Stan Swamy

Stan Swamy real name is Stanislaus Lourduswamy. He spent many years as an activist for tribal rights, an Indian Catholic priest, and a member of the Jesuit order. In India, Swamy was the oldest person to face terrorism-related accusations.

The National Investigation Agency arrested and charged Swamy on October 8, 2020, under the Unlawful Activities Act, for his suspected involvement in the 2018 violence in Bhima Koregaon and his connections to the Communist Party of India. Swamy had Parkinson's disease and had often requested bail on medical grounds, but his requests had been denied. He passed away on July 5, 2021, after his health deteriorated while he was behind bars.

Profile of Stan Swamy

• Real Name: Stanislaus Lourduswamy
• Birth Date: April 26, 1937
• Date of Death: July 5, 2021 (aged 84)
• Occupation(s): Catholic priest, activist
• Gender: Male
• Perpetrator: India
• Ethnic Group: Tamil
• Religion or Belief: Christian - Catholic
• Health Concerns: Parkinson's disease, Contracted COVID-19
• Reports of Torture: No
• Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes
• Date of Detainment: October 8, 2020
• Current Status: Deceased
• Religious Leader: Yes
• Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Physical Appearance

• Height:
• In Feet Inches: 5' 8".
• In Centimeters: 172 cm.
• In Meters: 1.72 m.

• Weight:
• In Kilograms: 60 Kg.
• In Pounds: 132 lbs.

• Shoe Size (UK): 9
• Eye Color: Black
• Hair Color: White

Early Life of Stan Swamy

On April 26, 1937, Swamy was born in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India. He studied theology and obtained a master's degree in sociology in the Philippines during the 1970s, and There he witnessed numerous anti-administration protests and marches. He became friends with Brazilian Catholic Archbishop Helder Camara during his studies, and he was motivated by his work with poor people.

Activism

From 1975 to 1986, Swamy served as the director of the Indian Social Institute in Bangalore, which Jesuits manage. He spent more than thirty years working with the tribal people of central India. During that time, he raised concerns about the Constitution's Fifth Schedule, which calls for the creation of a Tribes Advisory Council made up entirely of Adivasi people for their protection, welfare, and advancement in the state.

Arrest

The National Investigation Agency took Swamy into custody from his Ranchi house on October 8, 2020. Swamy was charged together with a number of other well-known Dalit and Adivasi rights activists. According to the authorities, he encouraged caste-based violence, which led to violent riots the following day in Bhima Koregaon and nearby villages in the state of Maharashtra. Additionally, authorities said they were connected to banned Maoist groups. Swamy was reportedly the oldest person to face terrorist charges at the time.

A fight for Justice

Swamy, also known as Father Stan, had spent more than thirty years fighting to protect the most vulnerable citizens of his nation until he passed away. He worked for the majority of his ministry fighting for tribals and Dalits in Jharkhand, particularly their interests intersecting with issues of land, forests, water, and labor right. He asked why the government had not put into effect the constitutional provisions for the welfare, defense, and advancement of the indigenous people, Dalits, and tribes in the area.

According to Damodar Turi, a community organizer who spent 16 years working with the priest, Father Stan helped the native people in generating income. Additionally, he represented them in court if the local government took their land in defiance of laws meant to safeguard it. Father Stan also became involved in the struggle against honor killings, dowries, and discrimination against women in these communities by supporting them.

In 2017, Swamy began advocating on behalf of about 3,000 tribal and Dalit people that the government had been arbitrarily imprisoning. He and other activists sued the government, arguing that they had no right to hold the young people in prison.

Illness and Death

Parkinson's disease and other age-related ailments afflicted Swamy. During his time in prison, he fell several times. He went through surgeries and suffered from hearing loss in both ears. Because of his Parkinson's, he had problems gripping a glass, so when he was in prison, he asked to be provided a sipper and a straw.

According to a letter sent to the Bombay High Court on May 18, 2021, Swamy was in serious condition while in prison. The court ordered the setting up of an expert committee to look into Swamy.

Explaining his rapidly declining health, Swamy appeared in court via video conference on May 21, 2021, but he declined to be hospitalized at JJ Hospital or any other hospital. Instead, he asked for only temporary bail so that he could fly to Ranchi and able to go house.

On May 28, 2021, Considering Swamy's rapidly deteriorating physical condition, the Bombay High Court ordered the Maharashtra government to admit him to a private hospital for 15 days. He was admitted to Mumbai's Holy Family Hospital. Subsequently, Swamy's COVID-19 result was positive.

Swamy was put on ventilator support on July 4, 2021, due to a decline in his health. He passed away on July 5, 2021, before his bail hearing in Bombay High Court.

Some Facts About Stan Swamy

• He was born and raised in Kerala, then relocated to Jharkhand at the age of thirty-three.
• His goal in relocating to Jharkhand was to improve the welfare of the tribal people.
• He performed a lot of social work in these areas during his career.
• Additionally, he has participated in numerous youth inspiration activities.
• The reports state that earlier on July 12, 2019, a team of eight Maharashtra Police officers came to Father Stan Swamy's home and took his computer hard drive and internet modem.
• According to some media sources, on August 28, 2018, following the Bhima Koregaon incident, the police also looked inside the house.
• Stan Swamy was taken into custody by the NIA on October 9, 2020, on suspicion of plotting to incite violence in Bhima Koregaon.
• People started to fight for Mr. Swamy's justice after his arrest.
• Swamy was born in Tamil Nadu's Trichy. In the 1970s, he completed a master's degree in sociology and theology at the University of Manila.
• Inspired by the unfair treatment of Adivasi prisoners in the tribal state in 2016, many of whom were wrongly declared as Naxalites, Swamy conducted research on them that was later published as a report.

Conclusion

Stan Lourduswamy is frequently referred to as Stan Swamy. Stan Swamy was born in 1937 in Kerala. Swamy is a Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist who is well-known for his efforts to defend the rights of Dalits and Adivasis. Swamy had spent more than thirty years fighting to protect the most vulnerable citizens of his nation until he passed away. He passed away in Mumbai on July 5, 2021.