It is five years to date, since Fr Stan Swamy, was arrested and more than four years since he was martyred for the cause of justice. The incontrovertible fact is that, though Fr Stan is no longer physically present on this earth, he continues to live in the hearts and lives of many everywhere, very particularly the poor and the marginalised, the excluded and the exploited, the Adivasis and the Dalits, anyone and everyone who are victims of injustice and inhumanity. Besides civil society members: academics and activists, civil libertarians and politicians, Jesuits, and other religious and priests, continue to miss him profoundly and still mourn his death. Despite the all-out hostility of the NIA, painstaking efforts continue on several fronts, to prove the innocence of Fr Stan (and he was innocent) and that his incarceration was unwarranted, illegal and unconstitutional.

Though Fr Stan’s death left a void in the heart of many, he did leave behind a rich legacy, which today many of those he inspired, are grappling with ways and means of how best they can internalise and actualise it. It is not easy to so, it is indeed a challenge. Fr Stan’s legacy embodies Compassion, Courage, Collaboration and Commitment. Certainly a tall order – but given the reality, we live in today, it is a path, we have no option, but to follow. In an effort to live and deepen this legacy, eighteen Jesuits of the South Asian Assitancy met for a two-day (5 &6 October, 2025) reflection at Bagaicha, Ranchi. The meeting which was organised and hosted by the Jesuit team of Bagaicha, was path-breaking on several counts: the participants shared with each other their profound experiences of living, working with Fr Stan and of being inspired by him; of the many good things (events, programmes, memorial meets) that have been taking place after his death; and of the ‘much more’ that needs to be done, if we are to genuinely live the legacy Fr Stan left us.

During the reflection, the Jesuits re-visited some key documents which included the vision and mission of Bagaicha, the Community Meetings held there, the JCSA National Consultation held in Delhi in September 2021, the subsequent meetings of the Central Zone Jesuits. These documents enunciated a clear way of proceeding with concrete points of action, in order to realise the legacy of Fr Stan. In the National Consultation of Delhi for one, the participants (Jesuits and collaborators) unanimously formulated an incisive statement, ‘Reliving the Stan Moment: A Clarion Call’. The statement had a doable action plan in order to keep alive the legacy which Stan has left us!

The recently held Bagaicha reflection in more ways than one synced with the National Consultation statement which said, “during the time together, we listened to touching insights of those who knew Fr Stan well, of how he walked the talk and of how ultimately, he had to pay the price for the people and their cause -for which he lived. We also shared in-depth spiritual conversations with one another. We emphasized the incarnational spirituality which Fr Stan internalised and actualised, as he accompanied the Adivasis, the Dalits and other sub-alterns in their relentless struggle for a more humane, just, dignified, equitable and peaceful world. He willingly embraced the Cross that was given to him.”

The key question in the very meaningful, profound and interactive process was, “are we doing enough (individually and collectively) to internalise and live Stan’s legacy today”? The answer was a unanimous, honest and heartfelt “NO!” Whilst everyone did acknowledge the plenty of good being done all over (which they felt were important and necessary), there was also the feeling, that one should transcend mere ‘cosmeticisation’ or ‘tokenism.’ What one also needs to deal with, is the fear factor that throttles both the individual and collective and prevents one from being visible and vocal where critical issues are concerned. The Jesuits also felt strongly that there must be a paradigm shift in attitudes, approaches and actions, if one truly wishes to live Fr Stan’s legacy. Indicators for this include emphasis on movement rather than on institutions, to be in the midst of the people, to accompany them in their struggles, to collaborate with like-minded individuals and groups, to engage in research based advocacy and to be courageous enough to take visible prophetic stands against the powerful and other vested interest. Fr Stan’s legacy, which is essentially the faith-justice mandate of the Society of Jesus, needs to permeate in all Jesuit ministries and initiatives today, beginning with formation.

Just before he left Bagaicha and his arrest in October 2020, Fr. Stan said, “over the last two decades, I have identified myself with the Adivasi people and their struggle for a life of dignity and self-respect… In this process, I have clearly expressed my dissent over several policies and laws enacted by the government in the light of the Indian Constitution. I have questioned the validity, legality and justness of several steps taken by the government and the ruling class. If this makes me a ‘deshdrohi’, then so be it. We are part of the process. In a way I am happy to be part of this process. I am not a silent spectator, but part of the game and ready to pay the price whatever be it…. I/we must be ready to face the consequences. I would just add that what is happening to me is not unique. Many activists, lawyers, writers, journalists, student leaders, poets, intellectuals and others who stand for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits and the marginalised and express their dissent to the ruling powers of the country are being targeted. Grateful to all who have stood in solidarity with me all these years.”

Fr. Stan today challenges us all, Jesuits and others to live the legacy he has left us, in a profound way by our presence among the people, by our participation in their struggles and joys, by partnering through a shared vision and mission, with other women and men of good will, by having the courage to play a prophetic role and above all, to be a pilgrim a hope. From Taloja jail he wrote, “my needs are limited. The Adivasis and the Society of Jesus, have taught me to lead a simple life… Listening to the life narratives of the poor prisoners is my joy in Taloja Jail… I see God in their pains and smiles… Many of such poor undertrials don’t know what charges have been put on them, have not seen their chargesheet and just remain for years without any legal or other assistance. The 16 co-accused have not been able to meet each other as we are lodged in different jails or different ‘circles’ with the same jail”; he concludes, “but we will still sing in chorus. A caged bird can still sing”.

The Bagaicha reflection has energised the Jesuit participants, to do all they can, to live Fr Stan Swamy’s legacy in an uncompromising and prophetic way, and not to be afraid whatever the consequences one may have to face!

Fr Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist/writer.

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Almost two hundred years ago, in April 1837, the noted Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen had his short story ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ published in ‘The Little Mermaid’, as the third and final instalment of Andersen’s ‘Fairy Tales Told for Children’. In essence, the story is about an arrogant Emperor who is finally exposed. The tale, has made waves: translated into over one hundred languages, it has been dramatised and also has poems and songs composed based on it; above all, it is a powerful figure of speech.

The story is simple and direct. Andersen revelled in that style. The Emperor, is self – centred, and thinks no end of himself! He has a terrible obsession with fancy clothes. He just does not bother about the burning issues which are destroying his empire: nor does he listen to the cries of his people.

One day, two crooks visit his palace. They pose as weavers and offer to make for him some magnificent clothes. These clothes, they tell him, are invisible to those who are either incompetent or stupid or who do not understand important things. The gullible Emperor hires them; they set up their looms and pretend to work. A succession of officials/ courtiers (the Emperors ‘chamchas’) starting with the Emperor’s wise competent and all- knowing minister, and ending with the Emperor himself, visit them to check their progress. Each sees that the looms are empty but pretends otherwise, to avoid being regarded as a fool.

Finally, the all-important day arrives when the “weavers ” loudly proclaim that the suit for the Emperor is completed. He strips out his royalty finery and whilst he is stark naked the ‘weavers’ mime dressing him. They applaud when they have ‘dressed’ him and the Emperor is delighted. He sets off with all pomp and pageantry, in a procession before the whole city.

The people who have gathered, cheer him no end. Even those who realise the reality, uncomfortably go along with the pretence, not wanting to appear like morons: inept or stupid. Suddenly from out of the blue a little child screams in a shrill voice “The Emperor is naked!”. The people are startled – some pretend that they have not heard the child, some accept that they have been fooled. The Emperor, who has also heard the child, is naturally rankled; but given the fact, that he is delusional and self – obsessed, he does not care about the truth which comes from the lips of an innocent child. He continues unperturbed with the procession.

The story has several variations. Andersen himself adapted it from an ancient folk-tale. Significantly, there is also an Indian version. The story appears in the Līlāvatīsāra by Jinaratna(1283), a summary of a now-lost anthology of fables, the Nirvāṇalīlāvatī by Jineśvara(1052). The dishonest merchant Dhana from Hastināpura swindles the king of Śrāvastī, by offering to weave a supernatural garment that cannot be seen or touched by any person of illegitimate birth. When the king is supposedly wearing the garment, his whole court pretends to admire it. The king is then paraded about his city to show off the garment; when the common folk ask him if he has become a naked ascetic, he realises the deception, but by then the swindler has already fled; the King becomes a laughing stock.

