Tribal Rights Activist Father Stan Swamy Passes Away While In Custody Under UAPA For His Link In Bhima-Koregaon Case

News in Brief

• Father Stan Swamy, an octogenarian Jesuit Priest, passed away in Mumbai on 6th July 2021 due to a number of medical ailments. He was also tested positive for Covid-19 recently.
• Father Swamy was arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon Case. He was kept in Taloja Central Jail before getting shifted to a private Holy Family Hospital in Navi Mumbai, owing to his deteriorating health.
• Swamy’s medical bail plea was supposed to be heard today, 6th July 2021, however, since the 84-year old Activist passed away, the Court ordered the authorities to go for his post mortem examination.

Who was Father Stan Swamy

• Father Stan Swamy was a Jesuit Priest who worked for the upliftment of the Tribal People in Jharkhand for more than 30 years.
• The Tribal Rights Activist was the convener of the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee, an organization to fight for the rights of marginalized prisoners caught up in the clutches of the “unequal” Indian Criminal System.
• He also questioned the delay in setting up of a Tribes Advisory Council under the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• Swamy was arrested on 8th October 2020, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, for allegedly being involved in the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence.
• This was his 16th arrest in the case, and the 84-year old was said to be the oldest to be arrested for terrorism.

What was the Bhima-Koregaon violence

• The Bhima-Koregaon battle was fought in 1818 between the British and Marathas in which the British emerged victorious, thereby putting an end to the Maratha rule.
• Mahars, who were considered as an inferior caste, were a part of the British Army during the battle.
• To celebrate the 200th year of the 1818 battle victory, the Mahars gathered on 31st December 2017 for an event under the name “Elgaar Parishad”.
• However, on 1st January 2018, violence broke out between the Marathas and Mahars wherein several persons got injured.
• Thereafter, several activists were arrested for having direct and indirect links with the Maoists, who were allegedly involved in inciting the 2018 violence.

Why was Priest Swamy arrested

• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the charge of probing the case. In October 2020, it filed a large charge-sheet with new names that included Father Swamy’s also.
• It was contented that the octogenarian was involved in the Bhima-Koregaon violence, and that he had links with the Maoists.
• He was arrested under the UAPA and sedition charges.

Post the Arrest

• The NIA Special Court denied all the interim bail applications of Swamy filed on medical grounds.
• His health kept deteriorating while in custody in Taloja Central Jail.
• Following the Bombay High Court’s order dated 28th May 2021, Swamy was shifted to a private Holy Family Hospital where he was tested positive for Covid-19.
• Father Stan Swamy was put on ventilator on 4th July 2021 following a cardiac arrest. However, the Activist, who fought for almost three decades, breathed his last on 6th June 2021.

What do you think on Father Stan, his arrest, and death?