Soni Sori's acquittal after 11 years suggests India's 'flawed' trial-punishment system

By Reny Ayline*
On March 14, 2022, a Dantewada court acquitted Adivasi rights activist Soni Sori in the 2011 sedition case filed against her. Soni Sori, along with three others, were charged with supplying money to Maoists, and Sori had been arrested in the case in 2011 from Delhi.
The acquittal means that Sori has now been exonerated in all the cases filed against her during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state. The order was made public on March 15, 2022.
Soni Sori had to suffer many atrocities during the case and she had spoken about the police abuses that she suffered as well. It took 11 long years later for a special court in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, to acquit the tribal activist.
Soni Sori has played a significant role in exposing police and paramilitary atrocities and other human rights abuses faced by tribals in the wake of the Maoist poaching in Dantewada. She was arrested on terrorism charges in the name of political enmity and suffered many tortures in custody.
Justice can only be done if action is taken against those who make false allegations and torture in custody. The government should voluntarily file a case to bring to justice those who tortured.

There are many others who are languishing in jail under trumped up charges. In a system where the trail itself is punishment, acquittals always bring with them a strong anger about the injustices that the victim suffered during the trial.
Soni Sori was a school teacher before the case. Her life was turned upside down with the case. She has also spoken about the time she had to spend in jail, and has asked how the state can give her those years of her life back.
While welcoming the acquittal, human rights organisation the National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) expressed its anger over the injustices that has been meted out to Soni Sori. The suffering caused by this trial cannot be compensated. NCHRO demanded that there be an attempt to account for her suffering.
A system that makes the process of trial itself the punishment is a flawed system, and we urge others to forge a collective effort to rectify this system.
---
*National Secretary, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO)

Comments

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

'Anti-poor stand': Even British wouldn't reduce Railways' sleeper and general coaches

By Anandi Pandey, Sandeep Pandey* Probably even the British, who introduced railways in India, would not have done what the Bhartiya Janata Party government is doing. The number of Sleeper and General class coaches in various trains are surreptitiously and ominously disappearing accompanied by a simultaneous increase in Air Conditioned coaches. In the characteristic style of BJP government there was no discussion or debate on this move by the Indian Railways either in the Parliament or outside of it.

Why convert growing badminton popularity into an 'inclusive sports opportunity'

By Sudhansu R Das Over the years badminton has become the second most popular game in the world after soccer. Today, nearly 220 million people across the world play badminton. The game has become very popular in urban India after India won medals in various international badminton tournaments. One will come across a badminton court in every one kilometer radius of Hyderabad.

Faith leaders agree: All religious places should display ‘anti-child marriage’ messages

By Jitendra Parmar* As many as 17 faith leaders, together for an interfaith dialogue on child marriage in New Delhi, unanimously have agreed that no faith allows or endorses child marriage. The faith leaders advocated that all religious places should display information on child marriage.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Ayurveda, Sidda, and knowledge: Three-day workshop begins in Pala town

By Rosamma Thomas* Pala town in Kottayam district of Kerala is about 25 km from the district headquarters. St Thomas College in Pala is currently hosting a three-day workshop on knowledge systems, and gathered together are philosophers, sociologists, medical practitioners in homeopathy and Ayurveda, one of them from Nepal, and a few guests from Europe. The discussions on the first day focused on knowledge systems, power structures, and epistemic diversity. French researcher Jacquiline Descarpentries, who represents a unique cooperative of researchers, some of whom have no formal institutional affiliation, laid the ground, addressing the audience over the Internet.

Article 21 'overturned' by new criminal laws: Lawyers, activists remember Stan Swamy

By Gova Rathod* The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat, organised an event in Ahmedabad entitled “Remembering Fr. Stan Swamy in Today’s Challenging Reality” in the memory of Fr. Stan Swamy on his third death anniversary. The event included a discussion of the new criminal laws enforced since July 1, 2024.

Hindutva economics? 12% decline in manufacturing enterprises, 22.5% fall in employment

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The messiah of Hindutva politics, Narendra Modi, assumed office as the Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014. He pledged to transform the Indian economy and deliver a developed nation with prosperous citizens. However, despite Modi's continued tenure as the Prime Minister, his ambitious electoral promises seem increasingly elusive.

Union budget 'outrageously scraps' scheme meant for rehabilitating manual scavengers

By Bezwada Wilson* The Union Budget for the year 2024-2025, placed by the Finance Minister in Parliament has completely deceived the Safai Karmachari community. There is no mention of persons engaged in manual scavenging in the entire Budget. Even the scheme meant for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (SRMS) has been outrageously scrapped.

Search This Blog