Prisoner of conscience

This is an article, Prisoner of conscience (Subverse, TOI, 28th April 2009), by Anand Patwardhan, a Mumbai-based film-maker.

May 14 this year will mark an ignominious date for Indian democracy — the start of the third straight year of Binayak Sen’s incarceration in a Chhattisgarh jail. I wonder if there are words left to describe this travesty. What is left to say that has not been said? On Binayak’s behalf,writers, poets, judges, lawyers, doctors, human rights workers and trade unionists have spoken out from across India and the globe. Former Supreme Court justice Krishna Iyer, former US attorney general Ramsey Clark, Noam Chomsky and 22 Nobel laureates are amongst the thousands who grace this impressive list, but so far it has all been to no avail.

For those who may not recall, let me set out a chronology. Binayak is a pediatrician, a gold medalist who eschewed a lucrative urban practice to work amongst the poorest in central India. When i met him in the mid-1980s he had helped build a workers’ hospital for the Chhattisgarh Mines Workers’ Samiti led by the legendary Shankar Guha Niyogi. Niyogi and his team were not ordinary trade unionists but visionaries for whom a workers’ union went beyond wage struggles — to health care, education, even cinema literacy and, of course, fighting the scourge of alcoholism that inevitably afflicts the unorganised. Niyogi was murdered in 1991. The liquor mafia was blamed but it is commonly understood that they were merely the medium and that the real killers were politicians aligned to industrialists for whom a union that could not be co-opted had to be crushed.

Niyogi’s murder was followed by widespread repression. As big money entered the mineral-rich region, Adivasis found themselves displaced from their lands. A section joined the Naxalite movement, which in turn spawned greater repression. Binayak continued his medical work but also began to document human rights violations in his capacity as secretary of the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties, an organisation founded by Jayaprakash Narayan in 1977. More specifically he wrote against the Salwa Judum operation, through which the state armed and trained local Adivasis as a vigilante militia to fight other Adivasis who had joined the Naxalites, resulting in a brutal civil war.

On a visit to jail, Binayak came across an ailing elderly man, Narayan Sanyal, and began medically treating him. Later this became the trigger for his persecution. Binayak was suddenly accused of carrying letters to and from Sanyal, who was accused of being a Naxalite, even though each jail visit was made under strict scrutiny. Binayak was in Kolkata when he learned about the warrant for his arrest. He insisted on travelling back to Chhattisgarh to clear his name, which is certainly not an act of a guilty man. But guilty or not, two precious years have been snatched from him, just as surely as he was snatched from the marginalised people he so dedicatedly served.

Meanwhile the official case against Binayak is falling apart. Of the 83 listed prosecution witnesses, 16 were dropped and six declared hostile by the prosecutors themselves, while 61 others have deposed without corroborating any of the accusations against him. Why is this man still in jail and denied bail? Is it because no one dares admit he was innocent to start with?

On March 16 this year, a group of 50 satyagrahis from across India marched to the central jail in Raipur, demanding Binayak’s release. We were arrested and set free. The following week a second batch of satyagrahis did the same. This action has been taken each Monday for almost two months now. What more can we do? How much louder can we shout?

But shout we must. At Binayak’s trial we learned he is suffering from heart disease. A court-appointed doctor recommended that he be shifted to Vellore for a possible angioplasty or bypass. An RTI query has shockingly revealed a month later that the police are unconstitutionally insisting that Binayak be treated in Chhattisgarh. Should Binayak, who lost his liberty to an arbitrary state, be forced to trust the same agency with his life? India is a signatory to the International Human Rights Covenant. By definition its human rights activists must be protected. It is our democracy that is on trial.

Tough search for Sri Lanka truths

The post title is borrowed from this BBC news item.

Its so terribly distressing to read about the conflict and its cost (human). And its the feeling of this helplessness which pulls me down. But all I can do is feel helpless, and this is going on and on in my mind.

Not that this is the first time this feeling has hit me, there have been many occasions in the past as well. But so what...all I still do is feel helpless. And now I am writing about it.

This makes me search for truths within me as well. And I see nothing there. Just blank...just nothing...