Whatever the variation or the adaptation according to the story- tellers, the fable is an apt parable for our times. There are several important and relevant lessons to be learnt for all today. The dramatis personae have much to teach us all: what not to be and what to be:

The Emperor 

He is there holding sway, on his throne with crown and sceptre. Power has gone to his head. He lives in the false belief that no one can touch him. He equates himself with God. He has decided that he has absolute power and well, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Emperor is arrogant, corrupt and self – obsessed; he looks down on others and imprisons or kills all those who dare question him. He is not accountable to anyone; he just does not care and is unable to listen to the cries of his people. He is busy travelling around the world, wearing fancy costumes and of course, taking selfies. He has reached a pathetically low level mentally – he is unable to realise that he is naked!

The Courtiers 

These are the chamchas, the ones who sing praises of the Emperor, they ‘hee and haw’ in front of him. They are the Emperors crony capitalist friends, who know that if they are on his right side they can do what they want: loot the nation, plunder precious natural resources, buy huge tracts of land at a pittance and above all, amass wealth at the cost of the poor. They pay for full page advertisements to celebrate the Emperor – they are convinced that flattering him will pay rich dividends. These are the sycophants; the user of sycophancy, which is insincere flattery given to gain advantage from a superior.

The Weavers

They are the deceivers, the manipulators, the crooked ones who play decisive roles in today’s society. They know the tricks of the trade: of how to take huge loans from the Banks and not repay them. They know how to beat the system – to create shell companies just before demonetisation, to rake in the moolah through electoral bonds. It is now easier to understand the phrase ‘to spin a yarn’ In Gujarat, in the context of kite- flying, one uses the term ‘lapate’. They master the art of telling a lie a thousand times till people start believing it is the truth ;referred to as Goebbelsian – the art of lying and manipulation perfected by Hitler’s minister of propaganda Joseph Goebbels.

The Proletariat 

These are the ordinary people, the hoi-polloi, on the streets. They have been taken out from their schools and farms, from the slums and the villages. They are ferried by public transport and given cold packed lunch. Never mind if many of them have to lose their daily wage. They are given flags to wave and told to shout “Long live the Emperor!” when he passes by. They are given rose petals to felicitate him as his chariot goes by. Several of them, still believe in his false promise of “achhe din”; they live in hope of receiving some money in their bank accounts which the Emperor has stashed abroad. Many are gripped with fear: they know that the Emperor is naked, but if they open their mouths to say so, they will have to face serious consequences – jailed or even killed.

The Child 

The child represents all those who stand up and cry out for justice and truth. Those who have a conscience to speak truth to power – even if one has to pay the price. The child manifests the four qualities so essential for all today Transparency, Humility, Integrity, Simplicity (THIS). The very opposite of what the Emperor manifests. Besides, he does not have the humility to listen to the spontaneous words of truth which come from a child. the Emperor is naked. 

It is significant that in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven“. (18.3) Jesus says this to his disciples after they asked who was the greatest in the kingdom, emphasising humility, dependence on God, and a trusting, childlike faith as prerequisites for entering God’s kingdom.

Dr B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, gave a long but very passionate speech to the Constituent Assembly, on 25 November 1949, the eve of the adoption of the Constitution. Interestingly, his speech set the vision and the spirit of what the new Constitution should be for the people of India. Ambedkar said, “If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgement we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives…. where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for (..) unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us. The second thing we must do is to observe the caution which John Stuart Mill has given to all who are interested in the maintenance of democracy, namely, not “to lay their liberties at the feet of even a great man, or to trust him with power which enable him to subvert their institutions in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship. The third thing we must do is not to be content with mere political democracy. We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it, social democracy”.

Dr Ambedkar challenges all today to say fearlessly in one voice, like the little child in Hans Andersen’s story, “the Emperor is naked!”

Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ (GUJ) is a renowned human rights, reconciliation and peace activist/writer. He has received several international and national awards for his work.

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It is ‘nine-eleven’ once again! A day pregnant with memories! Memories of violence and suffering; of hate and division. On the other hand, the day is also one of promise –of truth and non-violence; of justice and peace; of hope, for new beginnings, a new dawn! Our world today, is gripped with hate and violence; wars and conflicts; discrimination and division; prejudice and racism; corruption and communalism! One sees and witnesses this everywhere!

In neighbouring Nepal for one, it is a youth uprising against a corrupt regime; reminiscent of what happened in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh not too long ago! A warning for the corrupt and communal regime in India!

The plight of the Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, continues for almost a year now. Despite condemnation from most parts of the world, the Israeli regime has not stopped its brutal, violent, inhuman attacks on a beleaguered and starving people; the Israeli Government, even bombed Qatar yesterday.

Violence from Ukraine to Manipur continues unabated. The military-industrial complex is having a hay-day profiteering on the blood of innocent victims. All this and more, happening today, on ‘nine-eleven!’

There are memories of ‘nine-eleven’, today!

On this day, in 1906, Mahatma Gandhi launched his non-violent resistance campaign at a historic mass meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the birth of a new movement ‘Satyagraha’ – the relentless pursuit of truth and justice.  Gandhi believed that they were non-negotiables; two-sides of a coin. More than three thousand Indians (both Hindus and Muslims) and others, gathered to support the beginning of civil obedience. Later with ‘Ahimsa’ (non-violence), ‘Satyagraha’ would ultimately become Gandhi’s twin-doctrine in belief and in practise. He used it effectively in his struggle against British colonial rule in India. Several world civil rights leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, later embraced this twin doctrine.

Sadly, we still do not learn from the past; racism, xenophobia, jingoism, exclusiveness, pseudo-nationalism, discrimination and divisiveness seem to have a stranglehold on nations and peoples across the globe. The emergence of the ‘extreme-right’ ideology wedded to fascism and fundamentalism is a growing cause of concern. Some want to ‘build walls and fences’ to keep people out. ‘Satyagraha’ was a movement to make people realise that all humans have dignity and are created equal in the image and likeness of God! Our responsibility is to help build bridges and not walls!

There are memories of ‘nine-eleven’, today! In 1893, on this day, at the very first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda gave a powerful and passionate speech. He made a fervent plea to end every form of sectarianism, bigotry, fanaticism and violence from this earth, by fostering the values enshrined in every religion. He spoke emphatically, saying, “I fervently hope that the bell which tolled this morning in honour of this convention, may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons, wending their way to the same goal”. Ironically enough, his clarion call does not seem to evoke any positive response from ‘hindutva’ fundamentalists today. They continue with their fascist and fanatic agenda, demonizing and attacking the minorities (particularly Muslims, Christians and Sikhs) of the country, in a very meticulous manner. 

There are memories of ‘nine-eleven’, today! What happened in the United States on this day in 2001, will always be etched in human memory!  Any and every form of violence, is non-acceptable and needs to be strongly condemned. No violent act can be justified, whatever the provocation! That unprecedented violence in the US is remembered and defined today by a date “9/11.” The very utterance of it evokes all kinds of emotions: from undiluted hatred to a feeling of utter helplessness, in the face of rabid terror; from inconsolable grief at the loss of a loved one to heated debates on imponderables. A visit to ‘ground zero’ brings back painful memories of the almost three thousand lives, which were lost in just one place. One is also reminded of the millions of people who suffer every day in Palestine and Yemen, Syria and Iraq, DR Congo and Sudan, Myanmar and Afghanistan, Venezuela and El Salvador and so many other parts of the world. The world should also never forget the terror attacks that were unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Vietnam and Cambodia, Iraq and Iran and other parts of the world! We need to stop all war and violence just now; we must close down the military-industrial complex and all nations need to de-nuclearize immediately!  Do we, as citizens of the world who genuinely desire sustainable peace, have the courage to say ‘never again’ this 9/11?

There are memories of ‘nine-eleven’, today! The great Gandhian, Vinoba Bhave, was born on this day in 1895! He is widely regarded as the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi; a strong advocate for nonviolence and human rights. He initiated the ‘Bhoodan Movement’, a nonviolent land gift campaign to redistribute land to the poor. He translated the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ into the Marathi language. He is regarded as the National Teacher of India. He died in November 1982 and was posthumously awarded the ‘Bharat Ratna’.

