Fr Stan Swamy SJ, tribal rights activist, passes away

Indian tribal rights defender Fr Stan Swamy SJ died on Monday, 5 July, in Mumbai. He was 84 years old, and had been a Jesuit for 64 years and a priest for 51 years.

Fr Jerry Cutinha SJ, Provincial of Jamshedpur Jesuit Province, in his letter to the public, expressed “a deep sense of pain, anguish, and hope” at the death of Fr Swamy who had fought on the side of the Adivasis, Dalits, and other marginalised communities “so that the poor may have life and life to the full, with dignity and honour”.

Fr Swamy was arrested in October last year on unfounded links to violent Maoists groups. He was the oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, which critics say has been used by the government to silence dissenters and human rights activists. Fr Swamy’s arrest sparked an unprecedented show of solidarity from all over the world, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Since his imprisonment, multiple efforts to secure his release had been denied by the courts. In late May, Fr Swamy, who suffered from advanced Parkinson’s disease and whose health continued to deteriorate while incarcerated, was moved from Toloja prison to a private hospital after showing symptoms of Covid-19. He later tested positive for the disease.

For over 50 years, Fr Swamy ministered to India’s poorest and marginalised communities. He advocated with and for Adivasi communities on issues of land, forest, and labour rights. He was vocal on the “indiscriminate” arrest of thousands of young Adivasis on accusations of being extremists “Naxals”.

In a video message made shortly before his arrest, Fr Swamy said: “If these are criminal and anti-national actions, I am ready to pay the price.”

The death of Fr Stan has served to strengthen the Jesuits’ commitment to walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice.

“The Society of Jesus, at this moment, recommits itself to take forward the legacy of Fr Stan in its mission of justice and reconciliation,” said Fr Cutinha.

Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific President Fr Tony Moreno SJ shared, “Fr Stan lived the mission of reconciliation and justice in the 36th General Congregation (GC). Decree 1 of GC 36 says: ‘This reconciliation is always a work of justice, a justice discerned and enacted in local communities and contexts, The Cross of Christ and our sharing in it are also at the center of God’s of reconciliation. This mission can lead to conflict and death, as we have witnessed in the lives of many of our brothers.’”