Stan Swamy death: US Congressman asks India to set up independent investigation
India has, in the past, rejected international criticism around Swamy’s arrest. The introduction of a resolution does not mean that it will be taken up or passed.
WASHINGTON: On the first anniversary of the death of Father Stan Swamy, the Jesuit priest accused in the Bhima Koregaon/Elgar Parishad case who died in custody, a United States (US) Congressman has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives commemorating Swamy’s life and demanding that the Government of India set up an independent investigation into his “arrest, incarceration and death”.
In a statement, Juan Vargas, a Democratic Congressman from California, said that he was proud to introduce a resolution to commemorate Swamy. Two other Congressmen - James McGovern of Massachusetts and Andre Carson of Indiana - have co-sponsored the resolution.
India has, in the past, rejected international criticism around Swamy’s arrest. The introduction of a resolution does not mean that it will be taken up or passed.
Vargas said, “Father Stan was a staunch human rights defender who dedicated his life to giving voice to the voiceless. He advocated for the rights of indigenous Adivasi people, trained young community leaders, and strived for justice for many mistreated communities in India.”
Vargas, a fifth term Congressman, added that as a former Jesuit himself, he was “appalled” that Swamy faced “relentless abuse” and was “denied medical treatment while in custody”.
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The resolution itself documents Swamy’s life in detail, the circumstances of his arrest, and alludes to reports about the fabrication of evidence in the Bhima Koregaon case. It then “encourages” India to set up an independent investigation on the matter; says that the “mistreatment and incarceration of individuals advocating for human rights cannot persist”; expresses concern at the “misuse of anti-terror laws” to target human rights defenders and political opponents while lauding the recent Supreme Court decision to suspend sedition laws; and reiterates that freedom of expression is a fundamental right.
In response to media queries on reactions to Swamy’s death, ministry of external affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, had said last year, “Authorities in India act against violations of law and not against legitimate exercise of rights. All such actions are strictly in accordance with the law.”
The new resolution comes ten days after Congresswoman Ilhan Omar introduced a resolution expressing “grave concern about the worsening treatment of religious minorities in India”. Vargas and McGovern were among the co-sponsors of the resolution.
Procedurally, Vargas’s resolution has now been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), which will determine whether to consider it and then whether to forward it to the full House. If it is not taken up till the end of the House term - elections to the new House will be held in November - the resolution will lapse. It is unlikely to be taken up given the procedural gaps and the strategic importance of ties with India.
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But the introduction of resolutions gives a glimpse into the evolving political mood on the Hill. In India’s case, the publication of official reports on religious freedom, both by a federal commission and State Department, has brought back the focus on human rights treatment of religious minorities and dissenters. A person familiar with the thinking on the Hill said that the resolutions will not go into effect, but reflect the growing concern among legislators about India’s political direction.
A person familiar with the diplomacy around the issue indicated that as mid-term elections approach, various American politicians are taking up positions to cater to their narrow interest groups - and it was important to see the resolutions on domestic affairs in India in this light. The resolutions are also being seen as an outcome of the intense lobbying efforts of Indian, Indian-American, Christian and Muslim organisations and individuals in Washington DC.