Swami Agnivesh, the well-known social reformer died on this day in 2020. He was known for his work against bonded labour through the ‘Bonded Labour Liberation Front’, which he founded in 1981.He was also a founder of the World Council of Arya Samaj. He championed freedom of religion and the rights of workers. He was an unwavering voice for the excluded and the exploited and for the victims of injustice! If he was alive today, he would have taken on the Rajasthan Government on their draconian anti-conversion law and also the Gujarat Government for increasing the working hours of factory workers to 12 hours a day. Both laws were passed yesterday.

Significantly, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, also died on this day in 1948. He was a barrister and politician. He served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913, until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947.

There are memories of ‘nine-eleven’, today! So much happening all over. We are in the midst of the ‘Season of Creation’ – yet parts of Punjab and Pakistan have been devastated by floods. Recent earthquakes in Afghanistan and Greece taking a toll on lives and livelihood, mean nothing to many, the rich and the powerful continue to destroy mother earth.  A terrible reality grips the lives and destinies of many people because of incompetent, autocratic, biased, violent and insensitive leaders everywhere. Marketing and manipulations greatly contribute to the fact that they are in power. These people use every trick in the book to keep people divided. Today (9/11) is surely about commemorations: the sad, tragic ones: a day of mourning! Nevertheless, it is also about new beginnings: of healing, building bridges, hope and resilience. Becoming pilgrims of hope!

As if on cue, the Catholic Liturgy of today provides us with a direction. In his letter to the Colossians St. Paul writes, “put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.”  In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exhorts us, “to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Are we listening? Will we act? Memories of ‘nine-eleven’ today, must help us to do so!

(The author is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist/writer)

Related:

Sorry, Stan!

Fifty years later..another Emergency rules

The temporariness and unpredictability of life

The post Memories of ‘Nine Eleven’ today appeared first on SabrangIndia.

I write this to you with a heavy heart: shocked and saddened; upset and angry. This letter to you, is perhaps to ease the angst in me; I really don’t know what to say and how to say it! But I am sure that what I write, is also the sentiments, the emotions of many, from all over: Jesuit companions, colleagues, collaborators, alumni well-wishers and friends who knew you so well and particularly, the Adivasis and other sub-alterns,whom you loved so much and gave your life for. This letter comes from the bottom of my heart (and our hearts) to say “Sorry, Stan!”

On August 9, St Xavier’s College(SXC) Mumbai, (through their Department of Inter-Religious Studies) was scheduled to hold ‘The Annual Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture’. The topic was ‘Migration for Livelihood: Hope Amidst Untold Miseries’.It was to be delivered virtually by Jesuit Fr. Prem Xalxo, currently Associate Professor of Moral Theology at the Gregorian University, Rome. The speaker was a renowned personality and the topic timely and relevant. On August 4, representatives of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP) met the SXC authorities, and in a written letter ‘strongly condemned’ the organising of the lecture and demanded its cancellation. Very sadly, the Jesuit management and other officials caved in to this pressure and cancelled the lecture. For this, “Sorry, Stan!”

In their letter ( which they have put on their facebook page)the ABVP said “organising a lecture in memory of a person who was a key accused in serious crimes, like UAPA, including contact with the banned CPI (Maoist), financing and recruiting armed Naxalite groups, and seizure of documents containing a conspiracy to overthrow the constitutional government through armed uprising, is glorifying the Naxalites…“it is extremely sad that prestigious colleges like St. Xavier’s are trying to encourage Naxalist ideas by glorifying a person accused of committing anti-national conspiracies. We demand that the principal cancel this lecture immediately.” All this is patently false and it has been proved that even the so-called ‘incriminating documents’ were planted in your computer. Besides for an ‘alleged’ crime, the law stipulates that one is innocent, till proved guilty. That you are innocent is without doubt.  Judge after judge have rescuedthemselves from your case, for the simple reason, is that theywill have to declare you innocent! For the falsehood and slander you are still subject to, “Sorry, Stan!”

Stan, you are aware that SXC is my Alma Mater. I spent cherished years as a Xavierite from 1968 – 1972 (1969 was our Centenary year). At that time, we had Jesuits who were stalwarts, Staff who were excellent and a great student body! It was a joy to be a Xavierite. It was at that time I first met youin a Social Analysis Programme – and ever since, you have been to me a hero, mentor and guide. In 1974, (and later), after entering the Society, together with my companions, wereadily accepted the faith – justice mandate under the leadership of Fr Pedro Arrupe. Over the years, I learnt that you heroes were Dom Helder Camara, Paolo Friere, Ivan Illich and Arrupe. Your knowledge on their writings and works, rubbed off on many. As a good friend of yours, as an SXC alumnus and as Jesuit, feel duty bound to say, “Sorry, Stan!”

Ever since the news broke out of the cancellation of the Memorial lecture, I have been literally besieged with calls and comments; in the many groups, I belong to, on social media, there are innumerable comments against the Jesuits, and particularly against SXC (some of the comments are even offensive) From across the board, people (including several alumni and Jesuits) are feeling angry and let down. They say that SXC has failed to see the big picture: cancelling the lecture means giving in to the anti-national and anti-Constitutional fascist forces.; acquiescing with these forces means that they are emboldened and will continue to call the shots.

 It means negating the academic freedom which is the essence of every institution of higher learning; it means that the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and expression is not important. In the past, when there were such threats, we are aware that, SXC called in the police and continued with their programme.

Today’s (10 August) Mid-day reports, “We are surprised that the college has shown cowardice and yielded to pressure tactics. We teach our students about the values of justice, democracy, and peace, but when it comes to taking a stand, we bow down to the pressure, even when Stan has not been proven guilty. This has been the general pulse of the St Xavier’s alumni and the community,” said a source from the St Xavier’s College Society. “Sorry, Stan!”

On July 1, our Superior General Fr Arturo Sosa, delivered a path-breaking inaugural address to the Assembly of International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) gathered in Colombia. Among the many other things, he said, “At the 2018 IAJU Assembly in Bilbao, I also recalled how Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J., one of the martyrs of the UCA-El Salvador, strongly insisted on understanding the university as a project of social transformation. Trying to explain the meaning of those words, I said: “It is a university that moves toward the margins of human history where it encounters those who are discarded by the dominant structures and powers. It is a university that opens its doors and windows to the margins of society. With them comes a new breath of life that makes efforts for social transformation a source of life and fulfilment.””. That the Jesuits of SXC have not understood this fundamental of Jesuit education, we say “Sorry, Stan!”

Today on Facebook I came across a powerful picture and quote posted by ‘Earth. We Are One’.( ewao.com) we are one. The picture shows birds in a cage criticising the bird who dares fly. The quote said, “The image of caged birds criticising a rebel who has chosen to fly free is a powerful metaphor for the way society often views those who dare to challenge the status quo. The caged birds represent the fear and conformity of those who prefer to remain inside their safe boundaries, while the free bird embodies the courage to break away from societal norms. What is it that makes us fear the rebel—the one who chooses to question the rules? Perhaps it’s because they see a different path, one that holds the potential for growth and freedom. This cartoon asks us: Is it better to stay in the cage, or should we follow our own path toward true liberation?”  That reminded me of you Stan, someone who had the courage to fly and even when you were caged in prison, you dared to tell us that even caged birds sing. Of course you meant the song of truth and justice. For not having the courage to fly and even to sing whilst being caged, we say with humility “Sorry, Stan!”

I can see you Stan, smiling at us here below, telling us in your own inimitable and no-nonsense way of how we have lost the plot! You tell us that instead of accompanying the Adivasis and the Dalits, the excluded and exploited, the minorities and marginalised, the poor and vulnerable, we focus on constructing buildings and on institutionalisation. You question us about ‘forming men and women for others’ when some of those who take away the jal-jungle-jameen other natural resources, identity and dignity fromthe Adivasis, are those ‘educated’ by us. You remind us of the film ‘Mission’ and of the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador; you challenge us to live our faith-justice mandate and to realise the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) in all our initiatives. Above all, you tell us that mere ‘tokenism’ and ‘cosmetic activities’ will in no way help us truly walk the talk! Yes, Stan, we have betrayed you, your vision and mission. Perhaps, this act by SXC, may evenhopefully help us all to ‘examen’ ourselves much more and honestly! Till then “Sorry, Stan!”

