Father Swamy: One person majority

By Varghese Alengaden

Indore: A single person of truth and authenticity with a lasting vision is the majority. From ages this truth was proved in the lives of many prophetic personalities who dared to dream of doing something creative with purity of intention.

Jesuit Father Stanislaus Lourduswamy, or Stan Swamy, is the latest example of bearing witness to truth, compassion and human dignity despite facing false allegation, physical and mental torture, imprisonment and death in judicial custody. He died on July 5 in Mumbai’s Holy Family Hospital.

It is compassion for the poor tribals and other marginalized and oppressed people that brought Father Swamy to Jharkhand from his native state, Tamil Nadu. Swami had wide exposure as he studied theology and sociology in Manila and Brussels. After working as the director of Indian Social Institute at Bangalore he left for Jharkhand to serve the tribals.

He worked for the release of hundreds of imprisoned tribal youth who were falsely accused as Maoists. He had studied cases of more than 3,000 young people, who were in jail and prepared a document to present to the Jharkhand High Court to press for their release. He was also involved in the struggles of tribals for protecting their land and livelihood.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) falsely implicated him with the Elgar Parishad and violence in Bhima Koregaon although he had nothing to do with it. He had never been to Bhima Koregaon which is around 1,600 km south of Ranchi where he lived. The NIA arrested him from Ranchi on October 8, 2020. Jail authorities, NIA and the judges had been very inhuman and cruel in the treatment of 84-year-old Jesuit suffering from various health issues.

Father Swamy’s death has triggered strong reactions from eminent lawyers, senior journalists, authors, prominent leaders of opposition parties, and people from all walks of life and faiths. International media, European Union and human right organizations reacted strongly against the injustice and inhumanity inflicted on the human right defender.

The soft spoken and compassionate activist became a powerful witness of Christ and His values than all the priests and nuns who manage thousands of institutions across India. Journalists and prominent persons of all faiths have written several articles praising the prophetic life and work of Father Swamy. He proclaimed the love and compassion of Christ by his life and work.

Like Christ he opted for suffering humiliation, injustice, false allegation and brutality for the sake of the oppressed and the exploited people. He was a man of truth and authenticity. Hence the government and law enforcing agencies were afraid of the octogenarian fragile activist. While suffering inhumanity in prison and false allegations he became a majority because of his truth and authenticity.

The strength of genuine prophets and saints lies inside. They don’t look for the support of the crowd. They are not afraid of ‘what people would say.’ They neither look for any rewards nor recognition. They are led by the convincing power of the spirit. All the activists and human right defenders who are still in prison have the same conviction. The murder of Swamy will only strengthen their spirit and conviction.

It is unfortunate that the Church organizations like Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and Conference of Religious India were indifferent to the arrest and suffering of Father Swamy. How did the church leadership, priests and nuns stand with him while he was fighting for the helpless Adivasis? Did they take up the case of Father Swamy’s arrest and imprisonment in their discussion and make priests, nuns and lay people aware of the present sociopolitical context to make new action plans to prepare them for facing the new realities?

The indifference of the Church leaders to the false allegations, arrest and imprisonment of Father Swamy was more serious than the inhumanity of the NIA, judges and prison authorities. As I always think, the Church has drifted away from the way of Christ. It is more concerned about protecting its empire with all institutions.

The call “to be a prophet to the nations,” “bearing lasting fruit,” “being a good shepherd” are now alien to most priests, nuns and bishops. From the beginning of the training of future priests and nuns, young candidates are fed with the drug of religion that makes them passive and docile. Lessons about sociopolitical scenarios, role of being a prophet to the nations and acting as salt in society are not taught by presenting role models available in society. They are taught to guard the institutions and distribute some charity.

Father Swamy with his passion for ensuring justice, dignity, freedom for the exploited tribals was establishing God’s kingdom. He had transformed himself as a new wineskin. His work was a model of a new wineskin mission. While in prison Father Swamy proved that a caged bird can still sing. The government can jail human right defenders; but it cannot jail their ideas.

Father Swamy with his life has touched millions of people who matter from all walks of life and faith across the world. As a single person Father Swamy was a more powerful majority than the mighty government with all its various agencies. He is a more powerful majority than the Church with its large number of personnel, wealth and institutions spread across the country.

Will the consecrated men and women in the Church learn lessons from Father Swamy, a saint and martyr, to renew their lives? Will the Church leaders present Father Stan as a role model of consecrated life and evangelization as a “new wineskin?”

(Father Varghese Alengaden is the founder director of the Indore-based Universal Solidarity Movement, an NGO centered on developing enlightened leadership, responsible citizenship, and promoting harmony among religions and ethnic groups. Father Alengaden was the Youth Director of Madhya Pradesh Regional Bishops’ Conference. It was his work with youth that led him to build the USM and promote a culture of interreligious harmony and cooperation in India and abroad.)