When Fr. Stan Swamy died on July 5, 2021, the world of truth and justice was shocked and saddened. Those who belonged to this group were convinced that his death was not natural but a premeditated institutional murder. Yes, he was killed—because the powerful and other vested interests had no doubt that he was a real nuisance to their nefarious deeds. They needed to eliminate him. Theirs was a meticulously crafted plan: to interrogate and harass him, to incarcerate him in Taloja jail under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), to continuously intimidate him through the National Investigation Agency (NIA) even while imprisoned, and to deny him—an ailing, 84-year-old, frail, and sickly Jesuit—a much-needed straw-sipper, proper food, and adequate medical care. The sad reality is that they succeeded in their brutal game plan. Stan Swamy was killed! He is a martyr—a martyr for justice! However, what his killers did not anticipate is the plain truth: legends like Stan Swamy never die. They are immortal, living forever in the hearts, souls, and minds of ordinary people!
Four years after his physical departure from this earth, what does Stan Swamy mean to the legion of his admirers, followers, those inspired by him, and particularly those for whom he gave his life? He meant—and continues to mean—different things to different sections of society. Stan epitomized human values at their finest and radiated them through his non-negotiable commitment to a more just, equitable, fraternal, and humane world.
One can draw inspiration from Stan Swamy’s words just before his arrest on October 8, 2020. In a video message that went viral, he said:
“Over the last two decades, I have identified myself with the Adivasi people and their struggle for a life of dignity and self-respect… In this process, I have clearly expressed my dissent over several policies and laws enacted by the government in light of the Indian Constitution. I have questioned the validity, legality, and justness of several steps taken by the government and the ruling class. If this makes me a ‘deshdrohi,’ then so be it. We are part of the process. In a way, I am happy to be part of this process. I am not a silent spectator but part of the game and ready to pay the price, whatever it may be… I/we must be ready to face the consequences. I would just add that what is happening to me is not unique. Many activists, lawyers, writers, journalists, student leaders, poets, intellectuals, and others who stand for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits, and the marginalized and express their dissent to the ruling powers of the country are being targeted. I am grateful to all who have stood in solidarity with me all these years.”
These words provide a powerful insight into Stan Swamy—the Person, the Pilgrim, the Prophet.
Stan, the Person
One could write volumes about Stan as a person. He was a human par excellence! Throughout his life, he radiated compassion and concern for others. He was selfless to the core, always focusing on ‘his people’ with a people-centric approach—a much-needed value in today’s world. He lived among the poor and the Adivasis, eating their food, singing their songs, and dancing with them. His life was extremely simple, to the point of frugality. He lived his vow of poverty to the fullest in a most edifying manner; his material needs were few, and his actual possessions were even fewer. The media had a field day when the ‘authorities’ came to ‘seize’ his possessions from his room in Bagaicha, where he lived until his arrest. They found almost nothing, which made them a pathetic laughingstock. In his early days, Stan was a trainer, mentor, and guide, inspiring hundreds of youth and others through social awareness programs and encouraging critical analysis of societal issues. Many today, from across all walks of life, are grateful for the profound impact he had on them. Several owe their social concern solely to his inspiration. For Stan, his heroes and motivators were figures like Paolo Freire, Dom Helder Camara, and Fr. Pedro Arrupe. He read extensively and wrote prolifically. Vatican II and the faith-justice mandate from the 32nd General Congregation of the Jesuits profoundly shaped his way of proceeding—his thinking and actions. Like Jesus, his Master, he questioned and taught others to question, to be visible and vocal, to challenge societal wrongs, and to respond constructively. While imprisoned in Taloja jail, he wrote: “On the other hand, we sixteen co-accused (in the Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case) have not been able to meet each other, as we are lodged in different jails or different ‘circles’ within the same jail, but we will still sing in chorus. A caged bird can still sing.” Yes, Fr. Stan Swamy was convinced that a caged bird could sing because he was a complete person who epitomized and radiated the best of human values—a rare sight today!