Forgive us, dear Stan, and intercede for us from your eternal abode,

Your brother,

Cedric

The author is a human rights, reconciliation & peace activist /writer

Related:

Fr. Stan Swamy SJ: Person, Pilgrim, Prophet

Fr. Stan Swamy’s legacy lives forever!

Jailed Father Stan Swamy dies ahead of his bail hearing

Fr Stan Swamy’s institutional murder

The post Sorry, Stan! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Fifty years later…today, an undeclared emergency still rules! In a tweet Prime Minister Modi says, “No Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of our Constitution was violated, the voice of Parliament muzzled and attempts were made to control the courts. The 42nd Amendment is a prime example of their shenanigans. The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, including their dignity insulted.” Strangely enough, the Prime Minister should realise that under him and under his proto-fascist regime, the people of India are living in an ‘undeclared’ emergency. Today more than ever the poor, marginalised and downtrodden, the minorities, the small farmers, the casual labourers, the migrant workers are particularly targeted, including their dignity insulted. Wonder if he has the courage to sit in a media conference and face direct questions with today’s facts and figures!

Fifty years later…today emergency still rules! Interestingly, in a public meeting the Home Minister Amit Shah said during emergency the governments formed on the basis of people’s mandate were toppled overnight by trampling the spirit of the constitution. The people of the country and especially the young generation should never forget what happens when the dictatorial qualities of a person come to the fore. He said that, today, I ask those who invoke the Constitution whether the consent of the Parliament was taken before declaring the emergency, whether a cabinet meeting was called, whether the countrymen and the opposition were taken into confidence. He said that these are the people associated with the same party who instead of playing the role of protector of democracy, acted as destroyers of democracy. He will certainly not have an answer as to why his party has taken in so many of those former Congressmen and even rewarded them with ministerial posts and/or dropped serious charges/criminal cases against them once they subscribed to the party ideology. Or for that matter, when the Hindutva brigade have framed a new constitution for the country –why hasn’t he unequivocally condemned it?

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! Article 19 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression, along with other freedoms. But this right is being systematically throttled today! India is still ranked at a pathetic 151 out of 180 countries, in the World Press Freedom Index 2025, published early in May. The index, in its India section, analyses the state of media in the country stating, “India’s media has fallen into an “unofficial state of emergency” since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014 and engineered a spectacular rapprochement between his party, the BJP, and the big families dominating the media. Reliance Industries group’s magnate Mukesh Ambani, a close friend of the prime minister, owns more than 70 media outlets that are followed by at least 800 million Indians. The NDTV channel’s acquisition at the end of 2022 by Gautam Adani, a tycoon who is also close to Modi, signalled the end of pluralism in the mainstream media. Recent years have also seen the rise of “Godi media” (a play on Modi’s name and the word for “lapdogs”) – media outlets that mix populism and pro-BJP propaganda. Through pressure and influence, the Indian model of a pluralist press is being called into question. The prime minister does not hold press conferences, grants interviews only to journalists who are favourable to him, and is highly critical of those who do not show allegiance. Indian journalists who are very critical of the government are subjected to harassment campaigns by BJP-backed trolls”.  

Fifty years later….today, an undeclared emergency still rules! It is an undisputable fact, that today a large section of the Indian media is spineless, godified and corrupt! They spew out falsities and half-truths, platitudes and hollowness, fed to them by their political bosses. Most of the media is owned and controlled by some corporate houses which toe the line of the ruling regime for their own self-interests. The electronic media get their TRPs through debates indulging in shouting, shrieking and slanging; their anchors clearly ‘chamchas’ of the powers. If any journalist dares question the ‘staus quo’, it would mean the end of one’s career. Media, in general, is co-opted and compromised. Many just ignore realities for fear of reprisals. Even the suffering people of Gaza do not get the necessary coverage. Alternative media is hounded and harassed as never before! Authenticity and impartiality, to report freely and fearlessly the plain truth, is no longer the core competency of the media today. 

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! The right to dissent is fundamental to a vibrant democracy, as it allows citizens to express disagreement with government policies, actions, or decisions. In a democratic society, the freedom of speech and expression, guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, provides the foundation for this right. Dissent is essential for ensuring that a pluralistic society thrives, allowing for diverse opinions and checks on power. Without the freedom to express dissent, democracy becomes autocratic, as the government would not be held accountable by its citizen. In Parliament, the opposition is not allowed to speak freely: they are shouted down or the mike is muted. The current regime brooks no dissent. Citizens in Delhi and Bombay are arrested for their pro-Palestine stand! Ask a question or for facts on Pahelgam – and one becomes ‘anti-national’! In Ahmedabad, there is a general imposition of Section 144 which prohibits any public demonstration – unless permission is granted. The imprisonment and the institutional murder of Fr Stan Swamy on 5 July 2021 – is a case in point. Besides him there were fifteen others illegally incarcerated in the Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been used selectively to quell every form of dissent. Since September 2020, JNU scholar Umar Khalid has been languishing in jail on trumped up charges. Today (26 June) is the ‘International Day in Support of Victims of Torture’. Torture is a convenient way to quell dissent; to silence opposition. At a Media Conference in Geneva yesterday, India’s leading human rights activist Advocate Henri Tiphagne strongly stated that India has “zero accountability” where cases of police brutality and deaths in custody, are concerned.

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! There is a serious lack of political will to address systemic burning issues which have gripped the nation. There are hurried, biased legislation and prejudiced policies (all carefully designed to decimate the Constitution)like the National Education Policy, the Citizenship Amendment Act, the anti – conversion laws, the anti-farmer laws, the four labour codes, the Universal Civil Code, the ‘One Nation, One Election’, the Waqf Bill, the Imposition of Hindi as the national language, the delimitation plan, the delisting of Tribals/Adivasis who have accepted Christianity or Islam, Constitutional and quasi bodies like the Election Commission, the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the NIA, the police and some in  the judiciary are compromised; they have become ‘Caged Parrots’; they simply follow the ‘diktats’ of the regime.

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, India is ranked 105 out of 127 countries, with a score of 27.3, which indicates a “serious” level of hunger. This score reflects ongoing challenges with food insecurity and malnutrition in the country. Whilst India boasts of producing some of the richest persons in the world, the fact is that vast sections of the society still do not have access to roti- kapda- makaan(food-clothing-shelter) and the other basic amenities of life; many still below the poverty line. The gap between the rich and the poor grows wider every day! The Adivasis/Tribals (indigenous people), who constitute a sizable section of India’s population are denied their jal- jungle- jameen (water-forests-land) and other legitimate rights. Thousands of them are displaced because of mega- projects. Primary education in the remote tribal villages is non – existent and so is Medicare for them; a large percentage of Tribals have to migrate to urban areas / other States in search of employment. Besides them, most migrant workers, continue to be excluded and exploited! The plight of the Dalits, the OBCs leave much to be desired; untouchability is practiced everywhere; manual scavenging still exists; the reality of the safai kamdars (those who clean the sewage tanks) is pathetic. These and other vulnerable sections of society are testimony to the fact that today, is worse than the ‘emergency! 

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! The current regime seems to be determined on destroying our fragile ecosystems!  On the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), India is ranked at a pathetically low position of 176 out of 180 countries. The low ranking is due to poor air quality, high projected emissions and low biodiversity scores. The EPI uses 58 indicators to assess a country’s environmental performance. Indicators, include biodiversity, air pollution, air and water quality, waste management, emission growth rates, projected emissions, etc., under the three main heads of ecosystem vitality, environmental health and climate change. To assess how well countries are safeguarding their natural treasures, the EPI added a new category this year: biodiversity and habitat. This category revealed a worrying trend – many protected areas are being overtaken by buildings and agriculture. India’s heavy reliance on coal is a key factor hindering its environmental performance across multiple indicators. Coal use not only fuels high greenhouse gas emissions but also contributes significantly to India’s severe air pollution problem. The regime is in nexus with the mining mafia, only interested in profiteering. This is reflected in India’s rankings: 177 for air quality (above only Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal).

