Mumbai students protest ‘institutional murder’ of Stan Swamy

Students from various institutes in the city including the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay protested against the “institutional murder” of Jesuit priest and activist Father Stan Swamy who died on Monday

Students from various institutes in the city including the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay protested against the “institutional murder” of Jesuit priest and activist Father Stan Swamy who died on Monday.

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Swamy was among 16 activists who are under trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in an ongoing investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Bhima-Koregaon case. NIA has maintained that all the accused have links with the banned CPI(Maoist) party.

On Wednesday, students came together at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar under the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice (JACSC), Maharashtra, to protest against NIA and demand that the judiciary acquit those arrested in the case.

“In a chilling and cold-blooded manner, Father Stan Swamy has been institutionally murdered by the fascist Brahminical state. Fr Stan has been a life-long human rights activist, a tribal leader, an academician, an intellectual and a loved Jesuit. The murder of Fr Stan is the latest development in the well-planned state conspiracy against dissenting voices under what is to be known as Bhima-Koregaon case. It exposes the real face of the government, its investigative agencies and the judiciary,” JACSC said in a statement.

Rafid Shahab, zonal secretary, Student Islamic Organisation, South Maharashtra, said, “We are deeply anguished by Father Stan’s killing and offer our deepest condolences to his family and near and dear ones. He was arrested on trumped up charges in a bogus conspiracy case and was denied bail as well as basic amenities in prison despite his old age and worsening health condition. Father Stan has been killed in judicial custody not because of any crime he committed, but because his ceaseless fight for justice was making the powers that be uncomfortable. Once again, this case has highlighted the fundamentally unjust nature of UAPA and other draconian laws.”

“The demands of the protesting students and activists included release of the 15 accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case, quashing of the case, release of all political prisoners, and complete repeal of UAPA,” said a student from IIT-Bombay who is part of Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle.