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Adv Rajendra Sail, a noted human rights activist and ecumenist from India, passed away on 26 January, at age 72. Sail stood out from the Christian community for his deeper engagements on human rights issues and bold steps in questioning the government on its failures to adhere to the principles of democracy and secular commitment.
Hailing from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, he was a student leader in Allahabad associated with the Student Christian Movement of India. After graduating in law, he moved to Raipur, Chhattisgarh, where he founded the Raipur Churches Development and Relief Committee. He remained the rest of his life in Chhattisgarh working among the poorest of poor, the oppressed and the marginalised.
Being a member of the Church of North India, he was closely associated with the National Council of Churches in India for his entire life.
He has been associated with the World Council of Churches (WCC) through some of its programmes, most recently through the Ecumenical Water Network. Dinesh Suna, coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network, fondly remembered his association with Sail. “He was a fearless defender of human rights and dedicated his entire life in defence of the poor and marginalised communities, particularly from the state of Chhattisgarh - a state with a predominantly tribal and Dalit community,” said Suna. “He has contributed to a WCC book in the process of publication, ‘Theological Foundations on Water Justice,’ and has published Hindi versions of the Lenten reflections Seven Weeks for Water. His untimely death is a great loss to the vulnerable communities across the country but more so to the ecumenical fraternity in India.”
Sail’s association with rural bonded labour led to the popular case on bonded labour in the Supreme Court of India in the 1980s that led to the release of nearly 25,000 bonded labourers in Chhattisgarh, who were predominantly Dalits and tribals.
A comrade and companion of Sail, Dr Goldy George says: “He has worked extensively on demilitarisation of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh state, and also played a key role in drafting the People's Union for Civil Liberties draft bill on the Protection of Journalists, and the memorandum for the release of Adivasis falsely imprisoned under the pretext of being Maoist associates from various jails in Chhattisgarh.”
He is survived by his wife Sashi Sail, a long-time activist on women’s rights across India, and two sons Akshay and Agnay, both practising law.
More on Adv Rajendra Sail and the WCC Ecumenical Water Network