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! In its Annual Report 2024, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom(USCIRF) has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ or CPC, or engaging in systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. The very incisive report details how throughout 2024, individuals have been killed, beaten, and lynched by vigilante groups, religious leaders have been arbitrarily arrested, and homes and places of worship have been demolished. These events constitute particularly severe violations of religious freedom. It describes the use of misinformation and disinformation, including hate speech, by government officials to incite violent attacks against religious minorities and their places of worship. It further describes changes to and enforcement of India’s legal framework to target and disenfranchise religious minorities, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and several state-level anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws. It is no secret that, ever since the Modi-regime, assumed power in 2014, there has been incessant attacks on the minorities of India particularly on the Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. Hate speeches denigrating and demonising minorities are the rule of the day even during the election campaign speeches of Modi! Some governments have policies which are blatantly anti- minority. ‘Bull-dozer justice’ is meted out to minorities; regularly in the State of UP and recently over 8.000 homes of Muslims were razed around Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad. Minorities are also denied employment opportunities in the Government. According to a recent report released by an Advocacy group, there are at least two attacks per day on Christians and their institutions.

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! For more than two years now, since 3 May 2023, Tribals (who are mainly Christian) in the State of Manipur have been at the receiving end of a vicious Government! Even today, the violence continues unabated: many are killed and many more are injured; thousands (particularly the Kuki-Zo people) are living as refugees elsewhere. Their houses and places of worship are destroyed. Their land has been taken away from them! That the State and Central Governments are responsible for the ongoing violence in Manipur, leaves no one in doubt. That they have shown not an iota of political will to quell the violence and restore law and order in Manipur is a clear proof that, today, is worse than the ‘emergency!’

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! Transparency International ranked India 96 out of 180 countries in the 2024 Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Corruption is mainstreamed in the country; practically nothing can be done without greasing the palms of those in power. Politicians from opposition parties are easily bought up. The ruling regime has made mindboggling amounts of money through demonetisation and the sale of electoral bonds (EB). Corruption has become new normal in India. The massive and unprecedented scam of the Electoral Bonds rocked the nation a short while ago! What about the Delhi Judge who had tonnes of money stashed up in a room in his house, which caught fire recently? People are bought up before the elections. The BJP regime must be the most corrupt amongst the world democracies today!

Fifty years later…. today, an undeclared emergency still rules! On every parameter, the current regime has proved to be fascist and not in tune with the expectations of the people. Yes, they do win elections because they rig electoral rolls, tamper with selective EVMs and even use money to buy up voters and opposing candidates and of course have the Election Commission doing their bidding. The big joke today is that the Government observes 25 June as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’, which loosely translates to ‘the day the Constitution was killed’.  Pathetic indeed! Some time ago, BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy, wrote a detailed article ‘The Unlearnt Lessons of Emergency'(The Hindu on 13 June 2000). In that he revealed how several leaders (including Atal Bihari Vajpayee) from the RSS and Jan Sangh had engaged in secret negotiations with Indira Gandhi and agreed to toe her line- and were released on parole. They have reached today a low level of fascism that they are unable even to think rationally, factually and objectively! Of course, they are also not willing to see and acknowledge of how they are destroying the sanctity of the Constitution today.

In his path-breaking book, ‘India’s Undeclared Emergency’ (Constitutionalism and the Politics of Resistance), Bangalore- based legal luminaire, Arvind Narrain, presents an incisive and accurate analysis of how the Modi- regime has ushered in, through direct and subtle ways, an undeclared emergency! In his final Chapter ‘What is to be done?’ Narrain gives us a cue when he states, “how does one confront an authoritarian State that openly uses repressive laws to shut down dissent? And what if the State is not just authoritarian but also potentially has totalitarian ambitions? That such a regime is in power in India today makes the insistent Leninist question’ What is to be done?’ very important to ask and very difficult to answer. In some ways, the answer must be gathered from what is already being done. There is dissatisfaction with the actions of the regime, and it has found a voice in acts of resistance, both big and small, spanning every field- from culture to law to politics. Such resistance could draw sustenance both from contemporary forms of activism as well as global histories of dissent, and be nourished by a deeper historical, cultural and political understanding. But this is essential: a strong and united resistance must emerge!”

Narran’s words find resonance with what Dr. B. R. Ambedkar said to the Constituent Assembly on 25 November 1949, “If we wish to preserve the Constitution in which we have sought to enshrine the principle of Government of the people, for the people and by the people, let us resolve not to be tardy in the recognition of the evils that lie across our path and which induce people to prefer Government for the people to Government by the people, nor to be weak in our initiative to remove them. That is the only way to serve the country. I know of no better.”

Yes, it is fifty years since the emergency declared by Indira Gandhi! But today, we all need to wake up, heed the call of Narrain and Ambedkar by demonstrating unflinching courage and resistance to the terrible reality of an ‘undeclared’ emergency today! 

(The author is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist/writer)

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It is a tragedy of immense proportion! One of the worst in the history of civil aviation in India! An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (AI-171), from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after take-off. The flight departed at 1:38 pm from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday June 12. The failure to achieve the lift happened at a very low altitude of 825 feet, resulting in a crash and bursting into a ball of fire. Just 33 seconds after take- off! The plane had 242 people on board – 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots Videos show the plane struggling to gain altitude before it begins losing lift (upward force that allows an aircraft to stay airborne) and crashes, exploding in a ball of fire. The devastating crash claimed 241 out of the 242 on board!  According to the news agency Reuters, ‘the plane was carrying 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. Passengers included 217 adults, 11 children, and 2 infants’. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion followed by flames and heavy smoke rising near the crash site.

No one, at this juncture, seems to know the actual cause of this terrible accident! There are of course surmises, assumptions, opinions ad nauseam; mainstream and social media are full of them. One thing however emerges on which there is widespread unanimity, is that it was undoubtedly a technical/mechanical problem that caused the crash. Experts say that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a model that had an immaculate safety record. There are however, opinions which differ and major flaws in the Dreamliner have been pointed out in the past. All this, for the moment is a matter of conjecture. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India officials will have to release more authentic details (as investigations progress), only then will a clearer and more accurate picture be revealed.

The added tragedy is that the aircraft crashed into the residential quarters of the BJ Medical College, just a few metres outside the airport. Many students were having lunch at that time; others in their quarters. At least four MBBS students and a doctor’s wife were immediately confirmed dead speaking to reporters the College dean Dr Minakshi Parikh said,”While four MBBS students living in the hostel died, 19 were injured. Five of them are serious. Two third-year students are untraceable. A doctor’s wife was also killed while two relatives of other doctors were injured. Three members of a doctor’s family went missing after the incident.” The number of those killed on the campus is expected to be much higher.

The moment the tragedy took place – there was a united response from every quarter. Civilians at great risk ran to the spot to be of help, there were emergency response teams (from the military, para –military and police forces), the firefighters were in full swing and so were the medical personnel with ambulances. They arrived swiftly at the scene of the crash even as plumes of smoke billowed from the wreckage. Rescue operations began immediately with the injured individuals being rushed to nearby hospitals. Local authorities cordoned off the area, and aviation experts were brought on-site to assess the situation.

All this makes one realise the temporariness and unpredictability of life. Plenty of memes and quotes are going viral – which include “Life is so unpredictable- you go for a vacation and you are killed by shooters; you go for a trophy victory parade and are killed in a stampede. You go on a flight for work/vacation and it crashes. You are eating / studying in the comfort and security of your home and the plane crashes right on you killing you!” Sad indeed but that is the truth and fact of life!

From the deceased emerge stories of reunions, new opportunities of homecoming and more; several heart-rending ones. There is the story of a family of five – husband and wife and their three children – from Banswara in Rajasthan. Dr Kaumi Vyas, her husband Pratik Joshi and their three children – Miraya, and the twins Pradyut and Nakul – were going to London to start a new chapter of their lives. While on the plane, Pratik took a selfie of the family in which all five of them are seen smiling. While Joshi and his wife Kaumi are seated next to each, the three children are seated beside them on the other side together, all posing for the camera with a smile. Pratik had been living in London for six years. A software professional, he’d long dreamed of building a life abroad for his wife and three young children, who stayed back in India. After years of waiting for due clearances the dream was finally coming true. Just two days ago, Kamini a renowned doctor in Udaipur, resigned from her job. The bags were packed, goodbyes said, the future within reach. They sent the selfie to several a one-way journey to a new life. But they never made it. None of them are alive today!

