After Ervadi: Healing and Human Rights in the Context of Mental Health Jayasree Kalathil From: Zachariah, A, Srivatsan, R & Tharu, S, eds. (2010) Towards a Critical Medical Practice: Reflections of the Dilemmas of Medical Culture Today. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan. P266-272 On August 6, 2001, tǁeŶtLJ eight people laďelled mentally ill died in a fire that burned down the makeshift hut in which they were kept chained in Ervadi, Tamil Nadu. The incident caused widespread public outrage and invoked pleas for preserving the human rights of mentally distressed people from the media, mental health and human rights activists, legal experts, professionals, NGOs and the general public. “iŶĐe ϮϬϬϭ, it has ďeĐoŵe aŶ aŶŶual ŵedia ritual to edžpose the goǀerŶŵeŶts failure to regulate meŶtal health Đare aŶd highlight the plight of the mentally ill, by publishing a story on a faith healing place. In 2007, NDTV carried a report on the Langar Hous Darga in Hyderabad (Sudhir, 2007), allegiŶg that the ŵeŶtallLJ ill still continue to be chained in gross violation of huŵaŶ rights. With liŵited rooŵ iŶ ŵaiŶstreaŵ iŶstitutioŶs of ŵeŶtal Đare, ŵaŶLJ ǁho Ŷeed atteŶtioŶ get pushed to ǁhere either hope or desperatioŶ takes theŵ, the report ĐoŶĐluded. The NDTV report instigated discussions among some mental health and human rights activists, members of the Jan Mansik Arogya Abhiyan, and other interested parties. An immediate suggestion was to file a Public Interest Litigation against the Darga, and to use the law to shut it down. Others felt that legal intervention, while putting an end to inhuman practices like chaining, will also take away important community support systems that these places provide