Democracy and Human Rights Defenders
The criminal justice system in these challenging times is degenerating into rule by law, and not rule of law – Adv. Vrinda Grover, Supreme Court of India
Social activists, lawyers, CSOs/NGOs, students and faculty from various colleges remembered Frs. Volken and Stan Swamy for their dedicated services to humanity. Their life and mission inspired and encouraged many to commit and work for the rights of the Dalits, Adivasis and the marginalised. Fr Joseph Xavier, Director of ISI B in his opening remarks said, “Fr Volken, founder and architect, was a thinker beyond his lifetime. He introduced Social Analysis to the marginalised classes of society with Paulo Freirean pedagogy. His efforts helped people to assert their rights and live with dignity. This was realised more concretely through Stan Swamy who continued the struggles of Dalits, Adivasis and the marginalised people by training men and women at the grass root level. Many emerged as committed social activists and played an important role in Democracy”.
Stan Swamy dedicated his life for the poor. He served the institute for 16 long years of which 11 years as Director. In 1975 he moved to Chaibasa and continued the struggles of Adivasis as his own. ‘Bagaicha’, a Social Action Centre in Ranchi which he founded, became a cornerstone for the upliftment of the adivasis. Through a well-documented study, he found thousands of adivasis being incarcerated on suspicion without a tinge of evidence. For speaking truth to power, he had to pay the price. He was falsely implicated in the Bhima-Koregaon case and was kept in judicial custody in Taloja jail, without a trial. He breathed his last on 5 July, 2021, due to neglect by prison authorities despite being an elderly person. His death was an ‘institutional murder’.
Adv. Vrinda Grover, Supreme Court of India, Human Rights and Women’s Rights Activist and Researcher hailed Stan Swamy, as a model human rights defender for his courage and strength in espousing the nexus between the state and the corporate lobby. She said, Stan Swamy through court of law fought for the liberty and dignity of thousands of Adivasis languishing in jails. But, the reality is stark. Today, human rights defenders are silenced. Remembering those arrested in the Bhima-Koregaon case, Ms. Teesta Setalvad, Mr. Mohammed Zubair and all others she said, ‘The criminal justice system in these challenging times is degenerating into rule by law, and not rule of law’. Hence, critical interrogation of law is very necessary today.
Mr. Henri Tiphagne, Madurai High Court Bench, Executive Director of People’s Watch, who knew Stan Swamy, chaired the memorial lecture. He said, ‘we need to come together be it blues, reds, blacks or whites for a cause. Because we are in dark times as many human rights defenders are targeted and falsely accused. We need to be prepared to face the challenges ahead of us.’
Anger and hope are both within us. But for many of us, Stan Swamy and all human rights defenders stand tall as symbols of hope to withstand the dark times ahead of us.
Fr. Francis Balaraj SJ
Head, Social Inclusion and Democracy Unit