Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha has appealed to the Maharashtra government to immediately shift Stan to a good hospital and ensure adequate medical treatment.
17 May 2021
To
Shri Dilip Walse Patil
Home Minister
Maharashtra
Dear Shri Patil
Urgent need to shift Stan Swamy to a good hospital
Stan Swamy is an 84 year old Jesuit priest who is currently in Taloja jail. He was arrested on 8 October 2020 under UAPA in the Bhima Koregaon case. He moved from Tamil Nadu to Jharkhand several decades ago and has spent his entire life fighting for Adivasi rights and the rights of the underprivileged.
Stan Swamy is a Parkinson’s disease patient with severe tremors in both hands. As a result, he has trouble drinking from a glass, taking bath and washing clothes on his own. He also has serious hearing problem and needs hearing aid for both ears. He was operated twice for hernia in the recent past.
On 14 May, Stan called up his colleague and shared that he was unwell. For the first time since his arrest, he said that he was feeling very weak and fragile. Following that he was too weak even to speak on the phone and his condition had to be described by others. Stan has fever, cough and a running stomach. He was given antibiotics by the ayurvedic doctor of the jail. The medicines did not help much. He is yet to be tested for covid. He has also not yet received his first vaccine shot.
There are reports of rising covid cases in the Taloja jail. In this situation, Stan should be immediately shifted to a good hospital and given adequate medical treatment. It will be really helpful if he is shifted to a hospital like Holy Family or Holy Spirit where his Jesuit colleagues can take care of him.
Stan is an elderly and ailing person, with limited mobility and no history of violence against others. Adivasis, Gram Sabhas, civil society, several political leaders and parties, and Jharkhand’s Chief Minister himself have expressed support and solidarity with him. We also sincerely hope that he gets immediate bail.
Copy: Shri Udhav Thackeray, Chief Minister, Maharashtra; Shri Satej Patil, Minister of State for Home (Urban);
Thank you
Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha
Aloka Kujur
Bharat Bhushan Choudhary
Elina Horo
Siraj Dutta