An Appeal

Condemn the Arrest of Dr Saibal Jana

We are inviting friends to a meeting at the Senate Hall, Kolkata University on 8^th May 2016 between 10am to 5pm to deliberate on the deplorable arrest and jail custody of Dr Saibal Jana, a senior health activist and the chief physician of the Sahid Hospital, Dalli-Rajhara, Chhattisgarh. Dr Jana was arrested on 17^th March in connection with a 24-year old flimsy case and was hand-cuffed in contravention of all civilized norms. Dr Jana has been granted an interim bail but the case is pending before the Court of Law.

You will know that the Sahid Hospital was established in 1982-83 by the donation and physical labour of mine workers under the leadership of late Shankar Guha Neogi, the founder of Chhattisgarh Mine Shramik Sangh (CMSS); Dr Jana has been working at the hospital since its inception. This premier health institution has been relentlessly engaged in improving the health conditions of predominantly tribal people in and around Dalli-Rajhara and has successfully undertaken preventive and promotive health activities like malaria prevention, anti-alcoholism (NASA BANDI) and so on while the 100-bed hospital is providing diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients from all social and economic background in and around 100 km radius.

  

Against the backdrop of egregious growth of profit-driven, ‘hi-tech’, city-centric medicare institutions, Dr Saibal Jana and Sahid Hospital epitomize pro-people, rational health care initiative. We view this incidence of arrest as a serious threat to all such people-centric health care initiative and as an obnoxious encroachment into the democratic space for searching alternatives.    

We have felt that sincere and creative persuasion of pro-people health care initiatives can be a fitting reply to such atrocities and are inviting friends to this day-long round-table deliberation to share their views and experiences regarding this. We propose to raise our voice of PROTEST against deplorable arrest and hand-cuffing of Dr Saibal Jana, to stand in SOLIDARITY with Sahid Hospital and demand immediate STOP to all forms of harassment on such pro-people health initiatives across India.   

In Solidarity:

Dr Dipankar Sengupta (colleague of Dr Saibal Jana at Saheed Hospital).

Dr Asish Kumar Kundu (former colleague of Dr Saibal Jana at Saheed Hospital).

Dr Smarajit Jana (class fellow of Dr Saibal Jana and working in the field of HIV/AIDS and related areas).

Dr Kunal Datta (class fellow of Dr Saibal Jana and working at Sramajibi Hospital, Belur).

Phanigopal Bhattacharya (Sramajibi Hospital, well wisher of Saheed Hospital).

Joya Mitra (Eminent writer, well wisher of Saheed Hospital).

Subhendu Dasgupta (Eminent economist, well wisher of Saheed Hospital).

Naba Datta (Nagarik Mancha, well wisher of Saheed Hospital).

Prasanta Chattopadhyay (Editor, ‘Kaloddhvani’, well wisher of Saheed Hospital).

Sanjoy Ganguli (Jana Sanskriti, well wisher of Saheed Hospital).

Debasish Bhattacharya (Belur Sramajibi Swasthya Prakalpo Samity, well wisher of Saheed Hospital).