BELAGAVI
Jesuit priests belonging to the Goa Province on Tuesday staged a silent protest in Belagavi demanding the release of Jesuit Priest Fr Stan Swamy, who was arrested on October 8 and is imprisoned at Taloja Central Jail.
Jesuit priests together with Christians in Belagavi belonging to different churches and denominations also submitted a memorandum to the district collector.
Bishop of Belgaum Diocese Derek Fernandes, Fr Ronald D’souza (Superior of St Paul Jesuit Community in Belagavi), Fr Simon Fernandes (Superior of Jesuit Community in Panaji and Director of Social Work Project in Sattari-Goa), priests, nuns and Christian leaders from different parts of Belagavi district were present during the silent protest.
Wearing black masks and holding placards and banners, the rally was conducted at the Rani Chenamma Circle at 11.15 am and proceeded to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
Bishop Fernandes, Fr Ronald D’Souza, Fr Simon Fernandes and others submitted the memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Dr M G Hiremath, who assured all possible cooperation and support.
“The district administration will safeguard the Christians and also extend all possible cooperation to the community,” Dr Hiremath assured.
In the memorandum, the Christian leaders have expressed anguish at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) taking into its custody Fr Stan Swamy (83) from his residence at Ranchi, on alleged charges of sedition and connection with the Elgar Parishad that preceded the caste-based violence at Bhima Koregaon near Pune in 2017.
Jesuits also condemned the high handedness of NIA in arresting Fr Stan, who is suffering from co-morbidities and had expressed inability to travel to Mumbai.
“Joining the nationwide protest in support of Fr Stan, we hereby condemn his arrest and demand his immediate release along with all those who are arbitrarily incarcerated for championing the cause of the poor and the exploited,” Bishop Fernandes said.
