The Sold-outs

And they made it indeed a big news.

The sold-out players. Dhoni bagging 6 crores and even the little known ones bagging and ending up with 2 crores or 1. And how many thousands make up one million? Zeros add up and simply make it big. Newspapers celebrate it. Orgasm of patriotism and sportsmanship. All combined in one. And who pays? Who sucks commission? No questions asked. It is all big game boy. Big games, and big players. Big actors and show-big enchantresses. A fusion music.

The players. Dhoni onwards down to the insignificant ones. All up for sale. Life-time slaves to the highest bidder.

What charisma and glamour would be theirs to have SOLD OUT on their photos and displayed all over the media! Now try wooing their family members too. Probably You might get them too, and probably at a cheaper price. Who can say?

Binayak Sen

The Third National Convention of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace expresses its deep sense of anguish and outrage at the continued detention of Dr.Binayak Sen by the State of Chhattisgarh under draconian laws, which deprive its victims of the basic rights enshrined in the Constitution of India. Dr.Sen is the General Secretary of Peoples' Union for Civil Rights, Chhattisgarh, a member of the Medico Friends Circle, and one of those who has played a leading role in founding the CNDP. Dr.Sen, a medical doctor by profession, has not only dedicated his professional life to serve the medical needs of the poor and the needy in one of the most backward areas of the country but also is one with inexhaustible energy and enthusiasm for all the other causes to which he has expressed his commitment. Dr.Sen has been an unrelenting champion of human rights, a crusader against economic & social exploitation of the tribal population, a steadfast campaigner against bureaucratic corruption, and a staunch opponent of communalism. Above all, Dr.Sen is an unswerving activist for the cause of disarmament and peace.

Dr.Sen graduated with distinction from the prestigious Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, and later completed his MD there in 1974. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to society, in 2004, Dr.Sen received the Paul Harrison award for lifetime work of medical care in the service of humanity, an award given annually by the CMC to one of its alumni. It is this medical professional and social activist, who has been recognised as "a role model for the students and staff of CMC", who was arrested on 14 May 2007 allegedly for "unlawful activities", which were supposedly "threatening public security". Dr.Sen has been detained since then on utterly infounded charges. In wilful violation of the basic rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India, the State of Chhatisgarh is hell bent on detaining Dr.Sen by hook or by crook because it is terribly fearful of Dr.Sen's persistent activities, which would have totally exposed the misdeeds and misdemeanours of the State Government and its hangers-on.

It is a crying shame that one of India's most dedicated and committed medical practitioner and social activist should be languishing in jail in solitary confinement for the past several months and denied basic rights that are otherwise available to political prisoners. Dr.Sen has not only been denied the opportunity to use his professional expertise to treat other co-prisoners in the overcrowded jail � who have little access to adequate medical needs � but also he has no way of preventing deterioration of his professional skills due to prolonged disuse. What is equally worse is the fact that Dr.Sen has been denied adequate access to everyday news and information, which are vital to an intellectual of his stature and calibre in this age of information.

The Third National Convention of the CNDP, hereby, calls upon all concerned citizens of this country to join us in seeking the immediate release of Dr.Binayak Sen, who is a victim of gross injustice. If we fail to vehemently contest and vociferously oppose the arbitrary violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India and fail to put an end to such blatant violations without further delay, we would be guilty of slowly and surely aiding and abetting the destruction of democracy in this country.

The CNDP wishes to take this opportunity to express its wholehearted solidarity and support to Dr.Sen's partner, Dr.Ilina Sen � a member of the National Co-ordination Committee, CNDP � and their two daughters in this hour of trial and pledges to do all it can to rally wider support to ensure the immediate release of the honourable and respected Dr.Binayak Sen.

Peace is doable.


(This resolution was passed at the Third National Convention of Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) during 1-3 February 2008 in Nagpur, India)

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Save Pervez

British daily, The Independent had come up with an updated news on Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, a 23 year old journalism student, who had been sentenced to death, by the pseudo-secular Karzai government of Afghanistan, under severe pressure from the fundamentalists.

Click here for extract of news and endorse your support in the online petition for the immediate release of Pervez.

The World of Layla Anwar

Dear Layla,

Even while sitting at a safe distance, I still feel inside a deep awe towards you.

Why is it so?

You, an Iraqi, a young lady and for you, life and writings are nothing but the pain of your bleeding nation.

For me, a middle-aged Indian, it is a pastime, relaxed in an easy-chair of a self-imposed exile and done at my own leisure. Is it because of that distance that I feel that awe?

I am sure that you cannot abuse me in the public, nor you can deprive me of my own trifle pleasures. No way. Still I feel the awe. It is so because, you are experiencing the trauma of a deep and great suffering. And myself and my people, just enacting and wailing on our own silly miseries.

Mostly, it is always the other way round. Those on stage enact and the spectator goes through the experiences unfolded on the stage, right? Here, right on the stage, you are the one experiencing these hard times, and we, the unsympathazing spectators, sit in the crystallized silence in the dark togetherness. You and your people are the characters in this unmerciful story. Nay, You are the story itself. We, the inhuman audience.

Maybe, at some other age, a more sensitive generation might come and replace us, I am sure. And they would be definitely asking me and my people, why did we abandon you and your people to the merciless claws of history, and I am sure that we would not have a single reply for them. Perhaps I may blurt out an easy confession, that, dear,it all happened so or something like that.

From you too, they will demand, as to how come that we, your contemporaries, become such miserable eunechs to have left you (and your people) alone on the street of history to fight it out yourself. And to which, you might as well reply in that inimitable style of your own "Tell them to fuck off, it is enough that we have ourselves to fight it out, that is more than enough". I am sure that you will say that.

Next time some personality development evangelists drop in somewhere here - one or other of those nuts always throng this City, Layla (by the way, we call this city, City that Cares) - I will ask them about ways to get rid of this self humiliation. Even if I have to pay more for that, no problem. I can at least have my own bit of peace of mind. So far, so good.

Salute,



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