I wish I knew what to make of the latest developments in the increasingly appalling injustice being perpetrated on my brother by the state of Chhattisgarh. December 14 will mark his nineteenth month in jail as an undertrial.
Now that the witnesses so far brought against him by the prosecution have failed to substantiate any of the charges against him, the state has introduced a new charge sheet with 47 more witnesses. I do not yet have the details of the new charges, but they are reportedly even more absurd than the previous lot.
Thanks a lot, you Mumbai terrorists! You have done wonders for justice and fair play in this country. Not just for your fellow Muslims, some of whom you slaughtered with your own bullets and bombs, but for all those who are victimized in the name of the utterly ficitious "war on terror", including my brother. Now that our wonderful politicans and intelligence commissars have covered themselves with ignominy, the entire country is recoiling in revulsion at the horror of the outrage AND at the incompetence of our government. They are howling for blood and revenge, and our TV channels and blogs are full of cries for letting loose the dogs of war. Even the Maoists in Jharkhand displayed a gesture of sympathy for the victims of the terror attacks.
Since terrorism will in all likelihood become THE most important election issue in the national elections next year, each and every tinpot police and judicial functionary and his political bosses would like to earn some merit in the eyes of the public before the elections. The cheapest way to recover some lost credibility would be to be seen as being tough on those whom they brand as terrorists, or anyone they accuse of being connected with them. It will now very likely be open season on all those who have been accused of any kind of anti-state activity - all dissent will be regarded as guilty until proved innocent...no, scratch that...just guilty!
Meanwhile, Binayak's lawyers filed another petition for bail before the High Court at Bilaspur, where the same judge who rejected it the last time in 2007, refused to admit the petition after hearing it over two sessions. I am told that technically this does not amount to a rejection, but could be interpreted as an implicit request to re-submit the petition.
Does this mean that the legal system is inscrutable even to the lawyers? After all, why would they not take all precautions to ensure that the bail would at least be admitted?
This is all very depressing. And here was I believing that the prospects of his release were improving! Perhaps I was clutching at straws, like the visit by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, an unofficial spokesperson for the ruling BJP. Was it right to have argued, as I did, for easing off on the agitation to give time to the state to consider what looked like possible back channel initiatives for his release? Perhaps it was all sand in my eyes?
So now the meter has been re-set to zero again. I just can't bear to call home any more.
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