Possessing extraordinary democratic trait, Fr Stan displayed absolute faith in people's rights

By Battini Rao*
Leading social activist and tribal rights movement leader Fr Stan Swami was arrested for a crime he did not commit by the BJP Central government. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) could not produce any logical or legally acceptable evidence against Fr Stan Swami or others co-accused in the Bhima Koregaon case.

Although he was 84 years old and suffering from various diseases including Parkinson's and corona, he was killed without giving bail and timely medical treatment. It’s a judicial murder.

He fought for the democratic rights of thousands of tribal in Jharkhand who were imprisoned under black laws. He fought for all such under trial prisoners to be released on a personal bond, and the conduct of a speedy trial. He had also demanded the appointment of a judicial commission to investigate the reasons for delays in the trial process.
He campaigned against several anti-people policies of the government, and laws enacted in violation of the Constitution. His relentless struggle against fascist onslaughts is of paramount importance. His struggle has the power to inspire, kindle and mobilize the spirit of democracy among the people.
The Central government under BJP is eroding the constitutionally declared rights and freedoms of the people. Against this, whoever rises to defend the democratic rights of the people and to build the people's movements, the state under BJP is chasing and biting them. In fact, all the parties in power in the States, especially the BJP-led Central government, are brutally undermining democratic and civil rights.

Observing this, some of our friends believe that the rule of our country is still the same as the British rule, that foreign imperialist-feudal dictatorship continues to this day, and therefore there are no shades of democracy in the rule of the country.

The fact is that the reign of the English and the kings of the day ended in 1947. In that place the rich class of our country -- the capitalist class came into power. This is the ‘democratic’ rule of the rich. This is the rule of Tata, Birla, Adani, and Ambani. Modi and Shah are only puppets of Adani and Ambani.
Under this regime the capitalists are getting all kinds of rights and freedoms to exploit the country; Wage slavery, poverty and Dictatorship are only available gifts to the working people and the poor, regardless of caste or religion. So it is a dictatorship rule of the rich, capitalists, corporates. Democratic rights and civil liberties are the ultimate enemies of these ruling classes, which defies and challenges them.

Progressive Organization of People remembers Fr Stan

It was for this reason that Fr Stan Swami, a humanist, democrat and dedicated social activist, became an enemy of this corporate state under BJP and became numb in the eye. His struggle was not a struggle for his selfish gain. He fought for the release of thousands of tribal people imprisoned under fascist black laws and for the protection of their democratic rights. The absolute faith he displayed in the rights of the people was a great extraordinary democratic trait.

He campaigned against several anti-people policies of the government, and laws enacted in violation of the Constitution

Everyone must recognize the fact that his struggle is for the rights and freedom of the oppressed and an important part of the people's movement against fascist rule. He continued his struggle even in captivity. Despite hundreds of attempts by the rulers, they failed to break his faith in democracy as long as he could breathe.

His uncompromising struggles against political tyranny, social inequality and discrimination, his fighting spirit and hard work will keep his memories alive as a beacon of democracy for long in the minds of the people.
The struggles for the protection and expansion of democratic rights in a capitalist country are all part of the working people struggle. So wherever democratic rights are attacked, organizations of the oppressed and exploited must be at the forefront of mobilizing the masses against fascist attacks and organizing democratic movements as part of the anti-capitalist socialist movement.
Only these movements for the protection of democratic rights, the ideological conflict that continues in that process and the campaign can only raise the democratic consciousness and values among the people.

Through organizing powerful mass democratic movements against the fascist rule only can build the public consciousness, the conscious cohesive force of the people, necessary for radical change in society.
---
*President, Progressive Organization of People (POP), Andhra Pradesh

Comments

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Beyond sattvik: Purity, caste and the politics of the Indian kitchen

By Rajiv Shah A few week ago, I was forwarded an article that appeared in the British weekly The Economist . Titled “Caste and cuisine: From honeycomb curry to blood fry: India’s ‘untouchable’ cooking”, it took me back to what I had blogged about what was called a “ sattvik food festival”, an annual event organised by former Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad professor Anil Gupta.

Search This Blog