'The state was not able to control Stan Swamy': PUCL Karnataka president

Even when he was imprisoned and held under inhuman conditions, Father Stan Swamy was concerned about the poor. He worrying constantly about the plight of the other under-trials. ‘’Most of them come from economically and socially disadvantaged communities," he wrote in a letter from prison.

"Many of these poor people don’t even know what charges have been brought against them. They remain in prison for years without any legal assistance.‘’

Prof Y.J. Rajendra,  state president, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Karnataka who worked with Stan Swamy for a short while, has fond memories of their time together. Swamy was a living saint and a relentless human rights defender, said Rajendra while speaking in a webinar organised by St Joseph's Boys’ High School and the Bangalore Jesuit Education Society. Rajendra remembered him as a law-abiding citizen. ‘’He fought for tribal rights and was a dynamic and secular person.’’  

Rajendra, who is also a professor at St Joseph’s Law College, Bengaluru, was so impressed by Swamy that he organized a student study tour to Jharkhand. Swamy told his students to learn from the tribals.

While in Bengaluru for some treatment, Swamy dealt with the problems of slum dwellers, snake charmers and Devdasi women, recalled Rajendra. 

Swamy spent his life fighting for the rights of Adivasis for four decades. Enumerating the reasons that led to Swamy’s arrest, Rajendra said, "Swamy defended jal (water), jungle(forest) and Zameen (land). He believed the tribals have the right to enjoy natural resources. Swamy created space for people to come together and discuss issues pertaining to tribals. The state and corporates want to access forest resources, including minerals and land for their own benefit. In the name of development, they construct dams and townships. But they always have their eyes on natural resources. Defenders of tribal rights who questioned them were arrested by the police controlled by the state and the corporates.‘’

Swamy was the convenor of the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Community that consisted of tribal leaders, lawyers, and human rights activists. The legal interventions made by PPSC set many free though false cases had been filed against them, Rajendra said. ‘’It has created a precedent. According to the government, that is another crime that Swamy committed,’’ said Rajendra. 

Swamy educated people of constitutional provisions. ‘‘The state was not able to control Swamy,’’ said Rajendra. ‘’Everyone knows when Bhima Koregaon violence broke out, Swamy wasn’t there. There is no evidence confirming he has committed the crime. They falsely implicated him in the case,’’ he said. 

"This is a custodial death. We should take it up and file a case," he added.