Guwahati: Father Stan Swamy is no more but his mission for “peace, justice and reconciliation” will continue.
This was the message that emanated from the July 6 memorial service organised by the Assam Christian Forum and the North East Regional Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the Peace Centre in Guwahati.
Father Swamy’s death was widely mourned in the Northeast which has a significant Christian population, about 18 percent of the more than 45 million population. The Church has contributed significantly to the education and health sectors. Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya are Christian-majority states.
The 84-year-old Jesuit priest and the “voice of the marginalized” died in a Mumbai hospital on July 5 while in judicial custody.
He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2020 in connection with the 2017 Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case.
At July 6 program speaker after speaker, amid paying glowing tributes to Father Swamy’s life-long mission of serving the marginalized and oppressed, vowed to take forward his legacy. They also wondered why the ailing Father Swmy was denied bail and the “strange ways” of the State and judiciary.
Paresh Malakar, educationist and general secretary, Axom Nagarik Samaj, in his tribute, said Father Swamy’s death was a “most tragic” development and a “sad” commentary on the State and the judiciary.
“Till his death Stan Swamy steadfastly stood for the truth and rights for the marginalized people. Now it is up to us how we carry forward his legacy. To uphold his spirits and legacy we should unitedly work for true justice, democracy and peace,” Malakar said.
“Till his death Stan Swamy steadfastly stood for the truth and rights for the marginalised people. Now it is up to us how we carry forward his legacy. To uphold his spirits and legacy we should unitedly work for true justice, democracy and peace,” Malakar said.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/assam-christian-forum-pledge-to-continue-father-stans-mission/cid/1821620