adivasis – Page 10 – free them all

Stan Swamy’s institutional murder must lead to a nation-wide movement against draconian laws and state repression

07/07/2021 Rani

By National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)

NAPM joins citizens and democratic groups across the globe remembering the life and struggle of Stan Swamy with pain and pride

7th July, 2021: The news of the cold-blooded killing of Fr. Stan Swamy by all the institutions that held him arbitrarily in custody for over 9 months has shaken not just the ‘conscience’ of India, but of the entire world. This incident shall remain a permanent blot on India’s claim of being a ‘democracy’, which oversaw the custodial torture and consequent ‘death’ of an 84-year-old human rights defender, living with Parkinsons, for a crime he never committed. As the world mourns this spartan saint, whose only mission was to fight for justice for the oppressed, we are left with many unanswered questions about the state of our nation and the future path of struggle. …

Stan Swamy – Salutes to an extraordinary rights fighter! / Video: What Stan Swamy said before arrest

05/07/2021 Rani

Video: What Stan Swamy said before arrest by NIA

en | 7:50min | 2020
Watch video

Fr. Stan is dead! Salutes to an extraordinary rights fighter!

05/07/2021

By People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)

PUCL is extremely saddened and anguished by the death of Fr. Stan Swamy today, 5th July, 2021 in the Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, where he was undertaking treatment pursuant to an interim order of the Bombay High Court in his bail petition in the Bhima Koregaon case. What is most tragic is that even as the High Court Division Bench had started hearing the bail petition, news trickled in that he had passed away.
Read full statement

Fr. Stan Swamy was a defender of human rights giving hope to thousands of Dalits and Adivasis

05/07/2021

The Leaflet / by Joseph Xavier SJ and Harshita

Human rights activist Fr. Stan Swamy passed away in hospital waiting endlessly for medical bail. He was in jail since last year in the Bhima Koregaon case. Dr. Joseph Xavier SJ and Harshita write about the colourful journey of Fr. Stan Swamy in empowering thousands of Dalits and Adivasis and raising their concerns about justice and displacement.
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Fr Stan Swamy’s institutional murder

05/07/2021

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) / by Teesta Setalvad

Poor health conditions in Taloja prison amidst a raging Covid-19 pandemic, lies fabricated by the authorities, valiant efforts by the Jesuit-Human Rights Community and advocates like Mihir Desai and Krithika, form the vicious cycle witnessed closely by some of us in the tragic case of our beloved Father Stan Swamy (and other fellow inmates) over past months.
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Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha: Mahasabha pays its tribute to Stan Swamy, who passed away today. His principles have been a source of inspiration for us and will continue to remain so. Stan lives on in our struggles and memories. His life and work in the thread.

NAPM India (July 5):
NAPM joins every justice loving person across the globe mourning the departure of human rights defender #StanSwamy and vows to continue the struggle for holding the criminal State accountable for this institutional murder. Enough is Enough.
#FreeBK16 #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners

Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs (July 5):
The news from #India today is devastating. Human Rights Defender & Jesuit priest Fr Stan Swamy has died in custody, nine months after his arrest on false charges of terrorism. Jailing HRDs is inexcusable. He explains his work here +++

Eamon Gilmore, EU Special Representative for HR (July 4):
I share the concern expressed by the UN Special Rapporteur, Mary Lawlor, about the health and continuing detention of Fr Stan Swamy, whose case the EU has been raising with the Indian authorities +++

SJES Rome (July 5): We are deeply saddened to learn about Fr. Stan Swamy passing away. His life was meaningful and his legacy of this commitment for the rights of the indigenous people will remain. RIP +++

Activists, opposition call out ‘custodial murder’ of Stan Swamy

05/07/2021

Hindustan Times / by Deepali Sharma

Rights activist Shabnam Hashmi called Stan Swamy’s death “custodial murder” and said that the government has to be held accountable.
The death of the 84-year-old activist Stan Swamy on Monday amid his fight for bail on the grounds of health issues sparked off intense responses on social media from political leaders, activists, journalists, intellectuals among others.
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Killing Him Softly With His Song: A Requiem for Father Stan Swamy

05/07/2021

The Wire / by Madan B. Lokur

The entire episode leaves behind a feeling that Stan Swamy was virtually thrust a sentence of death without charges being framed against him and without a trial.
Certain events occurred on January 1, 2018 in Bhima-Koregaon which led to the lodging of an FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sedition. After investigation, offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were added. A charge sheet was first filed against some accused persons on November 15, 2018 and a second or supplementary charge sheet was filed against some more accused persons on February 21, 2019.
In the meanwhile, the Maharashtra Police investigating the case searched the residence and office of Stan Swamy in Ranchi on August 28, 2018.
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Stan Swamy’s endurance has left a message for the world: Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil

08/06/2021 Rani

The Leaflet / by Thomas Menamparampil

Eighty-four year old Father Stan Swamy who had spent decades serving the tribal people of Jharkhand, was arrested on trumped up charges, subjected to endless interrogations, and confined to Taloja jail for over eight months. As he battles illness, his endurance has left a message for the world says Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.
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Mostly Dalits, Adivasis, 97% undertials ‘falsely’ accused, release them, demands JMM

