The Hindu : New Delhi News : Protest against Binayak Sen's sentence

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Tuesday, Dec 28, 2010
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Protest against Binayak Sen's sentence

Staff Reporter

Photo: V. Sudershan

Expressing solidarity:Activists of various social organisations staging a rally in New Delhi on Monday to condemn the trial and conviction of human rights activist Binayak Sen.

NEW DELHI: Activists, intellectuals, students and academicians gathered at Jantar Mantar here on Monday in protest against the life imprisonment sentence pronounced by a Chhattisgarh court for human rights activist Binayak Sen.

‘Unjust conviction'

The protest was organised by the All-India Students' Association, People's Union for Civil Liberties and All-India Progressive Women's Association and several other groups and individuals as part of a nation-wide protest against the “unjust conviction” of Dr. Sen.

A large number of people, holding placards and raising slogans, attended the demonstration.

Addressing the gathering, writer-activist Arundhati Roy said that there was lack of evidence against Dr. Sen and though higher courts could be approached, “the process is the punishment”.

Among the speakers were historian Prof. Harbans Mukhia, activist Swami Agnivesh, AISA general secretary Ravi Rai, activist Harsh Mandar, poet and Jan Sanskriti Manch Delhi president Manglesh Dabral, representatives of PUCL, National Forest Workers' Forum and Narmada Bachao Andolan and many others.

Swami Agnivesh exrpressed solidarity with Dr. Sen while activist Gautam Navlakha said that the court ruling was “a miscarriage of justice”.

“India is turning into a ‘banana republic' for the likes of Binayak Sen who expose and challenge corporate loot and State repression, while the governments protect the ‘right' of big companies to loot in privacy,” said AIPWA national secretary Kavita Krishnan.

The issue of authorities in central India being given a “free hand” in the name of curbing Naxalism was also raised.

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