On the fourth death anniversary of Father Stan Swamy, members of the Jesuit community, human rights activists, and concerned citizens gathered in Delhi to honour his life and legacy—a legacy rooted in his tireless pursuit of truth and justice.
The memorial service, jointly organised by the Jesuits and the Catholic Associations of the Archdiocese of Delhi (CAAD), paid tribute to the 84-year-old priest and tribal rights activist, who died in judicial custody on July 5, 2021.
Speakers reflected on Father Stan’s lifelong commitment to the marginalised, his steadfast advocacy for Adivasi rights, and the ongoing state repression of human rights defenders. They also condemned the injustice surrounding his incarceration and death in custody.
Among them was Prof. Nandini Sundar, who underscored the continued criminalisation of dissent in India. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves sharply criticised the use of draconian anti-terror laws like the UAPA against activists and raised questions about judicial accountability, particularly the judges who persistently denied bail to the ailing 84-year-old priest. Father Cyril Anthony Samy SJ spoke movingly about Father Stan’s unwavering faith, courage, and commitment to justice, calling him “a living saint.”
Father Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest and lifelong activist, spent decades in Jharkhand defending the rights of Adivasi and Dalit communities. In 2020, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested him from his residence in Ranchi, accusing him and 15 other academics and activists—collectively known as the BK-16—of inciting caste violence in Bhima Koregaon and having links to banned Maoist organisations.
Two days before his arrest on October 8, 2020, Father Stan released a video in which he accused the NIA of fabricating evidence and pressuring him to travel to Mumbai for interrogation. Despite suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease and other serious ailments, he was repeatedly denied bail on medical grounds. In prison, he struggled to perform basic tasks and was even denied a straw and sipper to drink water—a moment that came to symbolise the state’s apathy.
On July 5, 2021, while his bail hearing was still ongoing, Father Stan died of cardiac arrest after contracting COVID-19. He passed away at Holy Family Hospital in Mumbai. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention later declared his detention “arbitrary” and his death “utterly preventable,” holding the Indian state responsible for violating his human rights.
At the memorial event in Delhi, Father Cyril Anthony SJ emphasised that remembering Father Stan was not merely about mourning but about continuing his vision. “He did not remain a silent spectator—he proclaimed the truth loudly to the world,” Fr. Cyril said. “He was murdered by the Indian state because he critiqued the socio-political conditions of our country and stood with the Adivasis—for their land, their identity, and their rights. He gave his life in defence of democracy and secularism, and for the rights of the oppressed.”
Colin Gonsalves, senior advocate and founder of the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), recalled visiting Father Stan’s home after his death. “I entered his room—this time without him. I was struck by its stark simplicity: a table, a bed, and a small cupboard. He lived a quiet, minimal life,” Gonsalves said.
He reaffirmed that Father Stan had no connection to terrorism and condemned the NIA court’s decision to deny bail to an elderly man suffering from Parkinson’s disease. “Possessing books is not a crime—certainly not a terrorism-related crime. In jail, he was treated brutally and irrationally,” Gonsalves said. “It’s irrational that judges are allowed to get away with such decisions—decisions that result in the death of an innocent person—without any consequences. Stan Swamy was the most soft-spoken and gentle ‘terrorist’ India has ever produced.”
On July 5, 2025, a hunger strike was observed both inside and outside prison by the BK-16 to mark Father Stan’s martyrdom day. A joint statement signed by Anand Teltumbde, Hany Babu, Jyoti Jagtap, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, VV Rao, Shoma Sen, and others was released and read aloud by Prof. Nandini Sundar.
The statement declared:
“Behind the facade of violence, the powers that be feared Stan—who was fearless. He dared the state by calling out the injustices inflicted on the people, especially the Adivasis, by organising and being part of struggles against the erosion of their rights over the resource-rich lands of central and eastern India. Against the terror of Adivasis being displaced from their ancestral homelands, and the irreversible destruction of their jal, jungle, zameen through mining, big dams, and industrial expansion—Stan worked to unite people’s movements under a banner of resistance.
To ensure the unhindered implementation of such policies, the government resorts to reactionary tactics—silencing dissenting voices, movements, and individuals who challenge the capitalist-Brahminical-fascist regime socially, politically, or economically.”
The statement also denounced the state’s use of surveillance, raids, and fabricated charges under the guise of national security to suppress dissent. It cited the incarceration of activists from the Moolnivasi Bachao Andolan, those who opposed the CAA-NRC and were falsely accused in the Delhi riots, and the targeting of Muslim individuals and organisations as part of the regime’s authoritarian tendencies.
Prof. Sundar highlighted that Father Stan was targeted for standing with the oppressed. She recalled his support for the Pathalgadi resistance in Jharkhand, where he defended Gram Sabha rights and opposed non-tribal encroachments. She also spoke of his 2017 PIL in the Jharkhand High Court challenging the mass incarceration of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs—many detained without trial under unsubstantiated allegations of being Maoists.
She drew connections between India’s repression of its minorities and its growing military-industrial ties with Israel. “Weapons from Israel—now being used by the Indian state against its own people—are the same ones tried and tested on Palestinians. India is also exporting rockets, explosives, and other weapons linked to Adani to Israel, directly fueling the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” she said.
Father Stan Swamy’s death stands as a stark reminder of how the Indian state treats those who speak out—implicating them in false cases, hacking their devices to plant evidence, and subjecting them to prolonged imprisonment without trial. His legacy, speakers said, calls for a renewed commitment to justice, democracy, and resistance in the face of state oppression.
, recalled visiting Father Stan’s home after his death. “I entered his room—this time without him. I was struck by its stark simplicity: a table, a bed, and a small cupboard. He lived a quiet, minimal life,” Gonsalves said.){kind=link}