All you need to know about Father Stan Swamy, the activist who passed away ahead of his Bail hearing

Stan Swamy (Image: Screen grab from the last video shared by Swamy before being arrested by the NIA)

Eighty-four-year old tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy, who was in jail in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoists links case, died on July 5, ahead of his Bail hearing in Bombay High Court.

Swamy, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, was put on ventilator support at the Holy Family Hospital in Mumbai on July 4. His lawyers had moved the Bombay High Court seeking an urgent hearing on his medical bail plea after his health condition deteriorated.

He had been in jail for about nine months in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. In May, Swamy tested positive for COVID-19.

Who is Stan Swamy?

Father Stan Lourduswamy, popularly known as Stan Swamy, was an Roman Catholic priest, a member of the Jesuit order and a tribal rights activist for several decades.

READ: Here's why people are sending straws, sippers to arrested tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy

Swamy was born on April 26, 1937 in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. He went to St Joseph’s School in Trichy where he was inspired by the work of the Jesuit priests and decided to join the order in undivided Bihar. In May, 1957, Swamy, son of a farmer father and homemaker mother, started pursuing religious studies and committed himself to the cause of the poor and downtrodden.

Many political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, condoled his death.

Heartfelt condolences on the passing of Father Stan Swamy.

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He deserved justice and humaneness.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 5, 2021

In 1965, Swamy joined the St Xavier’s High School Lupungutu, Chaibasa, West Singhbhum in present-day Jharkhand for his regency, the stage at which trainee Jesuits spend two years taking up one or two works of the order. In the 1970s, he studied theology and Masters in Sociology in Philippines.

On his return to Jesuit Jamshedpur Province in 1971, Swamy became director of the Catholic Relief Services charity for the area. He was the director of the Jesuit-run Indian Social Institute, Bangalore from 1975 to 1986. He also questioned the non-implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which stipulates setting up of a Tribes Advisory Council with members solely of the Adivasi community for their protection.

Also, read: Defending human rights is not terrorism: UN representative Mary Lawlor on UAPA

Swamy suffered from Parkinson's disease apart from other age related health concerns. He had reportedly collapsed many times while in prison. He also suffered from hearing loss in both ears and had undergone surgeries.

In January 2021, Swamy was awarded the Mukundan C Menon award 2020 for human rights.

 Why was he in jail?

Swamy was arrested on October 8, 2020 and chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged role in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence and links to the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Swamy, taken into custody from his Ranchi home, was the 16th arrest in the Elgar Parishad case. He was the oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India, according to a BBC report.

In a video circulated two days ahead of his arrest, Swamy had suggested his arrest was linked to his work, as it involved dissent against government policies.

On January 1, 2018, tens of thousands of Dalits had gathered near Pune to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, won by the British army against the Peshwas in 1818. The event witnessed violence.

On January 2, an FIR was registered at Pimpri police station naming Milind Ekbote of Samast Hindu Aghadi and Sambhaji Bhide, founder of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, for alleged incitement.

However, on January 8,  another FIR was filed by Pune police claiming that the violence took place due to an event held on December 31, 2017 called Elgar Parishad at Shaniwar Wada in Pune. The Pune police arrested activists claiming that the event was organised as part of alleged Maoist activity.

Deeply pained & outraged at the death of Father Stan Swamy.
A jesuit priest & social activist he tirelessly helped the marginalised.
Draconian UAPA custody, inhuman treatment since October 2020 with no charge established.
Accountability must be fixed for this murder in custody. pic.twitter.com/iQ8XrfRb9n

— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) July 5, 2021

What does NIA say?

The NIA charge-sheet named eight people, including Father Stan Swamy, social activist Gautam Navlakha and Delhi University associate professor Hany Babu, for their alleged involvement in inciting a mob to violence in Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018.

Also, read: Koregaon Bhima case: Violence a deep-rooted conspiracy, says Bombay HC

The NIA alleged that Swamy was a member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and was involved in a conspiracy to instigate caste violence in the Bhima Koregaon.

In March, 2021, an NIA Court in Mumbai rejected his bail plea. His bail plea was pending since November 2020. The Court observed that Father Swamy was a member of an organisation that “hatched a serious conspiracy to create unrest in the entire country and to overpower the government.”

“The material placed on record thus prima facie denotes that the applicant was not only the member of banned organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist) but he was carrying out activities further in the objective of the organisation which is nothing but to overthrow the democracy of the nation," special judge DE Kothalikar said while rejecting the bail, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

"Therefore, I do not find merit in the submissions made by the learned advocate for the applicant that only because of membership of banned organisation the applicant cannot be detained in jail, is not acceptable,” the judge said.

The agency has questioned Swamy many times. In the chargesheet, the agency claimed as a cadre of CPI (Maoist), Father Swamy was actively involved in the activities of the banned organisation. The agency also said that he was in communication with other cadres who would send money to him.

Shocked to learn about the demise of Father Stan Swamy. He dedicated his life working for tribal rights. I had strongly opposed his arrest & incarceration. The Union Govt should be answerable for absolute apathy & non provision of timely medical services, leading to his death.

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) July 5, 2021

The agency also alleged that Swamy was was a convenor of Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC), which it described as a frontal organisation of CPI (Maoists). The NIA said it had recovered incriminating documents, literature and propaganda from Swamy.