Binayak Sen!

We're all happy that apex court has granted bail to Dr.Binayak Sen who has been incarcerating in Raipur jail of Chhattisgarh serving life sentence since 24 December 2010 convicted in charge of sedition and treason.What's most interesting is while granting Dr.Sen's bail petition Supreme Court almost summarily dismissed charge of sedition and treason slapped on him by Chhattishgar High court.According to apex court possession of Naxalite literature does not necessarily mean that a man is a Naxalite.He can at best be called sympathizer of Naxals.Court has given an analogy also.If Gandhian literature is found with a man, he can't be called Gandhian either.It's really very shocking in the existing legal provisions how easily life imprisonment can be awarded to a man.In the present case if Binayak Sen would not have sought intervention of SC, he would have to suffer life term practically without fault or for a minor fault that he is a sympathizer of Naxals.

Binayak Sen MD,a pediatrician could have earned a lot of money by private practice like many other doctors.But he dedicated his life for tribal people in remote villages who are deprived of medical attention.Dr.Sen has earned the distinction of publishing paper in the most prestigious British medical journal Lancet where he talked about severe inaccessibility of medical service to the poor in India.

It's mentionable that a host of Nobel Laureates including Amartya Sen advocated for Dr.Sen's release from jail.Now we need many more Binayak Sens for the rural poor.

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