Our system is on trial

I have been trying to form an opinion on Dr Binayak Sen. He has been awarded a life sentence. So he must be a dangerous person. But it is hard to believe that a man who's worked for the downtrodden for 30 long years can be guilty of sedition and conspiracy.
His journey began the day he became a gold medallist from the Christian Medical College, Vellore, where it is difficult even to get admitted. With such brilliant academic record, he could have chosen any renowned foreign university for his post-graduation and led a comfortable life that comes with dollar earning in millions. He could have been requested one day to treat our top politicians as a visiting physician. Instead, he opted for a life among the poor tribals of Chhattisgarh. Like the rest of the medicos, he did not roll up his car windows, turn the AC on, or pucker up his nose at the beggars knocking at the window.
Things were fine as long as he kept himself busy with distributing medicines among the poor. But he had to dabble in human rights. That was not acceptable. For Dr Sen, it wasn't enough to treat the poor, he had to fight for them and to persuade the poor to fight for their own rights. He said, they did need the medicines, but they also needed to fight for their food and their dignity. He felt the state tolerates charitable work as long as it doesn't hamper the interests of the rich and the powerful.
And Dr Sen had the audacity to blame the state for the diseases like malaria,dengue and cholera, which keep ravaging the fetid slums across the country. He held the state responsible for the malnourishment among half our children. He steadfastly opposed government schemes, which meant eviction of thousands of tribals from their homes. Is this is seditious stuff? The government counsels patience to the poor. They can wait. And they are kept waiting.
Even the trial of Dr Sen raises many questions. The Chhattisgarh police have been successful in converting it into a campaign. Dr Sen's supporters across the world have raised a cry that justice was flawed. Shocked human rights organisations have protested against the judgement in unison. They argue that there is absolutely no evidence against Dr Sen. It is almost as if our judicial system itself is on trial. And the most disquieting factor in the episode is that Dr Sen's case may make people feel that no change is possible by remaining within the system.