apologies for posting news item again , but with poem its the context Poem: They named you Maoist today, Rameshwar Had you heard what they were saying While anointing you with this name You would have shaken your head violently from right to left Because that is the only way, you said ‘No’ all your life But, who had time to listen to you, Rameshwar? They behaved just like our villagers did Who kept calling you ‘Mental’ I know, how violently you shook your head from right to left Every time you could read their lips saying that M word, Rameshwar But those ‘Hearies’ never cared to listen to your plea. I know last time when we took you to an ENT That ‘good doctor’ rather than pitying you Was angry on our ‘progressive’ state For not having enough special schools for kids like you. When we reported to him how you had to drop out after Fourth standard, he even angrily cursed your teachers Saying, “those Aatel Oralists”. That ‘good doctor’ rang up your father today morning After reading news in Times of India He said he felt sad for your predicament But also added how hard he and others had to fight to Prove that Binayak da, his friend and another ‘good doctor’ Was no Maoist either. Himanshu Upadhyaya [June 18, 2010]
Cops' rebel' is an epilepsy patientTNN, Jun 19, 2010, 05.47am IST Article <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6065663.cms> Comments <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/opinions/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms#write> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6065663.cms?prtpage=1> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Cops-rebel-is-an-epilepsy-patient/articleshow/6065663.cms> Tags:toi <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topics.cms?query=toi>|Madina<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topics.cms?query=Madina> |Judicial Event<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topics.cms?query=Judicial%20Event> |spokesperson<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topics.cms?query=spokesperson> |senior police officer<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topics.cms?query=senior%20police%20officer> |Neurologist<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topics.cms?query=Neurologist> KOLKATA: Police are convinced that 20-year-old Rameshwar Murmu of Duli village near Salboni is a hard-crore Maoist. But the youth's medical documents, copies of which are with TOI, tell a different story. An electroencephalogram (EEG) test that he underwent on June 6, 2006, at a Midnapore lab found that he was a patient of epilepsy and very slow in his reflexes and reactions. The test report said Rameshwar has "predominant theta activity while alpha was almost absent" and that "abnormal EEG findings are suggestive of postictal state". Neurologist Swapan Mukherjee explained the readings. Alpha and theta are two frequencies in the human brain, he said. While the alpha frequency make people alert, quick and fast, theta frequency makes people slow. It's the theta activity that makes us drowsy or sleepy. With a high theta activity, a patient cannot run, think or react like a normal person, Mukherjee said. And postictal state confirms severe epilepsy, he added. The neurologist said that severe epilepsy, without proper treatment (as is the case with Rameshwar) causes regular seizures and leads to memory defects. "It causes depression and even psychosis. Often a patient loses mental balance and gets speech retarded," said Mukherjee. Sitangsu Nandi, another well known neurologist, said that the medical report suggests abnormal electrical activity in the patient's brain. "Electrical activity controls human behaviour. If his seizures started after a fever, it's possible he suffered encephalitis, which damaged his brain. If such a patient stays untreated for long time, he will definitely be a victim of mental disorder. Such patients then turn mentally challenged," he said. Rameshwar has gone without any kind of treatment for over a decade. His father, a marginal farmer, cannot afford it. "It is difficult to believe that someone like him can take part in a gunfight against security forces," said another neurologist, who asked not to be named. Police, however, are desperate to make a convincing case for the only "Maoist squad member" caught alive from the encounter site at Salboni on Wednesday. They also claim that one of the slain Maoists is Rameshwar's brother Ram. "We identified Ram Murmu from a voter's ID card and cross-checked it," said a senior police officer. Rameshwar's parents Bankim and Madina admit that their elder son is named Ram but deny he was killed in the gunfight that erupted right behind their home. "He is away working in Orissa. No one from our village was killed," Bankim said. According to Rameshwar's parents, his first seizure was noticed around 10 years ago following a bout of high fever. "The seizures would last 20-30-minutes. It is very difficult to control him whenever he has a fit. His muscles twitch violently, he throws about his hands and legs and starts frothing," said Bankim. The only treatment they could give him was jhar-phoonk by the local witch-doctors (ojhas). In 2005 and 2006, Bankim took him to some doctors and went to diagnostic centres for medical tests. But he could not follow up with the treatment. "He now suffers from regular seizures. The disease attacks him every full moon and new moon day," said Bankim. Medical experts say such patients could not be called insane, but they are definitely mentally challenged, who cannot react or speak like a normal man. Police claim that Rameshwar sustained injuries during Wednesday's gunfight and a bullet grazed his skin, leaving a bruise. The 20-year-old's wounds were mentioned before the court to prove that he was at the encounter site. Rameshwar's lawyer Mrinal Chowdhury rubbished the claims. "He has a linear abrasion on his shoulder, and bruises on his back and head. The last two injuries are old and the injury on his shoulder cannot be from a bullet," said Chowdhury. "If police have evidence that he is not ailing and that his brother was among the slain Maoists, why did they leave him unnamed in the FIR? The entire courtroom saw that he cannot speak properly. When he was repeatedly asked for his name, he tried to respond after a long time, that too in a slurring and inaudible voice. He tried to pronounce his name, but the court could not record it," said Chowdhury. Police stick to their claim that he is a hard-core rebel squad member but the Maoists refuse to identify him as one of their own. "We never take any physically and mentally challenged person in our squad as a guerrilla needs quick reflexes and good physical fitness," said a Maoist spokesperson. Locals of Duli village, who were witness to the encounter, point out that Rameshwar was in a pair of blue shorts and bare-bodied when he was arrested by police. But all the slain male rebels were in T-shirts and trainer pants. West Midnapore SP Manoj Verma said:"We will get to the truth. We know that he can speak, but we are yet to verify if is he mentally challenged." -- Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal +919820749204 skype-lawyercumactivist "After a war, the silencing of arms is not enough. Peace means respecting all rights. You can’t respect one of them and violate the others. When a society doesn’t respect the rights of its citizens, it undermines peace and leads it back to war.” -- Maria Julia Hernandez www.otherindia.org www.binayaksen.net www.phm-india.org www.phmovement.org www.ifhhro.org -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