Vagaries of an Idle mind!

Some of the past few attempts of writing a blog-post have failed miserably, perhaps I was way too ambitious and blah blah blah...

Anyway this is dedicated to two of my very faithful comrades in office - Shweta and Krity! Both are phenomenal women, and they work like mad - mad with a CAPITAL M! And make me feel guilty all the time as I am sitting at home doing nothing and they are working so hard in office. Its rather unfair and am savoring the sweet taste of this unfairness with a tinge of bitterness...something like spoiled grape juice or some awesome wine or maybe

Something else very interesting is happening just outside my home, something which can potentially bring Nainital closer home. But I shall reserve that for the next post.

An interesting image in the paper today is Mallika Sarabhai doing Garba on the streets. How far will this take her in getting votes is debatable, but I like the picture nevertheless. Which brings me to the upcoming General Elections where I am not going to vote. In fact I have never voted. Its a shame and I hope there aren't many like me around. Sounds hollow...yeah I know! Crap! Bleep Bleep!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Sanjukta Sinha @ Natrani

Surprisingly a junior (Manjri, PD) actually asked me if I would write about it on my blog, and I thought it was too premature then to even ask such a thing. Anyway, here I am doing exactly that!

It was after a long time that I went for a live dance performance and the experience would be treasured for long. It was a Kathak performance by Sanjukta Sinha and took place at Natrani. I also had Nidhi and Pogo for company.

Not only was the performance sensual and graceful, it also enthralled me to the core. I could feel the music and a current actually passed through me, not just once but many a times during the performance. There is little that I can write (with my limited writing skills) to express the feel, so I shall leave that to be seen from the images and the video attached below.

A near-perfect Sunday (except for the big dressing down I got today late afternoon)!

Dhmakedaar Dholka!

For a more detailed version of this article, visit my other blog The Wanderer.

We started with getting lost around Ahmedabad, amongst it numerous highways and ring roads! However after 20 km of aimless riding, we did find the right road and were soon on our way to Dholka on the NH8A.

Most of the journey was on the highway and so riding was fun. Surprisingly, it wasn't even cold! Reaching the main area of attraction - the mosque at the Khan Talav was a shock in itself. The mosque is almost made like an impregnable fort. Most of the motifs and other beautifying elements (including the main entrance arches) are missing now and what remains is a solid base structure. The mosque is flanked by two smaller highly decorative structures which house a few graves. There was no one to tell us more, so we are also a bit clueless about their significance. It was a pleasure to climb up the two tall towers on either side. The light was beautiful and we (Bhavin, Poorva and me) took many pictures. Even with my almost-dead camera I was busy clicking!

The mosque has a pond right behind the main structure. It more of a Dhobi Ghat now, with many washerwomen washing cloths there.

There are many more places to see, namely the Malao Talav, Tanka Masjid (also known as Bheem no Rasodo), Jumma Masjid (also known as Panch Pandavo Ni Shala) and Alif Khan's mosque! The last mosque actually was the most beautiful and the best preserved. We were granted entry at all places, we could even climb up on the top of some mosques.

Malao Talav was a bit of a shock as we expected the place to be really something. Its now a functioning Dhobi Ghat but nothing more. A few remains of the old carvings can also be seen. A small temple like structure in the center remains unreachable.

Tanka Masjid required some major searching operation and convincing o enter; we were not allowed to photograph the place from inside still. It has interesting wooden pillars inside, but we have no images to show.

Jumma Masjid is also exquisitely carved and also a functioning one. Met the maulvi also there but were again not allowed to take pictures. I think Poorva still managed a few though. A must see for everyone!

And finally the Alif Khan's mosque, which is also a functioning one, but still more open to public and much more welcoming. We could climb to the rooftop and take many pictures there. There were about 10 kids and it was an experience to watch them play. Perhaps the original domes are missing and now we have very conical domes on top, which also make interesting places to play hide and seek, to slide down and sojavascript:void(0) on.

I think by the time we finished everyone was tired, but I was rejuvenated to the core and could've explored more.

Also another blog about the same place.

I completely recommend the place to anyone looking for some fun on a winter Sunday!