Killing Us Slowly:
Human Rights Abuses and The Physician
Who Fought Against Them
Revathi Ravi, MSII
Convention Against Genocide
• “killing of members of any racial, ethnic, national or
religious group because of their membership in that
group
• causing serious bodily or mental
harm to members of the group
• inflicting on members of the
group conditions of life intended
to destroy them…”
Chhattisgarh,
India
Population:
20,795,956
Economy:
Billai Steel Plant
Railway Zone
Aluminum Plant
National Thermal
Power Corporation
Hunger
• India: 33% - BMI of less than 18.5
• Scheduled Tribes: > 50%
• Scheduled Castes: >60%
• Famine = 40% or more (WHO)
• Allowed for Malnutrition for Majority of
Population
The Poor are consuming less over time…..
And the wealthy are consuming more.
Resources
•
•
•
•
Minerals
Iron
Diamonds
Land/ Forest Wealth
• Extreme hunger and small resource base…
Adivasis/Peasant Farmers
• Agriculture Livelihood
• Sustain life if left alone
Chhattisgarh Government
•
•
•
•
•
•
Push and displace the poor from this land
Place them in camps
644 villages
350,000 people
Andhra, Orissa
Roaming, Forests
Military Campaign
• “Aim”: Maoists
– Communist Party of India
– Claim: poorest of India – Adivasis and Dalits
– “Peoples” War
– Method: Violence – armed struggle
– Influence over poor people
Targeting the Maoists
On their forehead?
No…
Collateral Damage
Indiscriminate Killing
• Displace
• Rape
• Murder
Salwa Judum
• Translation: “Purification Hunt”
• Armed villagers and children
• Citizens “fighting the Maoists”
• Villager vs. Villager
Dr. Binayak Sen
• 1978 Central Villages in India
• 1981 Chhatisgarh, Iron miner community
• 1990 Adiwasi tribals
• People’s Union of Civil Liberties
Activism
• PUCL and Human Rights Organizations
• Conclusions:
– Government planned
– Government trained
– Government funded
Government denies everything…
Murder
• State government AND Federal Militia
Charge
• Care for a Prisoner
• Permission from jail superintendent and
commissioner
• Direct Supervision
• Alleged with “Passing Notes”
Arrest
• Media Propaganda: Fled the country
• Visited Commissioner
• Arrested
• Increased Charges in Jail
A World Outraged
• "The fake encounters, rapes, burning of
villages and displacement of adivasis
[indigenous tribals] in tens of thousands and
consequent loss of livelihoods have been
extensively chronicled by several independent
investigations. Dr Sen's arrest is clearly an
attempt to intimidate PUCL and other
democratic voices that have been speaking
out against human rights violations in the
state” – Noam Chomsky
Petition
• 22 Nobel Laureates
• Former Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh
• Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and
Human Rights
• R.R. Keithan Gold Medal by The Indian
Academy of Social Sciences (ISSA)
• “I am been accused of waging war on the
state, which is an absolute ridiculous charge,
because I have never even held a gun in my
hand”
• No Convictions
• No real allegations
• Solitary confinement
• Deteriorating Health
• Supreme Court of India: May 2009
– No medical reasons
Today
• Ongoing Trial
• Wants to go back
– End of Maoist Violence
– End of Government Assault
– Peaceful Talks
“How can I Not…”
Peace needs to prevail, violence is not
in anyone’s interest
“I think, we must all try, to love one
another… not that squishy type...but
come together"
Health Care Professionals
• Privilege and Responsibility
• Global commitment
Inequity
“Right thinking people who are sensitive to
issues of human rights, need to recognize this
situation, and decide how they relate to these
tendency”