The Curious Case of Binayak Sen by Dilip DSouza

The Curious Case of Binayak Sen Reviews

• 
  Pradeep Mohandas

  The idea that the Naxalite movement was caused in part because governance has not been able to reach every corner of our country has been appealing to me. It's violent streak may be partly because of its revolutionary ideology and partly because of the circumstances created by the lack of governance infrastructure in certain parts of the country.
  
  The recently released Hindi movie Chakravyuh deepened this thought for me. The role played by corrupt officials and the lack of basic police apparatus on the ground is not small.
  
  This is combined with the internet generation of upper middle class educated youth talking of developing the country but not willing to go on the ground and contribute to such an effort. This was highlighted to me in the recent Malayalam movie Ayalum Njanum Thammil.
  
  It is these thoughts coursing through my mind and my knowledge of the online outrage that this case caused that led me to pick up this book at the Strand Book Store in Mumbai. Slightly tired of buying books online, I wanted to go out in the bookstore to purchase a book. Perhaps that is another post for my personal blog.
  
  The book, overall, did not satisfy me. Dilip D'Souza does provide some brilliant insights which in itself make reading the book worthwhile. These are in the various ideas we have of the accused, the thinking of the first generation born in a free India fueled by Nehru's vision. Mr. D'Souza is also great at reasoning step by step and taking the reader along with him. This is particularly relevant to the internet generation of Indians who are presented with multiple sources provided by various camps which has over the years become particularly adept at presenting various facts.
  
  As Mr. D'Souza says, just using certain words by people who hold certain posts make it seem that they must be true. Attribution of quotes is given easily. Cross-checking them has become easier than before but no one, still takes such trouble. This is why, the Wikipedian in me also enjoyed browsing through his references, filled with short links.
  
  The book is written with three themes - Dr. Binayak Sen, the case against him and the ideals on which India is built today and the changes the country has seen since independence. I think Mr. D'Souza fails to make much on all three counts. The book seems written with a bias in favour of Dr. Sen. I do not know for certain if this is because there isn't a sufficient body of theory beyond rhetoric against Dr. Sen. This bias makes the reader feels that the treatment of the subject is not complete.
  
  
  There are some brilliant insights in the book that make it worth reading the book. Reading it will definitely improve your questioning skills as you read news reports and assessing what is available in the public domain. This is specially useful in the world today given there are multiple sources in both camp that seem adept at manufacturing content to prove a point. Being a Wikipedian, I liked the fact that it was referenced. I did look up one or two references up as well.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Conrad Barwa

  A must read for the travesty that is the Indian legal system; while favourable towards Dr. Sen, its hard to imagine the combination of incompetence and malice that comprised the Chattisgarh state govt's attempt, successful in the lower court, to have Sen convicted of sedition and sentenced to life imprisonment. Only a long and ardous campaign by civil society has seen him released on bail by the Supreme Court, with his appeal still resting at the Chattisgarh High Court.
• 
  Rajesh Kumar

  A must read book who are interested in knowing about the medical facilities in rural india and to understand what really a medical profession is.How a person in india who wants to to do some meaningful work is harassed for the sake of political benefits.
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  Siddhartha

  An interesting read about the great doctor.