Then there was Captain Sumeet Sabharwal a seasoned pilot who had 8,300 hours of flying experience. A resident of Powai, Mr Sabharwal, had reportedly promised his father that he would quit his job shortly and take care of him full time. Mr Sabharwal was single and lived with his nonagenarian father who used to work with the DGCA. Then there was the Co-pilot a Clive Kunder who had 1,100 hours of flying experience. He, too, comes from a family of aviation enthusiasts, with his mother being a former Air India flight attendant. A popular young man of the Kalina area of Bombay who dreamt of great life ahead!  Then there were the two other flight attendants from Manipur. Nganthoi Kongbrailatpam and Singson Lamnunthem. Nganthoi is a resident of Thoubal district. While Singson, who originally belongs to Old Lambulane in Imphal West, has been residing in Kangpokpi district due to the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state. Both their families had suffered much because of the conflict; the hopes of their families rested on them.

In a matter of seconds, a lifetime of dreams turned to ash. A brutal reminder, life is terrifyingly fragile. Everything you build, everything you hope for, everything you love, it all hangs by a thread. So while you can, live, love, and don’t wait for happiness to start tomorrow. Life after all is temporary and very unpredictable! Even for Ms Bhoomi Chauhan, who was to board the ill-fated flight. The traffic jams in Ahmedabad delayed her and she missed her flight to London by just ten minutes! “My body is shivering” she stated even as she sighs with relief!

Prayers are being said all over; candle light vigils are being held. Messages of sympathy are pouring in from all over the world – including from several world leaders Pope Leo XIV sent a message to express his “heartfelt condolences” to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the crash. Saying that he was, “deeply saddened by the tragedy involving an Air India aircraft near Ahmedabad.” He has assured everyone affected of his prayers for those involved in the recovery efforts, and commended the souls of the deceased to “the mercy of the Almighty.”

Viktor Emil Frankl (1905 – 1997) was an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, author, and a holocaust survivor, who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. He was the founder of ‘logotherapy’, a school of psychotherapy which describes a search for a life meaning as the central human motivational force. The autobiographical Man’s Search for Meaning, a best-selling book, is based on his experiences in various Nazi concentration camps. In the book he tells the story of how he survived the Holocaust by finding personal meaning in the experience, which gave him the will to live through it. His ‘logotherapy is based on the premise that man’s underlying motivator in life is a “will to meaning,” even in the most difficult of circumstances. Frankl pointed to research indicating a strong relationship between “meaninglessness” and criminal behaviours, addictions and depression. Dr. Frankl explains: “Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible”. 

We are called to reflect on the meaning and purpose of our lives. We live in this world for such a short time. We are just pilgrims! Why then do we have to hate and kill each other? Why should we waste this short while in discriminating and demonising, excluding and exploiting the other? Can we not make of ourselves pilgrims of hope radiating compassion and unity, equity and fraternity to others? Yes, in this temporary and unpredictable life we all must give ourselves and others both meaning and fulfilment! 

In the meantime, let our hearts, minds and lips well up in prayer:

“May all the victims of this terrible plane tragedy –

-those in the plane and those in the BJ Medical College campus –

Rest in Peace!

Our heartfelt and prayerful condolences

to ALL who have lost a loved one

We share in their grief!”

 (The author is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist and writer;  cedricprakash@gmail.com ) 

Related:

Speculation about the cause of Air India crash is rife. An aviation expert explains why it’s a problem

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Plenty of ‘tokenism’ and ‘cosmetic’ action – most of which, will be forgotten tomorrow. Trees are necessary but is there someone who will nurture the saplings and ensure their growth? Public awareness on the importance of the environment is a prerequisite – but then words ring hollow when the ones who wax eloquent are the very ones who are in nexus with the land mafia who cover our waterbodies for their high-rise building and who cohort with the mining mafia to plunder our precious natural resources.

Interestingly, the theme for World Environment Day 2025 is ‘Ending Global Plastic Pollution’. It focuses on the widespread impact of plastic pollution, from visible waste to micro plastics in various ecosystems, and calls for action to reduce and eliminate it. But who cares? Some of the big manufacturers will continue rolling out their reams of plastic without any qualms of conscience – after all, they will always have the protection of the powerful. Our seas and rivers are polluted with plastic waste. There are practically no checks and balances, to ensure that plastics below 120 microns are not used as carry-bags or for that matter there is strict segregation of garbage disposal and nothing is dumped into our seas, rivers and other water-bodies,

On the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), India is ranked at a pathetically low position of 176 out of 180 countries. The low ranking is due to poor air quality, high projected emissions and low biodiversity scores. The EPI uses 58 indicators to assess a country’s environmental performance. Indicators, include biodiversity, air pollution, air and water quality, waste management, emission growth rates, projected emissions, etc., under the three main heads of ecosystem vitality, environmental health and climate change.

To assess how well countries are safeguarding their natural treasures, the EPI added a new category this year: biodiversity and habitat. This category revealed a worrying trend – many protected areas worldwide are being overtaken by buildings and agriculture. India’s heavy reliance on coal is a key factor hindering its environmental performance across multiple indicators. Coal use not only fuels high greenhouse gas emissions but also contributes significantly to India’s severe air pollution problem. This is reflected in India’s rankings: 177 for air quality (above only Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal).

This grim reality, cries for Environmental Justice! It is the cry of the poor! The cry of the earth! ‘Environmental justice’ is today a global social movement that addresses injustice that occurs when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit. The movement has generated hundreds of studies showing that exposure to environmental harm is inequitably distributed. Additionally, many marginalized communities, including the LGBTQIA+ community, are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters.

The primary goal of the environmental justice movement, is to achieve agency for poor and marginalized communities (particularly the excluded and exploited) in making environmental decisions that affect their lives. The global environmental justice movement arises from local environmental conflicts in which environmental defenders frequently confront multi-national corporations in resource extraction or other industries. Local outcomes of these conflicts are increasingly influenced by trans-national environmental justice networks.  In India we experience today how mega-corporations and the mining mafia are literally ruling the roost. What is happening in the tribal areas of Manipur and the Adivasi areas of Bastar, Chhattisgarh today are clear examples of how environmental justice is denied to these sections of people!

In a few days from now, the 62nd sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB 62) will convene from June 16 to 26, at the World Conference Centre Bonn in Germany. The outcomes of SB 62 are expected to shape the agenda and inform decisions at COP30 later in the year. The 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that is COP30 will take place from 10 to 21 November in Belém, Brazil.  During this climate summit, governments must take new steps to limit the climate crisis and achieve the target of a maximum of 1.5 degrees of global warming.

In the context of the above two meetings, the Society of Jesus have launched globally ‘Jesuits for Climate Justice SB62 and COP30 campaign’ stating that, “the climate crisis can no longer be denied. Its most severe effects are felt in countries where extreme weather devastates communities, rising sea levels threaten coastal regions, and ecosystem collapse jeopardizes livelihoods. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warns of “a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.” This crisis demands immediate and decisive actions, and COP30 is a critical event for the global community in addressing the climate emergency. In the spirit of the Jubilee of Hope, we call upon all people of goodwill to advocate for a just and sustainable future, urging delegates to COP30 and governments to: 

1. Cancel the debt of underdeveloped countries and strengthen the Loss and Damage Fund. Unjust and unpayable debts from underdeveloped nations should be cancelled so that resources could be free for climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, and a grant-based Loss and Damage Fund must provide adequate resources to address the devastating impacts of climate change. 

2. Accelerate agreements and set targets for a Just Energy Transition to reduce CO2 emissions. A Just Energy Transition should consider historical responsibilities, respect Indigenous rights, value nature, and prioritize sustainable livelihoods over profit-driven models. 

