DEM VOLKE DIENEN

On July 05, 84-year-old Jesuit priest and democracy activist Stanislaus Lourduswamy SJ, known as Stan Swamy died in a Mumbai hospital while serving a pre-trial detention. Swamy was a well-known human rights activist who was particularly active on behalf of the Adivasis, who belong to the Dalit (untouchable) caste, and regularly denounced human rights violations by the old Indian state.

On June 06, 2021, Stan Swamy was arrested on flimsy charges along with 15 other intellectuals and activists, including revolutionary author Varavara Rao. They are accused of being responsible for the powerful Dalit uprising in Bhima Koregaon, in the state of Maharashtra, in January 2018.

The battle of Bhima Koregaon between the East India Company and Peshwa forces on January 1, 1818, became an important part of popular history in Maharashtra, as the bulk of the British forces consisted mainly of members of the untouchable caste, who were fighting against the Brahmins of the Peshwa forces, who were higher in the caste system.
[...]
As this year's celebration marks the 200th anniversary of the battle, it was of special significance. However, it was fiercely attacked by a mob of over 1,000 Hindu nationalist reactionaries from the arch enemies of the people close to the BJP. During this attack, at least one young Dalit was brutally murdered.

For more than two days, Mumbai, Bhima Koregaon's neighboring city of Pune, and many other parts of Maharashtra witnessed powerful riots by Dalits.

[...]ⁱ

In addition, he was accused of "terrorist and Maoist activities" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In this way, the old Indian state is trying to spread fear among the masses and activists and to dissuade them from their justified demands and rebellion and to criminalize the struggle of the lower castes against their oppression. They also aim to isolate the Communist Party of India (Maoist) (CPI[Maoist]) and its apparatuses and mass organizations from the broad masses of the people.

In response to these arrests, the CPI(Maoist) released a statement titled "The Maoist Party condemns the arrests of rights activists and calls for nationwide agitation to fight the arrests."ⁱⁱ, in which they call for solidarity with all those detained.

When Swamy was admitted to prison in 2018, his health was already severely compromised, including by Parkinson's disease, and then rapidly deteriorated further due to prison conditions, as well as infection with the Corona virus.

The National Investigation Agency in charge of the case had rejected Swamy's request for release on bail on medical grounds, citing the seriousness of the charges against him and claiming that he was receiving adequate care in prison.ⁱⁱⁱ

At the end of May this year, Swamy was transferred to a hospital by a court order, but his pre-trial detention was not suspended. He finally died in the hospital. In response to his death, which the Indian reaction was responsible for, there were protests in various places in the country.