28/04/2021 Rani

Counterview / by Counterview Desk

Making the 84th birth anniversary of Father Stan Swamy – the veteran Adivasi rights Jesuit priest languishing Taloja Jail, Maharashtra, for about four months for his alleged role in Bhima Koregaon violence – as the occasion, the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM), a civil rights organisation, has demanded that “lakhs of undertrials with no justice in sight” should be released immediately.
Pointing out that Stan Swamy too is an undertrial, JMM said, was involved in a study carried out in 2014-16, which revealed that about 97 percent of the surveyed undertrial prisoners “were falsely accused of being Maoists”.
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Video: Father Stan Swamy’s 84th birthday celebrations online

26/04/2021 Rani

en + hindi | 1h34min | 2021

By PUCL & friends and co-travellers of Father Stan Swamy

The PUCL along with the friends and co-travellers of Father Stan Swamy,
invite you to join online Father Stan’s 84th birthday celebrations.

Watch video @ PUCL fb page here

Through his own writings from the prison, and know why the State fears him and why the Bhima Koregaon case is cooked up, along with messages of solidarity for his release and that of other Prisoners of Conscience.
Father Stan stands as a symbol of struggle and resistance against the repression of Tribals and has been falsely implicated and arrested since October 2020 in the Bhima Koregaon “conspiracy” case. A Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist, he has worked in Jharkhand for over three decades on issues of land, forest and labour rights in order to create a world where there is love, peace and justice.
#ReleaseFatherStanNOW #ReleaseAllBK16Prisoners

Also watch: Repeal UAPA – Persecution by Prosecution (PUCL, Jan 2021)

In letters, Stan Swamy speaks about co-inmates, life behind bars

27/04/2021

The Indian Express / by Sadaf Modak

Swamy, who turned 84 on Monday, was arrested on October 8, last year, from Ranchi by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in the Elgaar Parishad case.
From his daily routine to the experiences of his co-inmates in jail, Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy’s communication through letters and phones calls with his colleagues and friends gives a glimpse into the 200 days spent in jail by the country’s oldest prisoner arrested in a terror case.
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Birthday greetings to Fr Stan Swamy: True Meaning of Solidarity / Video: A Caged Bird Can Still Sing

26/04/2021 Rani

Birthday greetings to Fr Stan Swamy, in jail: You taught us true meaning of solidarity

26/04/2021

Counterview / by Fr Cedric Prakash SJ

Dear Stan,
It is rather unusual and certainly not normal to wish someone who is in prison “A Happy Birthday!” One’s birthday cannot be ‘happy’ in prison; however, in wishing you we celebrate your life: your mission and your message and above all, those whom you have so closely identified with, all these years so “Birthday Greetings to you dear Fr. Stan!
Our prayer today is one of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the Gift of You: to so many people everywhere: particularly the poor and the excluded, the Adivasis and Dalits; to the Country, the Church and the Society of Jesus.
Read more

Music video: A Caged Bird Can Still Sing

26/04/2021

en | 3:47min | 2021

By Bombay Jesuits

This Rap song is a tribute to Fr. Stan Swamy SJ on the occasion of his 84th Birthday (26th April) Since October 2020 he has been in prison arrested under UAPA in Bhima Koregaon case. He has dedicated his life for the service of the Tribals and marginalized in central India. A true prophet of our times he continues to be a symbol of resistance and a messenger of justice, peace and love not just in the world outside but even in jail. The chorus of this song- “We’ll still sing in chorus, a caged bird can still sing” is taken from one of his letters written from the prison.
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Birthday cards for Fr Stan Swamy SJ

26/04/2021

By SJES ROME

Irish & Canadian Jesuits call for the release of Stan Swamy / Video: Campaigns calling for release continue

16/04/2021 Maya

Release Human Rights Defender Stan Swamy SJ

16/04/2021

Irish Jesuits International / by Irish Jesuits International

Fr Swamy is in poor health. He is hearing impaired and has Parkinson’s disease, and there have been calls from around the world – including from Pope Francis – to free him. He had been harrassed by authorities for some time and anticipated the likelihood of his arrest. He spoke about it in a video he made just two days before it occurred. But he is still in prison, and had his application for bail rejected on 22nd March 2021.
Jesuit Response
On hearing the news of the bail refusal, the Jesuits’ Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) in Rome released a Statement of Solidarity in which Fr Xavier Jeyaraj SJ said:
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Canadian Jesuits call for the release of 83-year-old human rights defender

14/04/2021

Broadview / by Kiernan Green

Jesuits in Canada and around the world continue to call for the release of Father Stan Swamy, an 83-year-old Indian Jesuit and human rights defender charged and imprisoned under India’s anti-terror laws…
The Indian Jesuit father advocated for the land rights of the Indigenous people of eastern India for five decades. In 2018, he co-filed a public interest litigation on behalf of over 3,000 Adivasi villagers imprisoned without the due process of a timely trial.
Read more

