The management, staff and students of St Joseph’s Institutions, Bangalore Jesuit Educational Society (BJES) and other morally conscious citizens braved rain, COVID and other perils to take part in a human chain demanding immediate release of Jesuit priest Fr Stan Swamy on October 12, 2020 in Bangalore. The 83-year-old human rights activist was arrested in Ranchi, Jharkand by National Investigating Agency on October 8. He has been accused of having links with Maoists and Bhima Koregaon case.

The protestors stood with umbrellas and placards in a human chain that stretched all the way from Brigade Road to Shantinagar Bus depot in a three km long solidarity chain. The Archbishop of Bangalore, Rev Peter Machado too supported the cause by joining the silent protest.

“The NIA has falsely accused and implicated Fr Stan to stall the judicial process to give justice to the innocent Adivasi people in the region,” stated the press release by BJES. The arrest of the 83-year old ailing priest who spent his life advocating for the rights of Adivasis has sparked protests across the nation, and received widespread criticism and media coverage nationally and internationally. Dr Priya, Vice-Principal, SJEC said, “Human chain organised by BJES is the right move to show our solidarity towards Father Stan Swamy. He has stood to upkeep the rights of tribal people. He has not committed any crime to be arrested. He has defended the rights of poor citizens. This is just a beginning and will not stop until Fr Stan gets justice.”

Mr Prashanth Kumar, Co-ordinator, Dept of Humanities said, “I really felt good that I participated in the silent human chain demonstration to express my solidarity with Fr. Stan Swamy who has been arrested under false allegations. In recent times, we have been witnessing the subjugation of the good samaritans of our nation who have been working to safeguard the interests of the poor, oppressed and the marginalised from the domination of the rich people and corporate sectors. It is better to raise our voice against such incidences rather than being silent spectators.”

“Between June 2018 and now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP government has jailed 16 people in connection with the 2018 violence in Bhima Koregaon village in Maharashtra state. They include some of India's most-respected scholars, lawyers, academicians, cultural activists, and an ageing radical poet, who then contracted Covid-19 in prison,” reported BBC News.
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