3. Set concrete targets to build a Global Food Sovereignty System based on agro ecological practices. A system that promotes culturally adapted modes of production, transformation, distribution, and food consumption, applying ecological principles to agriculture. 

The COP process is imperative for making international progress on the climate crisis. Pope Francis stated, “It is a matter of establishing global and effective rules that can permit ‘providing for’ this global safeguarding” (LD, 43). All are invited to join in this important campaign.

Long years ago Mahatma Gandhi reminded us that, “the world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.” In his path-breaking Encyclical ‘Laudato Si’, our beloved late Pope Francis echoes a similar sentiment “we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”  These are genuine cries for environmental justice! But is the world listening? Are we listening? If so, radical and prompt action is demanded immediately – NOW! 

(The writer is a human rights, reconciliation, environmental & peace activist/writer)

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In the death of Pope Francis, the world has lost one of the greatest personalities of modern times! We are saddened that he is no longer in our midst!

He was truly a compassionate pastor with a warm, loving heart for the poor and marginalised, the excluded and the exploited, the refugees and the migrants, the LGBTGIA+ community, the victims of war and human trafficking and in fact, with all sub-alterns and those who live on the peripheries of society.

Pope Francis transcended boundaries and exclusiveness, divisions and discrimination of every kind. He was convinced that humans should build bridges and not walls, to reach out to others, particularly the lost, the last and the least. His Encyclical ‘Fratelli Tutti’ speaks strongly about this.

Pope Francis was deeply troubled by what is happening to the environment. He cared for our common home and wished that all take responsibility to ensure that our planet earth is liveable for all. His writings ‘Laudato Si’ and ‘Laudate Deum’ on the environment, bear testimony to his concern.

Pope Francis was a man of peace! He spoke out unequivocally against every war and the industrial military complex; he took a strong stand against the ‘culture of death’. He spoke directly to the most powerful people on earth reminding them of what they should be doing. His last tweet on 20 April evening began with “I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible…”

Above all, Pope Francis was a man of God, sent to be a pilgrim on earth; to motivate all of us with a newer, deeper and more meaningful hope! He was a complete human being who left no stone unturned to make our world a more just, peaceful and humane place for all! He was and is a SAINT!

Millions all over will miss him! In his death the world is orphaned!    

(The author is a human rights, justice, reconciliation & peace activist/writer)

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“This land is your land, and this land is my land

From California to the New York island

From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters

This land was made for you and me”

A special stanza of the song was:

“There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop me

A sign was painted said ‘Private Property’

But on the backside, it didn’t say nothing

This land was made for you and me.”

The song is essentially a protest song, first composed by the American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1940. It was a critical response to Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America’ Its melody is based on a Carter Family tune called ‘When the World’s on Fire’. The song was a hit then, particularly during World War II; over the years, the lyrics of the song have undergone several changes and adaptations. The essence however remains the same, “this land was made for you and me.” In 2025, it was listed at No. 11 of ‘The 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time.’ Given the context of the highly polarised and divided world we live in– this song is definitely all the more relevant today!

About a week ago, on Sunday 2 March, at the 97^th Academy Awards, ‘No Other Land’ won the coveted Oscar for the Best Documentary Film. The film has been made by four Israeli and Palestinian activists (Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor) and is a powerful examination of life under occupation. It is their directorial debut. They describe the film as an act of resistance on the path to justice during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

‘No Other Land’ is a portrait of a West Bank village under Israeli military occupation. The documentary film gets its title from a statement by a long-time Masafer Yatta resident who says, “we have no other land. It is our land. That is why we suffer for it.” For the ones who have seen this path-breaking documentary. ‘No Other Land’ is a breathtakingly powerful chronicle of what it means to live with the constant threat of eviction. The film captures with heartrending detail the relentlessness of Israel’s effort to remove any trace of Palestinian presence in the West Bank. This reality is what the world painfully witnesses today and yet does not dare to address collectively!

The documentary has the friendship between Basel and Yuval as a backgrounder. Their relationship is filled with intense emotions. Basel is very anxious over the fate of his family and village, to the point of exhaustion. Yuval expresses guilt and sorrow over being unable to prevent imminent destruction or to persuade his fellow- Israelis to see reason. There is a sad but grim irony when Basel says that he has a law degree, but can only find work as a construction labourer in Israel. The manner in which the judiciary can be used to redesignate land use and thus enable unfeeling eviction policies points to a familiar playbook predicated on absolute denial of basic human rights.

In their acceptance speech, two of the film’s four directors pleaded for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist who is from Masafer Yatta, a region of the West Bank said, “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter [is] that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now – always fearing settlers’ violence, home demolitions and forceful displacements that my community, Masafer Yatta, is living and facing every day under the Israeli occupation.…We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” Adra also described the issues faced by his village, including home demolitions and displacement.

Yuval Abraham, an Israeli investigative journalist, co-director of the film said, “When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life and he cannot control. Israelis and Palestinians are ‘intertwined’; my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe.”

In February 2024, at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, ‘No Other Land’ won the Berlinale Documentary Award and the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film. During his acceptance speech then, Abraham criticized Israel saying, “We are standing in front of you now, me and Basel are the same age. I am Israeli; Basel is Palestinian. And in two days we will go back to a land where we are not equal. I am living under a civilian law and Basel is under military law. We live 30 minutes from one another, but I have voting rights. Basel is not having voting rights. I’m free to move where I want in this land. Basel is, like millions of Palestinians, locked in the occupied West Bank. This situation of apartheid between us, this inequality, it has to end”.

Adra chipped in saying, “It’s our first movie; since many years my community, my family has been filming our community being erased by this brutal occupation. I am here celebrating the award, but also very hard for me to celebrate when there are tens of thousands of my people being slaughtered and massacred by Israel in Gaza. Masafer Yatta, my community, is being also razed by Israeli bulldozers. I ask one thing: for Germany, as I am in Berlin here, to respect the U.N. calls and stop sending weapons to Israel.”

Since its release in February 2024, the documentary has won numerous awards and accolades from all over the world. However, for obvious reasons it has not been screened in India. Even its entry to certain Film Festivals here, has been inexplicably cancelled. The fascist regime which rules the country today will not allow Freedom of Speech and Expression to its citizens. A film which shows the Israeli regime in poor light, is in India, a certain ‘no-no’! Even in the United States, the film has failed to find a distributor because it reveals truths that Americans should not see! When the film won the Oscar, it was natural that some Israelis were outraged, using every trick in the book to denigrate the directors of the film and the cast.

‘No Other Land’ is about divisiveness and discrimination, about demonization and denigration, about demolition and destruction! At the receiving end are the Palestinian people – the ‘other’! It is not without reason that Pope Francis has been praying every single day for them and regularly speaking to those affected in Gaza. It is a film which is a powerful manifestation of the terrible reality faced by millions all over the world. Here in India, the Kuki-zo people of Manipur and the minorities (particularly Muslims and Christians) have to face this reality daily!

As the bull-dozers, continue to go on rampage demolishing and destroying the lives and homes of the vulnerable, it is time that the fascist and dictatorial rulers of the world realise that “this land was made for you and me” and wake up to the statement by the Masafer Yatta resident “we have no other land. It is our land. That is why we suffer for it.”  Yes, there is No Other Land! 

(Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist/ writer. Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com  )

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The news item highlights that a 501-page document, prepared by a 25-member committee of scholars, draws inspiration from the Ramayana, the rules and teachings of Krishna, Manusmriti and Chanakya’s Arthashastra. The so-called ‘Constitution’ based on the Hindutva ideology, is expected to be unveiled at the Mahakumbh on Sunday February 2, when the Hindus celebrate ‘Basant Panchami’. Whether it will actually take place is anyone’s guess; the painful fact however, is that no one from the ruling regime, who swear by the Constitution of the country, has had the courage to say that very thought of propagating such an idea should be regarded as anti-national!

The committee which has put together this Constitution is known as the ‘Hindu Rashtra Samvidhan Nirmal Samiti’ and apparently consists of so-called scholars of the ‘Sanatan Dharma.’ Swami Anand Swaroop Maharaj, patron of the committee, told reporters at the Mahakumbh, that their target was to make India a Hindu nation by 2035. (their original plan was to make India a Hindutva- nation in 2025 – the centenary year of the RSS- but their plans failed miserably when they did not get the required numbers in the last Parliamentary elections- to make any undemocratic Constitutional changes).