Video: Campaigns calling for release of India´s Father Stan Swamy continue

14/04/2021

en | 2:36min | 2021

By Rome Reports

This Rome Reports video above features efforts — including those made by the Jesuits — to free Indian Father Stan Swamy from prison.
Watch video

Evidence against Sudha Bharadwaj ‘too poor’ to be admissible, says lawyer / A Peek into her Life and Journey

25/01/2021 Rani

Evidence against Sudha Bharadwaj ‘too poor’ to be admissible, says lawyer

25/01/2021

The Telegraph / by Basant Kumar Mohanty

Writers, activists and academics seek her release from jail, urge intelligentsia to break their silence.
Yug Chaudhary, lawyer of activist Sudha Bharadwaj who has been in custody since her arrest in the Bhima Koregaon case in 2018, on Sunday said the purported evidence against her lacked “sanctity” and was “too poor” to be admissible.
At a webinar, writers, activists and academics demanded that Bharadwaj be released from jail and urged the intelligentsia to follow her example and break their silence as the country’s institutions were no longer reliable.
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A Peek into the Life and Journey of Sudha Bharadwaj

24/01/2021

The Leaflet / by People’s Union for Civil Liberties

Through a series of interviews with Sudha Bharadwaj, PUCL shows the grim reality of the people fighting in tribal areas for the land they own. The book titled ‘A LIFE IN LAW AND ACTIVISM: SUDHA BHARADWAJ SPEAKS’ shows her journey into fighting for the rights of people, her cases and the story of the people affected by these laws…
The following are edited excerpts from the book.
Read more

Sudha Bharadwaj on Why She Joined the Trade Union Movement and Became a Lawyer

24/01/2021

The Wire / by Santanu Chakraborty and Darshana Mitra

“We have to bring the Constitution to life. That’s where the lawyers and peoples’ organisations have to work together.”
The following is an excerpt from Sudha Bharadwaj Speaks: A Life in Law and Activism published by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties. Bharadwaj, a lawyer, trade unionist and rights activist, was arrested in 2018 in the Elgar Parishad case. The book is based on a long interview of Bharadwaj conducted before her arrest by two young lawyers, Santanu Chakraborty and Darshana Mitra.
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‘My mother misses home often’, says Sudha Bharadwaj’s daughter during book release

24/01/2021

The Print / by The Print Team

A book titled ‘Sudha Bharadwaj Speaks: A Life in Law and Activism’, based on a long interview just before Bharadwaj’s arrest in 2018, was released Sunday.
A new e-book based on a long interview with human rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, who has been under arrest for more than two years now, was released Sunday.
The book, titled Sudha Bharadwaj Speaks: A Life in Law and Activism, is based on an interview conducted by lawyers Santanu Chakraborty and Darshana Mitra just before Bharadwaj was arrested in the infamous Bhima Koregaon case in 2018. It was released at a webinar by author Nayantara Sehgal.
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PDF copy: Sudha Bharadwaj speaks – A Life in Law and Activism

24/01/2021

By People’s Union for Civil Liberties

Sudha Bharadwaj speaks – A Life in Law and Activism

Publisher: Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)
Edition: January 2021
Language: English
Sudha Bharadwaj’s interview by: Darshana Mitra and Santanu Chakraborty
Pictures credit: PUCL
Cover Design / Layout: Vinay Jain
Paperback: 316 pages

Access a free PDF copy of the book here:
Sudha_Bharadwaj_speaks (2,1 MB)

Please download and share widely!
#RepealUAPA

Book release: Sudha Bharadwaj speaks – A Life in Law and Activism [PDF copy]

24/01/2021 Maya

PDF copy: Sudha Bharadwaj speaks – A Life in Law and Activism

24/01/2021

By People’s Union for Civil Liberties

Sudha Bharadwaj speaks – A Life in Law and Activism

Access a free PDF copy of the book here:
Sudha_Bharadwaj_speaks (2,1 MB)

Please download and share widely!
#RepealUAPA

Video – Book Release: Why is the state afraid of Sudha Bharadwaj?

24/01/2021

en + hindi | 2h 53min | 2021

By People’s Union for Civil Liberties and more than 100 other organizations

Topic: Why is the state afraid of Sudha Bharadwaj?
Sudha Bharadwaj, a renowned human rights lawyer, trade unionist, is one of 16 activists incarcerated in the infamous Bhima Koregaon case for more than 2 years. A long interview conducted with Sudha over several days before she was arrested is now being published as an online book “Sudha Bharadwaj Speaks – A Life in Law and Activism”, and will be released at this webinar by the well-known writer, Nayantara Sahgal. Sudha’s daughter, Maaysha, her lawyer Yug Chaudhary, social activist Harsh Mandar, historian Uma Chakravarti amongst other coworkers & colleagues, will also share their experiences and memories of working with her.
Watch video @ PUCL Facebook (videos)

Programme – click to enlarge

Sudha Bharadwaj speaks – A Life in Law and Activism (PDF copy)

24/01/2021 Rani

By People’s Union for Civil Liberties

Sudha Bharadwaj speaks – A Life in Law and Activism

Access a free PDF copy of the book here