The Hurricane

"Here comes the story of the Hurricane,
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin' that he never done.
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world."
- Bob Dylan, Hurricane

How progressive are we, as a nation, where the IPL Cricket League makes headlines after headlines after headlines, and a doctor in Chhattisgarh, having devoted his life for the health care of the poor, is rotting in a prison cell? Shame!

I salute Dr. Binayak Sen, a Samaritan in the truest sense of the word, who continues to remain hopeful after one full year of imprisonment. From the Wiki: "Dr Sen is noted for extending health care to the poorest people, monitoring the health and nutrition status of the people of Chhattisgarh, and defending the human rights of tribal and other poor people. Dr. Sen insists that it is not possible for poor people to have health if they are denied their human rights and the right to livelihood. In May 2007, he was detained by security agencies for his alleged links with Maoist rebels, a charge which he denies. In December 2007, his bail petition was rejected by the Supreme Court of India. His trial commenced on 30 April 2008. He remains in prison."

People who are fighting for this cause have been helpless in front of the laws and governments of this country. 22 nobel laureates have already appealed to the Union Government for the release of Dr. Binayak Sen, without any effect. The politically construed incarceration continues to thrive. It's shameful and frustrating. Apart from some discrete news here and there, this issue lacks visibility, atleast from a national level. News sources say that the court proceedings are moving at a snail's pace, which clearly indicates a lack of pressure on the Government.

"How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool's hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game."
- Bob Dylan, Hurricane

An online petition is up on the net demanding the release of Dr. Sen, consisting 2945 signatures as I write this (in a country boasting more than 42 million internet users!).

More news here and here.

(Thoughts triggered by this article, which I happened to read in today's morning train.)