayak Sen. Dr. Binayak’s crime? He worked for decades as a doctor amongst adivasis in an area where no doctor dared to tread. Their joint crime? Both Binayak and Ajay worked with the People’s Union for Civil Liberties and questioned the state-sponsored “Salwa Judum” under which vigilantes in Chhattisgarh are trained and armed to fight Naxalites and end up terrorizing the entire local populace.
Dr. Binayak has already been held as a suspected “Naxalite” without bail and without evidence for two years. His case is now internationally known after 22 Nobel laureates wrote a letter to the PM and President of India asking for his unconditional release. Dr. Binayak has deservedly won several national and international awards from the medical fraternity. Amnesty has spoken up for him. Yet there is no response from Chhattisgarh or from the Government of India and the gross injustice continues. The Supreme Court rejected his bail application without ascribing a single reason to defend
their denial.
Ajay’s case is in some ways even more heartrending if only because he is less well known. A 35 year old from a modest Kerala family, Ajay settled in Chhattisgarh, worked with the youth wing of CPI and with the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties and later learned to make films with “Jan Darshan” a voluntary video training group. Since then Ajay has made several valuable human rights and development films including one on the arrest of Dr. Binayak Sen.
Read the rest of this entry »
Jalpaiguri Free Binayak Film Shows
From: prabir chatterjee
On 15th June around 32 people attended a six hour long series of films on topics that Binayak is involved with (around 15 to 20 together at a any given time). The films were from INSAF and from a friend. There was a short NDTV clip of his arrest as well as the film “Development Flows” by Biju Toppo and Meghnath.
Binayak is seen in this film examining the X-ray of a villager displaced by a development project in Chattisgarh. The film had won a prize for Environmental Films in India about two years ago. Have seen it many times, but not registered the fact that he was shown.
A film on Rational drugs (In the Name of Medicine with many of the older AIDAN and MFC members) and “Kora Rajee” on the crisis in tea gardens (relevant in Jalpaiguri and related to malnutrition and illness) were also shown as well that refers to migration of tribals (Garee Lohardaga Mail, which is about a small train that was phased out).
Free Binayak Sen Film Festival in JNU
Release Dr Sen and Ajai TG without any delay
Cinemela Collectives
presents
Free Binayak Sen Film Festival
May 14, 2008/10am onwards
SAA auditorium, JNU, New Delhi
- Prof Arun Kumar
- Prof Kamal M Chenoy
- Prof Ajay Patnaik
- Prof Mohan Rao
- Dr Rohan D’Souza
and many other teachers, activists and friends of Dr Sen will speak on the man, his contributions and the situation which led to his arrest.
Global day of Protest: Send a Free Fax Now to PM/CM
Send a FREE FAX NOW to PM/CM
Dear Friends,
Thanks for your passionate response to our earlier appeal to mark the first year of imprisonment of Dr. Binayak Sen, an activist with a lifelong commitment to the issues of community health and human rights. So far 39 international organizations have endorsed our appeal and 2600 people have signed the petition demanding the release of Dr. Binayak Sen.
Vigils and rallies are being organized in different cities around the world. Please find the closest city in the list below to join the actions and strengthen the voice against injustice.
Free Binayak Sen Film Festival at Jantar Mantar
Press Note
9 May 2008
To mark the first anniversary of the arrest of Dr Binayak Sen, on 14 May 2008 and to call for his immediate release a series of Free Binayak Sen Film Festivals are being organised by concerned citizens and groups around the country. Dr Sen was arrested on false charges of ‘assisting’ the Maoist insurgency in Chattisgarh.
The first such Free Binayak Sen Film Festival will be held at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 10 May from 7-12 PM. Other similar festivals are being held in the month of May in Bangalore, Chennai, Shimoga, Nagercoil, Gorakhpur and Imphal.
The package of 10 videos, presented in this Festival, highlight the issues of human rights and public health and deal with themes ranging from nutrition, greed of drug companies, environmental pollution and state violation of human rights.
For further information contact:
- Wilfred D’Costa/INSAF willyindia at gmail.com Ph: 011-26517814
- Satya Sivaraman satyasagar at gmail.com Ph: 9818514952
- K.P.Sasi, Bangalore kpsasi36 at gmail.com Ph: 09945282056
- Sarat Chandran, Eranakulam sarat at thirdeyefilms.com Ph: 09446426433
- V.Srinivasan, Chennai srini59 at gmail.com Ph: 09840081114
US Day of Protest for Dr. Binayak Sen: May 13, 2008.
