India – Father Stan Swamy’s 85th Birth Anniversary celebrated in India
The 85th birth anniversary of Father Stan Swamy, the first since his death, was observed on 26th April with the release of two books and the unveiling of his bust at Bagaicha, a training and social action centre he founded in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. More than 250 people participated in the event and paid their homage.
Elsewhere in the country, members of the Indian Church and civil society remembered the martyred Jesuit’s contributions to upholding the human rights of the most marginalized sections of society.
The main event was held at Bagaicha in Namkum, Ranchi, on April 26 where the two-foot-high bust of Father Stan stands tall overlooking the institution he founded in 2006.
Keeping his memory alive, Bagaicha continues to empower individuals and organizations working against the displacement of marginalized people, human rights violations, illegal land acquisition and confinement of tribal people by branding them as Maoists.
Two books were also released on the occasion: (1) the Hindi translation of his memoirs, I am not a silent spectator and (2) If not now, when? Disquieting Feminist questions, an edited volume of feminist writings.
Father Stan was detained in jail after his arrest at Bagaicha in October 2020 in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence case. He was robbed of timely medical care and repeatedly denied release on bail despite his deteriorating health. After over nine months in prison, the 84-year-old Jesuit died in judicial custody at a private hospital in Mumbai on July 5, 2021.
Speaking on the occasion, Father PM Tony, the present director of Bagaicha said, “Fr. Stan was a very gentle, but a very determined person with a single-minded commitment to values of the simplicity of life as lived out by the Adivasi-Moolnivasi societies; relentlessly upheld the values of truthfulness, justice, peace and democracy; drew his energy from the Adivasis; and believed that humanity’s integral liberation is possible only by standing against the oppressive structures and systems.”
His death caused much outrage across India and the world continues to rankle many.
In Delhi, the Federation of Associations of the Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi, organized a seminar-cum book release. “Father Stan did not die but was killed in prison … because he stood for the rights of the voiceless tribal peoples,” said Apoorvanand Jha, a professor from the University of Delhi. He urged the gathering to continue to stand for justice and protest the conspiracy that caused Father Stan’s imprisonment and death.
Farah Naqvi, an author and activist for justice and development, noted that Father Stan had stood for the truth always. She compared the Jesuit’s life with the parable of the sower in the Bible. Father Swamy had prepared the ground to sow the seed so that it could flower and bear fruit, she added.
“Father Stan did not beg for bail from the court as he wanted justice to prevail. He was innocent and a simple man who became a victim of hatred. It is sad that Father Stan died a prisoner without getting justice. He had dedicated his life to preventing injustice from being done to anyone. This is what we need to do,” she added.
Apoorvanand, a civil society leader and human rights commentator, urged the gathering to continue to protest the conspiracy that caused Father Stan’s imprisonment and death.
Father Savarimuthu Sankar, the spokesperson of the Delhi Archdiocese, hailed Father Stan as an apostle of truth and justice who wanted to do away with the injustice meted out to the Adivasis in eastern India. He himself became a victim of the implicated Maoism.
John Dayal, a human rights activist and veteran journalist, recalled that after Father Swamy’s death international communities like US and Japan have passed memorandum on the threat faced by prisoners, Dalit and Tribal communities and women from institutions
Monsignor Susai Sebastian, former vicar general of Delhi Archdiocese who moderated the program, hoped the Jesuit’s life and works would continue to inspire many more people.
Father Jerome Stanislaus D’Souza, president of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia, recalled that Father Stan’s simplicity and Christ-like life were special and inspiring. After his death, Father Stand has become more powerful and the Jesuits have decided to fight for the justice of the imprisoned innocents, he added.
*By Bijoy Kumar Minj (UCAN) & P M Tony SJ (Director-Bagaicha)
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