Jailed Jesuit seeks prayers for seriously ill co-prisoner

By Matters India Reporter

Mumbai: Father Stan Swamy, who is in a Mumbai jail for more than one month, has sought prayers for a fellow prisoner who has become seriously ill.

“Varavara Rao is very sick. Kindly, pray for him,” the octogenarian Jesuit told confrere over phone.

Rao, an activist, poet, teacher, and writer from Telangana, has been in the in Taloja Jail near Mumbai since August 2018. He turned 80 on November 3.

Both the Catholic priest and Rao, who was born in a Brahmin family, are arrested along with 14 others for their alleged involvement in inciting violence during an event on January 1, 2018.

Father Swamy was the last person to be arrested in the Bhima-Koregaon case.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on November 17 directed the authorities to shift Rao from Taloja jail to Nanavati Hospital for 15 days. The court noted that Rao was almost on his deathbed.

“He needs some treatment,” the High Court bench of Justices SS Shinde and Madhav Jamdar said. “Can the state say no we will treat him in Taloja? We are only saying transfer him to Nanavati for two weeks. We will further see after two weeks,” the court added.

Father Swamy, 83, thanked his thousands of supporters and friends for their “solidarity support” for him and his co-accused. “I am really grateful,” he told a Jesuit colleague, who does not want to be identified.

Father Swamy said the prison administration provides him breakfast, tea, milk, lunch and dinner. “Any additional edibles are to be purchased from the prison canteen, twice a month. Also, newspapers, toiletries, stationary and other essentials can be purchased through the prison canteen. My needs are limited. The Adivasis and the Society of Jesus have taught me to lead a simple life,” he says.

The priest has moved court for a straw or sipper to drink water and juices as his hands tremble because of Parkinson’s Disease. The National Investigation Agency that arrested the Jesuit October 8 has sought time until November 26 to respond to his request.

“I had brought with me a “sipper-tumbler,” to drink tea and water. However, the same was disallowed at the prison gate, on entry on October 9. Now, I am using a baby-sipper mug, which I purchased through the prison hospital. I have communicated this need to our lawyers. I am still awaiting to receive the sipper-tumbler,” he told his Jesuit conferrer.

Father Stan says “listening to the life-narratives of the poor prisoners is my joy in Taloja. I see God in their pains and smiles.”

The priest also said he got permission from Jail authorities to receive a sweater and a shawl, as he feels too cold.

Jesuit Father Arockiasamy Santhanam, secretary of the National Lawyers Forum of Religious and Priests, says they expected the prison authorities would give Father Swamy the sipper tumbler after P Chidambaram, a senior politician tweeted about his need. “He not received the same, at least till yesterday,” he told Matters India November 19.