Gloom & anger as Fr Stan dies amid his long struggle for bail

PANAJI
The custodial death of Father Stan Swamy, the Jharkhand-based tribal rights activist who was arrested under terror laws in the Elgaar Parishad case last year, at Mumbai’s Holy Family hospital on Monday afternoon brought gloom and anger among Goans.

A Jesuit priest aged 84 years, he had contracted Covid-19 in jail where he spent almost eight months during which several pleas to courts for basic facilities had severally been rejected.

However, he was hospitalised on May 30 after the Bombay High Court issued instructions when he contracted Covid-19.

His death was conveyed by his lawyers to the Bombay High Court on Monday afternoon when the medical bail plea they had moved on his behalf earlier in the morning was taken up.

The death has left Goa’s Jesuit community and others in a state of gloom and mourning.

When he was arrested last year, several Goans had joined the Jesuits to march in solidarity with the incarcerated octogenarian priest at the iconic Azad Maidan and the streets of the capital city.

Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat said he was “feeling devastated” by the 84-year-old priest’s passing away.

‘Feeling devastated by passing away of 84 year old Champion of Human Rights Father #StanSwamy. This is nothing less than Murder by most insensitive & inhuman Government of India of one of the gentlest & kindest person. My condolences to his family & followers. He deserved kindness,” Kamat tweeted.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Valmiki Naik also expressed shock over Fr Swamy’s demise while incarcerated.

“I will never get over the fact that we allowed the state to legally incarcerate an 84-yr-old with Covid and Parkinsons without any charges till he died.

#StanSwamy forgive us” Naik said in a tweet.