Kolkata: Traditionally, priests, missionaries and heads of educational institutions affiliated with the Church have maintained an apolitical stance while continuing their social work at the grassroots level. However, the unceremonious arrest of Father Stan Swamy from his Ranchi home by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in the Bhima Koregaon case prompted Rev. Fr J. Felix Raj, SJ, vice-chancellor of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, to come out in solidarity with his fellow Jesuit and speak his mind in an exclusive interaction with eNewsroom.
The vice-chancellor, who is also an economist, strongly condemned the arrest of Father Stan Swamy. During the candid interaction, Father Felix Raj highlighted the importance of Stan Swamy’s work for the downtrodden and explained why he believed the arrest of the 83-year-old priest was part of a larger battle between the rich and the poor. Below are excerpts from the conversation:
eNewsroom: You are associated with St. Xavier’s, which has been known as an apolitical educational institution. But you have raised your voice against the arrest of Father Stan Swamy and have also written about it on your website. What was the triggering point for you?
Father Felix: The triggering point for me was the fact that I have known Father Stan Swamy personally for so many years. We are from the same Jesuit community. I have admired the work he has been doing for the poor tribal communities in Jharkhand, who are often exploited by many. He has throughout his life served the poor. He was not against anyone.
His arrest has ignited anger not just among us but among people across the globe. Protests condemning his arrest have been organised in Japan, the UK and the USA.
But my contention regarding the arrest of Father Swamy, when the pandemic is on, stems from the fact that he is 83 years old, hence a senior citizen of this nation. The law of this land gives many privileges to senior citizens in the form of concessions, pensions and even stipends. But here, we have seen how a senior citizen, working for the good of poor tribals, was questioned for 15 hours before his arrest. Do we give such treatment to a child?
I just want to ask: did they have any proof or evidence? There was no compassion for a senior citizen shown in this case. I request our Prime Minister to intervene in this case and facilitate the release of Father Stan.
eNewsroom: Whenever a Christian person is in question, many allege that the social work being done is aimed at conversion. At the same time, officials often claim that a person working in tribal areas has links with Maoists. In Stan’s case too, NIA officials told him that he had links with Maoists. So why is it that in India, a Christian is either accused of facilitating conversion or having Maoist links?
Father Felix: As far as conversion is concerned, my first answer is: give me proof of conversion by Christians; give me proof of forced conversion. We Christians have been working selflessly to serve the poor, irrespective of their religion. In doing so, if one or two such cases take place among certain sects of Christians, then the whole community should not be accused of making people accept Christianity. Serving humanity, serving the country selflessly, is what we aim to do for our country, towards which we feel indebted.
Watch the full interview of Father Felix Raj
Take the example of Father Stan. He was an activist who used to raise issues concerning tribals and publicly criticised the government and its policies if they were not pro-poor. But accusing him of having Maoist links is unfair. Given the work that he has been doing for the poor, Father Stan can be called a prophet of this era. He is a messenger of God. And for whom does a prophet speak? The poor and their rights. He has a spirit like Mother Teresa. He is fearless and only fears God, for he knows he is serving Him by working for the poor.
eNewsroom: You appealed to the Prime Minister to release Father Stan. Will you also appeal to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to raise her voice for him?
Father Felix: Yes, we have written to the Prime Minister and asked him to consider the case of Father Stan Swamy. We want him to be released from police custody because of his failing health and age. He has been unwell. He could have admitted himself to a hospital to avoid his arrest, but he didn’t, as he believes that he is doing good work for the poor.
Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren has raised his voice against the arrest of Father Stan Swamy. Everyone knows that he is an intellectual who has been relentlessly working for poor tribals and their rights.
I would also request our Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, to raise her voice against his arrest. He should be released and the case can continue in court.
eNewsroom: Last year, St. Xavier’s College students took to the streets when students of Jamia and other universities were attacked. Will they take to the streets to protest against the arrest of Stan Swamy?
Father Felix: The rally was organised by our students, but no authority was present there. Our institution has been apolitical, but we want our students to remain politically aware. And they are. So, when students were attacked across the country, Xaverians wished to protest in solidarity with other students. We could not deny them.
We do not want political activities inside our campus, and no political party could have a union on campus. But we believe that our students should be aware of issues, as some of them could become leaders too. India will have better leadership in the future.
Coming to this issue, if we see that we are not being heard and there is a need to hit the streets, then we will come out once again.
