The human rights activist was a native of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and was awaiting bail on medical grounds in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday condoled the death of Jesuit priest and human rights activist Stan Swamy. Stalin said that the ‘suffering’ that Stan Swamy endured should not befall anyone else. Hailing Swamy as an activist of tribal and human rights, who worked for the marginalised sections of society, Stalin said he was shocked to learn of his death. An accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, 84-year old Swamy died in custody at a hospital in Mumbai on Monday and he awaited bail on medical grounds as he suffered from various ailments including Parkinson’s Disease. He had also tested positive for the coronavirus. His death has triggered shock, mourning and anger against the BJP-led Union government.
Taking to Twitter, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Deeply saddened by the passing of Father Stan Swamy. Unjustifiable that a man who fought all through his life for our society’s most downtrodden, had to die in custody. Such travesty of justice should have no place in our democracy. Heartfelt condolences!”
பழங்குடியின மக்களின் உரிமைப் போராளியும் மனிதவுரிமைச் செயற்பாட்டாளருமான ஸ்டேன் சுவாமி அவர்கள் மறைந்த செய்தியறிந்து அதிர்ச்சியுற்றேன். ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கல்.
அடித்தட்டு மக்களுக்காகப் போராடிய அவருக்கு நேர்ந்த துயரம் இனி எவருக்கும் நிகழக் கூடாது.#StanSwamy pic.twitter.com/KoS4zBw6PS
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 5, 2021
Deeply saddened by the passing of Fr. Stan Swamy. Unjustifiable that a man who fought all through his life for our society’s most downtrodden, had to die in custody. Such travesty of justice should have no place in our democracy. Heartfelt condolences!
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) July 5, 2021
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan also expressed shock over the priest’s death and alleged that Swamy was arrested in a “false case.” Swamy’s death was a “murder committed by the BJP government with the help of the law and cannot be regarded as a coronavirus death,” the VCK chief said.
Meanwhile, demanding action against those ‘responsible’ for the death of Stan Swamy, the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu state committee on Monday announced that it would hold state-wide demonstrations on July 8, opposing ‘injustice’ and seeking action. Appropriate action should be taken against those who were “responsible for Swamy’s death through acts like foisting a false case and treating him inhumanely,” the Marxist party said.
The human rights activist was a native of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu who tirelessly worked for the rights of tribal people in Jharkhand, the CPI(M) said, condoling Swamy’s death. All those arrested in Bhima Koregaon and other cases with ‘political motives’, besides those imprisoned under ‘draconian’ laws should be released, CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan demanded in a statement.
“People should raise their voice against Swamy’s death, which is an injustice, and they must protest against usurpation of freedom of expression and filing false cases and imprisoning those who criticised the government,” he said.
Read: ‘We’re angry’: Shock, mourning and criticism over Stan Swamy’s death
Source: The News Minute