You can make a difference.
lease sign a petition to help free Dr. Sen or put a web banner for publicity on your website or blog for highlighting this issue.
You can get a local group in your city to hold a Free Binayak Sen Film Festival to raise awareness about the various issues associated with this campaign.
Aid Boston urging organizations across North America to observe one year of Dr. Binayak Sen’s unjust detention and endorse our appeal.
US Day of Protest for Dr. Binayak Sen: May 13, 2008.
You can attend a local event in your city for the one year anniversary of the unjust detension of Dr. Binayak Sen.
Baltimore/JHU: Talk on Dr. Binayak Sen followed by signature campaign. May 13th, 2008 (1:30 to 2:30 pm) School of Public Health [Contact Email : Manjunath - mshankar at jhsph.edu or 952-201-8679]
Boston: Vigil @ Harvard Square on May 13, 2008 (7pm) [Event Poster - JPG; PDF] [Contact Email: freebsen at gmail.com]
Houston/Dallas: Stay Tuned.
New York: Protest in front of Indian Consulate on May 13, 2008 (12:30pm). [Event Poster - PDF] [Contact Emails: Ashwini: akr7 at columbia.edu or Murli: mnatrajan at yahoo.com]
Pittsburgh: Candlelight Vigil @ Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Avenue on May 13, 2008 (7:30pm) [Event Poster - PDF] [Contact Email: maryganguli at yahoo.com or sparun at gmail.com]
San Francisco: March to the Indian Counsulate on May 13, 2008 (10am) [Event Poster - HTML]
Washington DC: Protest Walk from Indian Embassy to Indian Consulate on May 13, 2008 (4pm) . [Contact: Somu @ 703-728-8987]
Visit AidBoston Website for updates on USA events
Free Binayak Sen Film Festival
14 May 2008 will mark one year of imprisonment for Dr Binayak Sen, the well-known public health and civil rights activist, arrested on false charges of ‘assisting’ the Maoist insurgency in Chattisgarh.
In a nation where increasingly the medical profession is becoming synonymous with unbridled commercial greed Dr Sen dedicated his entire professional life to the free service of people in the remotest villages.
In a country, which has health indicators worse than that of sub-Saharan Africa, Dr Sen passionately worked for setting up low cost models of healthcare accessible to the poor.
And in a land where the problems of public health are deeply intertwined with the gross violations of the Indian Constitution by state agencies themselves Dr Sen fought for ensuring democratic rights of ordinary people.
Dr Sen’s detention as a ‘threat to national security’ stands therefore as a challenge to every Indian who aspires for a humane, democratic and civilized India.
To mark the first anniversary of the arrest of Dr Sen, on 14 May 2008 and to call for his immediate release the Free Binayak Sen Film Festival is being organised by concerned citizens and groups around the country. The package of 10 documentaries, presented in this Festival, highlight the issues of human rights and public health and deal with themes ranging from nutrition, greed of drug companies, environmental pollution and state atrocities.
They are meant to make all those who watch them wake up and more importantly resist the Silent Emergency that is creeping upon us in front of our very eyes.
Given along with this letter is a list of the 10 films along with a brief synopsis. All groups interested in receiving the package of films for organizing the Free Binayak Sen Film Festival in their areas of work are requested to send the name of their organization, postal address and tentative date of screening to – Wilfred Dcosta, INSAF, New Delhi, insaf@vsnl.com, Ph:011-26517814/ 65663958 . The package is meant to be screened mostly in the month of May, particularly around 14 May, the first anniversary of Dr Sen’s arrest.
For further information contact:
- K.P.Sasi, Bangalore kpsasi36 at gmail.com Ph: 09945282056
- Sarat Chandran, Eranakulam sarat at thirdeyefilms.com Ph: 09446426433
- Satya Sivaraman , New Delhi satyasagar at gmail.com ph: 09818514952
- Anivar Aravind, Bangalore anivar at movingrepublic.org Ph: 080-23435606
- V.Srinivasan, Chennai srini59@gmail.com Ph: 09840081114
For Details of the package checkout Film festival Page
Binayaksen.net is one of many efforts by well wishers and supporters of Dr Binayak Sen to bring the injustice being done to him by the government of Chhattisgarh to the attention of people around the world. 