Stan, the Pilgrim
Pilgrims walk, walk with others, and walk the talk, with a clear focus on their destination. Like St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, Stan was a true pilgrim. He believed in movements—people on the move, akin to the Biblical ‘Exodus,’ striving for a more just, equitable, dignified, and humane life. He identified with and participated in people’s movements. Stan left no stone unturned to ensure the Kingdom of God on earth belonged to all, particularly the subalterns, and that all would gather around the table of fellowship. For him, that ‘kingdom’ was ‘kinship’—the readiness to serve others with love, as Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical *Fratelli Tutti* (Brothers and Sisters All). Like a true pilgrim, he lived unencumbered by baggage. His room in Bagaicha (now a Stan Memorial Museum) had only the barest necessities, bearing witness to a man on the move—a true pilgrim. Stan did all he could to empower the Adivasis, accompanying them in their struggles and showing them the way to a better future. His life as a pilgrim should motivate us today to step out of our comfort zones, institutionalized lifestyles, and cosmetic band-aid approaches that reek of tokenism and opportunism, and to attune ourselves to the grim realities faced by ordinary, poor people. In a divided and fragmented world, Stan is a beacon—a pilgrim of hope!
Stan, the Prophet
A prophet announces good news while denouncing all that is wrong, unjust, and evil in society, taking an unequivocal stand. Stan, as an authentic disciple of Jesus, feared no one and shunned hypocrites. He joined Adivasis, Dalits, other subalterns, and civil society members in their struggles against violations of laws in acquiring land for mega projects like mining (coal mining is rampant in Jharkhand and other tribal areas today) and infrastructural development that flout the rights of the downtrodden and tribals. He took a stand against the wanton destruction of the Adivasis’ *jal, jungle, jameen* (water, forest, land). He consistently raised his voice in democratic, legitimate ways against state-sponsored violations of laws and assaults on the democratic rights of people, aimed at enabling unrestricted exploitation of land and natural resources. He questioned the non-implementation of the 5th Schedule of the Constitution and the disregard for the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act [PESA]. He expressed strong disappointment at the government’s silence on the landmark 1997 Samatha Judgment of the Supreme Court and its half-hearted action on the Forest Rights Act, 2006. He voiced apprehensions about the Jharkhand government’s amendment to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which he saw as a death knell for the Adivasi community. He strongly opposed the setting up of ‘Land Banks,’ viewing them as a calculated plot to annihilate the Adivasis. Through the Persecuted Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee, he challenged the indiscriminate arrest of three thousand young Adivasis labeled as ‘Naxals’ simply for questioning and resisting unjust land alienation and displacement. Because of these actions, he made enemies among the powerful and vested interests who saw him as a thorn in their flesh. He also challenged his own community to move beyond over-institutionalization, to stop catering to the privileged and elite, and to step out of the safety of their comfort zones. He was a visionary who took prophetic stands. He once said, “The government calls me a ‘deshdrohi’ for defending the rights of the Adivasis. So be it!” Stan was a prophet of and for our times, radiating unparalleled courage and, like all genuine prophets, paying the ultimate price for his convictions.
There is a bust of Fr. Stan Swamy in the garden of Bagaicha, the center he founded in Ranchi. Etched on a marble stone below it are his incisive and immortal words: “Why has truth become so bitter, dissent so intolerable, justice so out of reach? Yet truth must be spoken, the right to dissent must be upheld, and justice must reach the doorsteps of the poor. I am not a silent spectator!” Stan Swamy was indeed a martyr for justice, a pilgrim of hope, and a prophet for our times. As we pay tribute to and strive to emulate him—the person, the pilgrim, and the prophet—the only way to do so genuinely is by refusing to be silent spectators to the terrible realities and crimes against humanity that engulf our people today.
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Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation, and peace activist/writer
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