By Jose Kavi
New Delhi: Jesuit Father Stan Lourduswamy, now languishing in a Mumbai jail, has been selected for an award honoring Mukundan C Menon, a noted journalist who founded non-governmental human rights organizations such as People’s Union for Civil Liberties.
Father Stan Swamy, as the Catholic priest is popularly known, has spent several decades fighting for tribal rights in Jharkhand state in eastern India.
He was arrested on October 8 from his residence near Ranchi, Jharkhand capital, by the National Investigation Agency, India’s anti-terror force. He was jailed the following day.
Accusing the priest of Maoist links, the agency arrested him for his alleged role in Bhima-Koregaon case nearly three years ago in Pune, western India. He is among 16 activists, writers, poets and thinkers arrested in the case.
The award was instituted by the National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) in honor of Menon soon after his death in 2006.
The annual award is given to human rights defenders, artists, writers and environmental activists involved in defending the rights of the people.
Menon, who was a leading human rights activist for more than 35 years, was the first general secretary of NCHRO.
The jury made up of J Devika (Thiruvananthapuram), Ibnu Soud (Chennai), Prof. Amith Bhatacharya (Kolkota), N P Chekutty (Kozhikode) and Advocate Jaya Vindhyala (Hyderabad) selected Father Stans Swamy among many nominations received from all over India.
The award includes a cash prize of 25,000 rupees and a citation.
The organizers said the award is in recognition of people’s struggle for democratic and human rights of Adivasis led by Father Stans Swamy.
The Jesuit has questioned the non-implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which stipulates setting up of a Tribes Advisory Council with members solely of the Adivasi community for their protection, well-being and development.
One of the major campaigns the Catholic priest has been associated with was the Jharkhand Organisation Against Uranium Radiation (JOAR). The campaign successfully stopped the construction of a tailing dam in Chaibasa which, if constructed, would lead to the displacement of Adivasis in Jadugoda’s Chatikocha area.
Father Stan Swamy has also continued to work with the displaced people of Bokharo, Santhal Parganas and Koderma. In 2014 when a report was published discussing the plight of the arrested youths, Father Stan Swamy came into the state machinery’s radar. According to the report, 98 percent of the 3,000 arrested were falsely implicated and had no links to the Naxal (Maoist) movement. Some served years in jail without trial.
He died of cardiac arrest on December 12 at the age of 72.
Menon, who wrote against Hindutva fascism, was accused of being terrorist sympathizer by rightwing media.
He was jailed during the 1975 Emergency period. Menon presented the cases of numerous political prisoners and sought justice in many high-profile cases.
Thanks for this recognition. Fr.Stan is an inspiration to many like me.
Fr.A.Sebastian.
For the yeomen service to humanity, specially to the most disadvantaged in the society, namely the Dalits and Adivasis the Govt of India should have award Fr. Stand Swamy and the co-accused such acolytes, instead it has awarded them Jail..! Something very very serious with this govt and their philosophy of governance..!