July 6, 2021: Father Stan Swamy, a jailed Jesuit priest and longtime Indian tribal rights activist, has died in the western Indian city of Mumbai at the age of 84.
His lawyer and doctor told the Bombay High Court that Swamy, who had Parkinson’s disease, had died of a heart attack. After Swamy’s bail was revoked in March, the court was hearing his bail application on medical grounds. The worker was transferred from Tajola Central Jail to a private hospital in May after his condition deteriorated rapidly. He was admitted to the ICU, where he tested positive for Covid-19.
“Stan worked to light the world and do away with injustice. The government may have succeeded in snuffing his life out, but his spirit will continue to inspire,” Father Jerome Stanislaus D’souza, the president of Jesuits in India, said in a statement.
India: I am very saddened to hear that Fr #StanSwamy has passed away. A defender of indigenous peoples’ rights. He was held in detention for the past 9 months. The EU had been raising his case repeatedly with authorities. https://t.co/DNpNa1r8cq
— Eamon Gilmore (@EamonGilmore) July 5, 2021
In October, Swamy was arrested in the eastern state of Jharkhand after being charged under India’s strict anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was the oldest person in India to accuse of terrorism. The government’s National Investigation Agency arrested him and 15 other activists and academics in a 2018 incident that sparked violence between lower-caste Dalits and right-wing groups. Authorities allege the detainees had links to Maoist insurgents, who operate in several states and are considered the biggest threat to the country’s internal security.
Horrible news to learn that Indian HRD Fr. Stan Swamy is in very serious condition&was put on a ventilator last night.He's spent 9 months in jail on unfounded charges.I’m deeply saddened&expect that every possible specialist treatment will be provided to him
— Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs (@MaryLawlorhrds) July 4, 2021
By the time Hindutva will finish its experiment, India would have killed more people than Hitler did in its streets and jails. https://t.co/ICY7ljnlZj
— Vinod K. Jose (@vinodjose) July 5, 2021
Swamy maintained his innocence and denied any contact with the insurgents, saying he had been targeted for his work and writings on caste injustices and the struggle waged by backward groups. His arrest sparked widespread outrage in India, with several opposition politicians and academics demanding his release. The anti-terrorism law was amended in 2019 to allow the government to declare an individual a terrorist. Police can detain people for up to six months without providing evidence, after which the accused can be imprisoned for up to seven years.
Critics have called the law tough, and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of using it to silence distrust. Swami, who focused on empowering and uplifting the indigenous tribes of India, was known for his tireless support of the rights of the most backward people. Tributes were paid on social media on Monday. Central Opposition Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “He deserves justice and humanity.” Prominent historian Ramchandra Goha described his death as a “judicial murder case” and wrote, “Father Stan Swamy worked for the homeless and backward people throughout his life.”
Dear friends: The Jesuit priest and activist Stan Swamy, SJ, who had been unjustly imprisoned by the Indian government for his advocacy for the poor, has died. Letter from the Provincial of the Jamshedpur Jesuit Province. May he rest in peace. #StanSwamy pic.twitter.com/NhfG8oxhA8
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) July 5, 2021
In January, to mark 100 days in jail, Swamy penned a letter thanking all those who had stood by him.
He said he hadn’t met the 15 other people accused with him, despite being in the same jail. “But we still sing in chorus. A caged bird can still sing,” he wrote.
In his last bail hearing in May, he predicted his death if he remained in jail. “I would rather die here very shortly if things go on as it is,” Swamy told the judges. On Monday, his lawyer, Mihir Desai, told the court that Swamy isn’t survived by any family members, the Live Law website reported.
“The Jesuits are his only family,” Desai said.
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