By Irudhaya Jothi
Konchowki: Civil society groups and individuals in India have launched a campaign to send blankets and sippers for Jesuit Father Stan Swamy who is lodged in a Mumbai jail for more than a month.
The campaign began November 26 after a special court in Mumbai rejected a petition from the 83-year-old priest, a patient of Parkinson’s disease, for a straw and sipper cup.
Earlier in the day, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which arrested the octogenarian priest, told the court that it has no straw, sipper or warm clothes to give to Father Swamy.
The court posted to December 4 the hearing on sipper-straw and warm clothes for Father Stan, forcing the Jesuit priest to brave the winter.
Under the campaign, blankets, sippers and warm clothes would be sent to the address of the Deputy Inspector General in Mumbai.
When the NIA arrested the priest from his residence near Ranchi, capital of Jharkhand state, on October 8, he had carried a small bag containing a few items such as a straw and a sipper, said his lawyer Sharif Sheikh. However, the contents were not handed over to him when he was sent to the jail.
On November 6, the priest filed an application seeking permission to allow him to use straw and sipper and the case was posted to November 26 for hearing.
In his correspondence with his conferrers the Jesuit spoke of health and how cold affected him.
“As you are aware, cold climate is affecting me. I have asked for full sleeve sweater, thin blanket and two pair of socks.”
He says further, “I am sorry to hear that these materials were not accepted at the prison gate and the one who brought them had to take them back not once but three times.”
On October 22, his medical bail plea was rejected by the same judge. The plea was sought on the grounds that he suffers from Parkinson’s disease and almost deaf in both ears.
He has fallen in jail multiple times and has been operated for hernia twice and still has pain in lower abdomen and needs to be protected from Covid-19.
The court said Father Stan has been accused of an offence punishable under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and cannot be entitled for interim bail.
The investigation agency’s callousness to the elderly priest has frustrated many sympathisers.
Civil society groups have organized various programs across the country to demand immediate and unconditional release of Father Stan and his companions.
National vigil was observed on the Constitutional day, November 26, in many parts of the country.
Concerned citizens and young people organized a “Twitter storm” 5-6 pm on November 25 and 26 using hash tags such as #FreeStanSwamy #JusticeforStanSwamy #FreeAll16BKVictims #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners, #ScrapFarmActs, #FarmersDilliChalo, #FarmersProtest.
They wanted all arrested in Bhima Koregaon case released – Father Swamy, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, Anand Teltumbde, Hany Babu, Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap, Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe and Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor.
Many webinars were also organized to create awareness on the draconian UAPA and how the it is being used recklessly to silence resenting voices.
Father in one of his letters says “I consider imprisonment as an opportunity to share the fag end of my life with many innocent prisoners.”
He also acknowledged in the same letter that he has new companions in his quest for justice for the poor.
An article in The Hindu newspaper on June, 26 2019, titled “The state of Indian Prisoners” states that by the end of 2016 India had 433,033 people in orisons. Among them 68 percent were under-trials, or people who have yet to be found guilty of the crimes they are accused.