Expressing shock and deep sadness at the death of Father Stan Swamy, Naam Tamilar Katchi chief Seeman, in a statement has said that though a native of Thamiz Nadu, Father Stan Swamy, as a committed human rights and social activist, became the uncompromising voice for the indigenous people of Jharkhand for more than 30 years.

FIRST THEY CAME FOR Kalpurgi, Govind Pansare, Narendra Tapolkar, and Gauri Langesh with guns and killed them. They have now killed Stan Swamy through a lame-duck, biased, inhuman judicial process.

Father Stan Swamy was subjected to the dictatorship and tyrannical legal repression of the ruling Modi government, falsely prosecuted, tagged as a terrorist, and subjected to imprisonment away from his home and hearth in a case in which he was unnecessarily dragged, says the release of Naam Tamilar Katchi, a Tamil nationalist party, in the state of Tamil Nadu which has shown phenomenal growth amongst the youth of the region in the last decade. 

“Understandably, his demise has caused an uproar and unrest amongst democratically-minded activists and politicians as well-meaning people in the international community.”

The Naam Tamilar Katchi statement says, “Stan Swamy was arrested last year by the National Intelligence Agency in the Bhima Koregaon case, and after several months in prison, despite his old age, ill health, and repeated pleas for justice, the BJP government, due to political vendetta, in their relentless pursuit for revenge, made his health condition worsen and that led to his death in custody.” 

Speaking to WSN, Seeman said, “By taming the law, the Modi government has pushed democracy to the brink. Opposition parties, including the DMK, have backed the National Intelligence Agency, despite the clear warning that it could be used to repress all democrats.”

“By taming the law, the Modi government has pushed democracy to the brink. Opposition parties, including the DMK, have backed the National Intelligence Agency, despite the clear warning that it could be used to repress all democrats.”

Seeman, Chief Coordinator, Naam Tamilar Katchi

“Today, the Modi government is using NIA law to suppress and eventually to kill democrats. What are the opposition political parties going to do now,” he added.

Naam Tamilar Katchi has expressed fears about the plight of Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, and Sudha Bhardwaj, who have also been prisoned in the same case, and their bail is nowhere in sight. 

Naam Tamilar Katchi has expressed fears about the plight of Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, and Sudha Bhardwaj, who have also been prisoned in the same case, and their bail is nowhere in sight. 

“All the anti-democratic activities of the Modi government and tagging of democrats and social activists as anti-social and unleashing tyranny through law is highly condemnable.”

Offering condolences to the family, friends and associates of Father Stan Swamy, NTK chief coordinator Seeman said, “Stan Swamy, who spent most of his life for the indigenous people and for the cause of perpetuating democracy, will live on forever in the hearts of the people.”

Title photo courtesy: theamericanmagazine.org