#stan swamy

[infantisimo]

[indizombie]

There is a strong belief among the Indigenous Adivasi societies that when someone dies he/she comes back in spirit to the near and dear ones, to the persons he/she had shared life with, to the communities he/she had struggled with, in resisting injustice. To celebrate this ‘coming back’, a few days after the person’s demise, the entire village community gathers in front of his/her house and the village priest calls upon the departed spirit and invites him/her to come back and dwell in their houses, to be a witness to all that happens to the dear ones, and to guide and accompany them in their journey through life. Then, the priest announces in which form the spirit has come back to the house... it can be as a plant, a tree, or an animal with which he/she was close to or associated with during his/her life. The priest, then, leads the spirit to the adig (the place where food for the family is prepared). From then on, when the family members sit down to have their meal, the eldest male member of the family takes a few grains of food from his plate and places it outside his plate and prays the spirit to be with them as they nourish their bodies with food, so that they can live a healthy life and work for the good of the family and community.

Stan Swamy, 'I am not a Silent Spectator'

[bauliya]

father stan swamy was murdered by the Indian state if I see any of you celebrating aug 15 it's instant fucking block ❤️

[bakaity-poetry]

Father Stan Swamy

26 April 1937 - 5 July 2021

फादर स्टेन की मूल कविता 'प्रिज़न लाइफ -- अ ग्रेट लेवलर' का अनुवाद

कैदखानों के अंदर

चंद रोज़मर्रा की

जरूरियातों के अलावा

हर छोटी से छोटी

चीज से महरूम

कर दिया जाता है

"तुम" को तरजीह दी जाने लगती है

और

"मैं" पसमंजर में

चला जाता है

सभी जन

"हम" की

खुली फ़िज़ा में

सांस लेने लगते हैं

ना कुछ मेरा

ना कुछ तेरा

सब कुछ

हमारा हो जाता है

जूठन का एक कौर तक

ज़ाया नही जाता

बल्कि

हवा में तैरते

पंछियों के साथ

साझा होता है

वे पंख फैलाए आते हैं

और

अपने पेट की आग

बुझाकर सुदूर गगन में

उड़ जाते हैं

कैदखाने में

इतने नौजवान चेहरों को

देखकर दिल अफसुर्दा होता है

मैं पूछता हूँ

"तुम्हारा कसूर?"

और

वे शब्दों का आडंबर रचाए बिना कहते हैं:

हरेक से

उसकी गुंजाईश

हरेक को

उसकी जरूरत

के मुताबिक

ही तो समाजवाद है

यूँ समझो कि विवशता ने

इस समानता को गढ़ दिया है

वो मंज़र

कितना खुशगवार होगा

जब इंसान

अपनी खुशी और मर्जी से

बराबरी को गले लगा पाएंगे

उस पल

हम

सही मायनों में

धरती के

लाल कहलायेंगे

[indizombie]

Back in the year 2000, when the Union Home Minister introduced the Bill in Parliament for the creation of the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand, he solemnly announced that these states were being established so that the Indigenous Adivasi societies will be able to self-govern themselves as per their traditions and culture. It was also hoped that they would have a real say and a meaningful share in the mineral wealth being exploited in their land. However, what actually came to be was just the opposite. Multitudes of outsiders from neighbouring states poured in, took over all trade related and commercial activities, filled up most state government’s high and low bureaucracy, and the law-and-order forces became replete with unsympathetic non-Adivasis/Dalit. The giant corporate houses came marching in with full patronage of the central and state governments to plunder the natural and mineral wealth of predominantly Adivasi ethno-territories. The Indigenous people felt let down and cheated. Most of their own political leaders, instead of standing up for their cause, sold themselves off to power and money, some even joining hands with rightist Hindutva forces/parties to work directly against their own people.

Stan Swamy, 'I am not a Silent Spectator'

[indizombie]

To get bail is a right of the prisoner... but who will bail them out? Getting bail is not within the reach of most under-trial prisoners. For one thing, the lower courts consistently refuse to grant a bail to anyone accused of being a Naxalite. This means that the prisoner has to approach the High Court, and sometimes the Supreme Court to get bail. The second factor is the expenses involved. An average expense at the level of the High Court is between ten to twenty thousand rupees. How many rural Adivasi families can afford this expense? In fact, most families are not even in a position to allow them to come to the jail to meet their dear ones. At the same time, the government does not reach out to them by providing free legal aid. In short, the several hundreds of Adivasi/Dalit under-trial prisoners in Jharkhand alone are condemned to languish in jail for years to come.

'I am not a Silent Spectator', Stan Swamy

[indizombie]

Let us remember India is a signatory to the above UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Hence, India is morally bound to honour these resolutions. The fact of the matter is rather different. “There are no indigenous people in India,” says the Government of India. This is a clear plot in the actions of the government. It is evident from the fact that on one hand, the government liberally signs the resolutions of UN Conventions and on the other hand, it keeps denying that there are indigenous peoples in the country. As such it feels it is not obliged to abide by the decisions taken in the UN. It is a denial of the very existence of about 10 crore Adivasi people. Instead, they have been put in the conveniently created Scheduled Tribes category and some bits and bobs are thrown at them, most of which are eaten up on the way by middlemen and government bureaucrats; and hence, do not reach the deprived and deserving among them. Consequently, poverty is deepening among Adivasis.

'I am not a Silent Spectator', Stan Swamy

[indizombie]

The mahaul [current environment] is that if you raise questions and find facts, you are anti-development. If you are anti-development, you are anti-government. If you are anti-government, you are anti-national. That is the logic being followed.

Stan Swamy, a prolific writer and analyst, with over 70 books, papers, reports and articles over the past 15 years