PANAJI
A prominent Goan Jesuit based in New Delhi has warned that silence against falsehood and injustice and failure to reign in the ruling elite in this matter would impact the environmental activists in Goa, who have been opposing several projects.
“We need to wait and watch whether Goan activists will be targeted or not,” said Fr Denzil Fernandes, executive director at the Delhi-based Indian Social Institute, along the sidelines of a National Day of Solidarity at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Monday evening to express their shock, dismay and the arrest of Fr Stan Swamy on October 8 in connection with the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case.
Fr Fernandes had moderated the National Day of Solidarity meeting, while others who spoke at the meeting included Fr Stanislaus D’Souza SJ (President of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia), Fr Jervis D’Souza, Harsh Mander, Prof. Apoorvanand, Paul Divakar and Shabanam Hashmi.
Henri Tiphagne, Medha Patkar and John Dayal conveyed their message of solidarity via video link.
In his address at the meeting, Fr Fernandes said Fr Stan is an 83 year old Jesuit priest, who has done tremendous work among the marginalised, downtrodden and vulnerable people, especially the tribals and Adivasis in Jharkhand state for several decades, besides fighting against exploitation of tribals by corporates and the ruling elite.
“Fr Stan also highlighted the fact that thousands of tribals were languishing in jails on false charges of being naxals. It is ironic that now he himself has been implicated in a false and fabricated case claiming that he is a Maoist.”
“The modus operandi of the investigation agencies have been first to brand a people as naxal or Maoist, then raid them and seize their computer, laptop and phone, then implant some incriminating evidence in them and use them to convict them under the draconian UAPA law so that they remain in jail for life.”
“This means that the Government has all the power to frame anyone they are uncomfortable with in fabricated cases and get them convicted with upto life imprisonment.”
“The Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case has been a test case and success of the ruling Government in getting 16 social activists in jail has emboldened them to file conspiracy cases in Delhi riots case and the Hathras rape case,” said Fr Fernandes.
He said there has been national outrage over the arrest of Fr Stan, disregarding his advanced age, his health condition, his reputation as a prominent Christian leader and the yeoman services he has rendered to marginalised sections of society in the country.
“The National Day of Solidarity was called to appeal to the conscience of the people of India and the world to the misuse of law and abuse of power leading to the implication of prominent social activists, public intellectuals and human rights defenders in false and fabricated cases,” Fr Fernandes added.
