Church calls for review of sedition law

The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) on Tuesday demanded a review of the colonial-era sedition law to ensure that innocents are not put behind bars on similar charges.

"The NCCI requests the Government of India to review the colonial sedition law that was enacted to punish persons who fought the Empire to secure freedom of their land," NCCI said. "To use such laws, that too to punish her own citizens in a democratic country is illogical and sans sanity."

The ecumenical body, representing Protestant and Orthodox churches in India, welcomed the Supreme Court decision last week to grant bail to civil rights activist Binayak Sen.

Sen, who was serving a life sentence for sedition and links with Naxalites, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday.

The SC judgement, NCCI said, restored credibility of the Judiciary and instilled hope amongst citizens. It commended the initiative of the civil rights movements that stood with Sen and his family "working tirelessly toward establishing the principles of democratic freedom".

"The NCCI extends its solidarity and support to the struggles of Civil Rights Organisations and Movements in seeking to establish principles of justice, values of democratic traditions, and civil rights of all citizens," NCCI said.

Sen, who is also a medical doctor, was convicted Dec 24, 2010 of sedition and conspiracy under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act, 2005, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 2004.

He was immediately taken into custody, having been out on bail since May 2009. Police had arrested Sen May 14, 2007, accusing him of carrying messages from the jailed Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal. Sen visited Sanyal under the supervision of jail authorities to provide medical and legal aid.

The SC said on Friday the 61-year-old renowned paediatrician's meetings with Sanyal and Naxal literature found with him did not amount to sedition.