The sudden arrest of Jesuit priest and human rights activist Father Stan Swamy on October 8, 2020 at Namkum, Ranchi has sparked outrage among various rights activist organisations, prominent figures and the general public.
Fr. Swamy was taken away by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for interrogation. Earlier, the agency had interrogated him from July 27 to July 30 and then again on August 6. Similarly, Swamy was also booked for sedition along with 19 other people by the Jharkhand government.
Apart from personal information, the NIA placed several extracts before him allegedly obtained from his computer implicating his connection with Maoists. Fr. Swamy denied the allegations and said the files were copied on his computer to implicate him.
Here is a compilation of people and organisations who stand in solidarity with the octogenarian activist.
Human Rights activist and renowned journalist Teesta Setalvad in a Twitter thread remembered Swamy’s contributions for the betterment of Advisais in Jharkhand.
Who is Stan Swamy? @cjpindia stands for human rights defenders @OHCHRAsia https://t.co/Ma7GBJ37IR The Jharkhand Priest who made People his Religion #BhimaKoregaon #injustice #ModiFailsIndia
— Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) October 8, 2020
On August 28 the Maharashtra and Jharkhand police raided the home of Father Stan Swamy, one of the city’s prominent political activists, just a few weeks after Father Stan and 19 others were booked on charges of sedition by the Jharkhand government. https://t.co/YNGvpGM1Co
— Citizens for Justice and Peace (@cjpindia) October 9, 2020
Prominent figures like historian Ramchandra Guha, lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan raged against the injustice subjected on Swamy.
Read the extraordinary human rights record of Fr Stan Swamy who has devoted his life to serving the poor Adivasis of Jharkhand. Now arrested by the NIA under UAPA! The venality of this BJP govt & NIA knows no bounds https://t.co/1ILsm7mUEj
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) October 9, 2020
Listen to Stan Swamy’s video in this story; his dignity and courage in the face of state persecution is deeply moving. https://t.co/J75xHN1kYe
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) October 9, 2020
Karnataka’s Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh too voiced his dissent against the browbeating of Modi-government.
This is truly, truly outrageous. I have known Father Swamy and am well aware of his work with the adivasis. This is Modi Sarkar’s tactics of browbeating and intimidation against social activists. ATROCIOUS!https://t.co/bqDMDZ2R0W
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 9, 2020
Rights activists from other countries also lent their voice to Swamy.
Han detenido a Fr Stan Swamy SJ en la India. 83 años, enfermo. Activista desde hace décadas por los derechos de las comunidades indígenas en Jharkand. Indignación y vergüenza. #ReleaseStanSwamy
— Valeria MéndezdeVigo (@vmendezdevigo) October 9, 2020
Translated in English, the tweet says “Fr Stan Swamy SJ has been arrested in India. 83 years old, sick. Activist for decades for the rights of indigenous communities in Jharkand. Outrage and shame. #ReleaseStanSwamy.”
Indian citizens too voiced their outrage on social media with some organizing protests the very next day of the arrest.
Why can’t citizens ask questions? Why can’t we hold people in power accountable? Why can’t we tell them that they can be wrong? Why do people like #UmarKhalid and #StanSwamy end up in jail while #KapilMishra and similar are out?
— Jyoti Mishra (@JyotiMishra0806) October 9, 2020
Two thousand people condemn the arrest of tribal rights activist Stan Swamy by the NIA on 8 Oct 2020 and urge @HemantSorenJMM to oppose the arrest. Full statement with endorsements available at: https://t.co/yvaNQcuD5X pic.twitter.com/0gBsrSUqSt
— Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (@JharkhandJanad1) October 9, 2020
?Join Protest in Ranchi Today 4.00PM
? आज शाम 4 बजे प्रोटेस्ट में शामिल हो.
?National Investigation Agency has arrested 83 Year old Human Rights activist Stan Swamy, in connection with 2018 BhimaKoregaon case.
? @janabhiyan20 Stands With Stan Swamy.#IStandWithStanSwamy pic.twitter.com/EYHSd8nMTd
— ??? ?????? ??????? (@janabhiyan20) October 9, 2020
#StanSwamy trended on Twitter among the top 10 trends today.
“The forcible picking up of an elderly HRD is nothing but blatant harassment and intimidation of people who are critical of the State and its policies and fight for the rights of those who have been oppressed and marginalised,” said Human Rights Defender – Alert in a statement of solidarity released hours after Fr. Swamy’s arrest. HRDA fears for the health and wellbeing of the 83-year-old who suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease. The organisation condemned the unwarranted arrest and appealed that he not be taken to Mumbai considering the current pandemic.
“The inhuman and insincere act of the NIA authorities in arresting Fr. Stan stands out for its sheer vindictiveness. Fr. Stan has always professed his commitment to the Constitution of India and peaceful means of expressing dissent while questioning abuse of power by state executive and police,” said People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) alleging that the real reason for his arrest was that he dared to expose the large scale abuse of anti-terror and sedition laws by the previous BJP-led Jharkhand government. They also pointed out that Swamy’s residence was raided on August 28, 2018 by the Pune Police then in charge of the BK case and his laptop, tablet, camera was seized. However, police had said that he was only a suspect but not an accused in the case at that time.
Eager to help secure Fr. Swamy’s release, a google form was circulated on the social media platform of WhatsApp that asked Chief Minister Hemant Soren to oppose Stan Swamy’s arrest and demanded that the central government immediately release Stan Swamy.
Swamy has been actively working at Bagaicha for the last 15 years, and has worked in collaboration with people’s movements against unjust displacement, human rights violations, illegal land acquisitions, and policies designed or amended to acquire land, deeming the indigenous people landless.
Hundreds of concerned citizens also sent a letter to Chief Minister Shibu Soren saying, “The recent arrest of Stan Swamy is a gross violation of human rights and democratic norms.” The signatories to the letter demand Fr. STan’s immediate release. The letter further says, “The main objective of the case is to target and harass activists who work for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits and the marginalised and raise questions against the anti-people policies of the government.” The entire letter with list of all signatories may be viewed here:
Related:
Fr. Stan Swamy’s arrest malicious and spiteful: PUCL
83 Year-Old Stan Swamy taken in by NIA for questioning, quotes Khalil Jibran at the injustice
Six months of being hunted, not yet vanquished: Stan Swamy
Fr. Stan Swamy: The Jharkhand Priest who made People his Religion