London: Priests protest for release of 83-year-old imprisoned Fr Stan Swamy SJ

Zoe Carruthers
Oct 21st, 2020

Source: Jesuit Missions

Jesuit Priests and their lay associates working for the Jesuits in Britain demanded the release of Fr Stan Swamy SJ from prison at a protest outside the High Commission of India in central London this afternoon.

Fr Stan Swamy is a well-known human rights activist. He was arrested and detained on the 8 October by the National Investigation Agency of India. They accused Fr Swamy of having links with terrorist organisations. According to the BBC, "He is now the oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India."

Fr Damian Howard SJ, the Provincial of the Jesuits in Britain, attempted to hand in a letter to the Indian High Commissioner, Ms Gaitri Issar Kumar, calling upon the Indian government to guarantee Fr Stan Swamy's well-being and to obtain his release him from prison.

Fr Howard said: "Fr Swamy is a fellow Jesuit who has given his life to solidarity with a group of marginalised people. Now he is the one who is suffering and it is our duty to stand in solidarity with him."

The High Commission refused to meet anyone from the delegation nor to accept the letter in person. The letter was later posted to the High Commissioner after the protest took place.

Paul Chitnis, Director of Jesuit Missions, said "Fr Stan Swamy is an 83-year-old Jesuit priest who has spent his life working for peace and justice. He is a man of prayer and principle. His imprisonment on entirely false charges runs counter to the tradition of tolerance which has characterised India's secular democracy. It is unconscionable that he should be held in prison at this time of grave threat to elderly people from Coronavirus especially in India. We demand he is released immediately."

The Metropolitan police were present throughout the demonstration to ensure it was a safe and socially distanced event.

Jesuit Missions, the international mission and development office of the Jesuits in Britain, is encouraging supporters to write to their MP urging the Foreign Secretary to raise Fr Swamy's imprisonment with the Indian government.

Worldwide, the Catholic community and social rights activists are calling for Fr Stan Swamy's immediate release. Many protests have already taken place in major cities across India, including Ranchi, in the state of Jharkhand where Fr Swamy has spent the last five decades fighting for the rights of Dalits and Adivasi people.

Fr Stan Swamy is currently being held in custody in Mumbai awaiting trial.

The protest was approved by Westminster Council and all participants complied with current Coronavirus regulations including wearing masks and maintaining the correct social distance.