The key provisions in the proposed ‘Constitution’ include:

• Mandatory Military Education: Every citizen of the Hindu Rashtra will be required to undergo military education.
• Harsher Punishment for Theft: The constitution proposes stricter punishment for theft and other crimes. (apparently there is no word on ‘corruption’ – which is the forte of the ruling regime)
• Tax Exemption for Agriculture: The tax system will be revamped, with agriculture being completely tax-free.
• Unicameral Legislature: The Hindu Dharma Parliament will be a unicameral legislature, with members known as Dharmik Sansads.
• Minimum Voting Age: The minimum voting age has been fixed at 16 years, with only those belonging to Sanatan Dharma allowed to contest elections.
• The Rashtradhyaksh, the chief of the country, would be chosen by three-fourths of the elected members of the legislature

Swaroop reiterated, “Human values are in the nucleus of our Constitution, which has been prepared by 14 scholars from north and 11 from south India. Our Constitution is not against other religions but those who are found involved in anti-national activities will face harsher punishment than what is awarded to them currently…. Over 300 amendments have been made in the Indian Constitution in the last seven decades but our scriptures are the same for the last several thousand centuries. There are 127 Christian, 57 Muslim and 15 Buddhist countries. Even the Jews have Israel. But the Hindus, whose population is over 175 crores across the world, have no Hindu nation.”

The writing has been on the wall since a long time now: the attacks on the Christians in 1998-99, in different parts of India and particularly in the Dangs District and other areas of South Gujarat became International headlines. The Gujarat Carnage in 2002 when more than 2000 Muslims were murdered, many more brutalised and even raped and thousands of others having to leave forever a place they once called their home –was perhaps the blackest chapter in post –independent India.

Over the years, and particularly since 2014, when the BJP seized the reins of power once again – every effort is being made to denigrate and demonise the minorities of India and especially the Muslims, the Christians and the Sikhs; they have also been derogatively referred to as ‘terrorists’, ‘converters’ and ‘khalistanis’, respectively.  There is a systematic move to paint the minorities as ‘anti-national’! Personnel and properties of the minority communities are regularly targeted.

The Judiciary –and in particular, the Supreme Court – has been one bastion of hope for the minorities, given its fundamental role and responsibility in protecting the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. Unfortunately, in the recent past, the Judiciary at various levels seem to have abdicated this non-negotiable duty – of impartiality, objectivity and of not siding with any particular faith and/or ideology. There are facts and other indicators to substantiate this!

Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court is a classic example!

On 8 December, he addressed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) legal cell, in Allahabad High Court on ‘Uniform Civil Code–A Constitutional Imperative’. He argued in favour of a Uniform Civil Code and demanded for changes in the Muslim personal laws. His speech smacked of blatant ‘majoritarianism’ saying that India should function according to the wishes of the “majority,” meaning Hindus! Justice Yadav assured the VHP gathering that as the Ram Mandir was constructed in Ayodhya after years of “sacrifices by our ancestors,” the Uniform Civil Code would also become a reality soon. “Did you imagine seeing the Ram Mandir with your own eyes? But you did see it. Many of our ancestors made sacrifices for it, in the hope of seeing Ram Lalla freed and witnessing the construction of a grand temple. They couldn’t see it but did their part and now we are witnessing it.”. Likewise, he said that the country would get a UCC. “That day is not very far,” he emphatically declared. On 17 December, he was summoned by the Chief Justice of India to appear before the Collegium regarding his remarks. A month later, he writes to the Chief Justice, saying he stands by his remarks which, he maintained, did not violate any principle of judicial conduct.

The remarks of Justice Yadav are just the tip of the iceberg. There was the case of a Christian Pastor who had died, being denied the right to burial in his native village in Chhattisgarh by the village panchayat. After knocking at all doors in his State, his son had to seek justice from the Supreme Court. On 27 January, the two-member bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict in the case. It directed that the body of the pastor be buried at a Christian graveyard 20 km away and asked the State administration to provide all support. Since the body was already in the morgue for almost three weeks, the judgement did not feel it appropriate to refer the matter to a larger bench.

Justice BV Nagarathna, however, strongly upheld the secular character of the Constitution. In her path-breaking judgment she asserted that, “It is said that death is a great leveller and we need to remind ourselves of this. This death has led to divisiveness among villagers on the right to burial. The appellant says there is discrimination and prejudice,” She noted that the High Court accepted a suggestion that displaced the practices being followed in the village. “The death of the person has given (way) to disharmony since it was not solved by the village panchayat. Panchayat has been taking sides which led to the case in high court and Supreme Court.” She pointed to the police affidavit that says a Christian convert cannot be allowed burial on the village grounds. “This is unfortunate and violates Articles 21 and 14 and furthers discrimination on the grounds of religion. The State cannot deny equality before the law. How could ASP Bastar give such an affidavit and what was the authority? it betrays the sublime principle of secularism.” Sadly, however, the other Justice thought otherwise and the Christian Pastor had to be buried far away from his village.

On January 27, Uttarakhand introduced and began implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) which most legal and Constitutional experts find highly discriminatory. It is clearly aimed at targeting sections of the minorities- particularly Muslims and Christians. The law, among other things, does not challenge patriarchal provisions in Hindu civil law, for instance, on the guardianship of a minor boy or unmarried girl going to the father, and only after him, to the mother. Strangely enough the law will not be applicable to Scheduled Tribes, with the CM saying, “We have kept our scheduled tribes mentioned under Article 342 of the Constitution out of this code so that those rights can be protected!” So the question being asked is how ‘Uniform’ is this code?

There is plenty else happening all over the country with regard to the rights of minorities and to the cause of secularism. The tribal Christians in Manipur have been suffering since May 2023. In UP, a Christian Pastor and his wife have been convicted under the State’s draconian anti- Conversion law whilst several others are languishing in jail. In every one of them – there is absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing, just that they were conducting prayer meetings or having a Bible in their house. The anti- conversion laws in several states ruled by the BJP, not only violate Article 25 enshrined in the Constitution is but also a blatant attempt to discriminate against the minorities. ‘Ghar wapasi’ which is also a conversion exercise, does not come into the ambit of this law. Amit Shah in his election campaign in Maharashtra promised that such a law would be introduced in that State too!

The list is endless indeed! Mobs stormed the gates and the grounds the Jesuit –run Andhra Loyola College in Vijayawada, demanding that they are entitled to use the private premises as per their whims and fancies.  The High Court of Gujarat recently upheld the decision of the Gujarat State for a centralised process for recruiting teachers and principals in religious and linguistic minority educational institutions.  The UP Chief Minister on Republic Day publicly asserted that ‘Sanathan Dharma’ is the religion of the country! Then there is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 which is supposed to be tabled in Parliament during this current budget session; A united opposition, however, has slammed the government on the passage of the draft report on the Waqf Amendment Bill saying they had no say, and all their amendments were defeated, and that only the amendments presented by the ruling party were taken up and considered. With frightening regularity one reads about how minorities are targeted for what they eat and wear, see and read!

Intellectual and social activist Professor Apoorvanand writes an incisive and hard-hitting article in ‘The Wire’ ( January 29, 2025).  The article entitled, ‘The Loneliness of Being Christian in India’, is replete with incontrovertible facts. He emphatically states, “but as human beings, we must ask: what kind of country is it where only Christians have to worry about attacks on Christians, and the rest of society remains deaf to their concerns? The prime minister of India issues statements about violence against Christians outside India, but in India, Christians are being attacked and arrested for having and distributing Bibles, and churches are being targeted. During Christmas season, he visits churches and meets religious leaders, but lets the blood of Christians flow. Are only Hindus allowed to preach their religion in India? 

What Prof. Apoorvanand states with angst, is an undeniable fact! There is a method in their madness, there is no doubt about it! The rot, we all know, starts at the top! At stake is the secular character of our nation and the future of democracy in our country- which is being destroyed systematically! We must wake up now and act with other like-minded women and men!

February 1, 2025 

(The author is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist/writer. Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com)

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