If St. Stephen was the protomartyr in the history of Christianity, Fr Stanislaus Lourduswamy (April 26, 1937 – July 5, 2021),

Fr Stan Swamy is no more: when he slipped into that eternal reward which he so richly deserved, a pall of gloom descended on the earth, he once walked upon.

He was concerned only about walking with the most vulnerable, especially the Adivasis and the Dalits

His death is an institutional murder by a section of the Indian Judicial system. Standing for truth can cost us significantly. Fr. Stan stood for truth and truth cost his life.

Dear Friends, we have gathered here online and offline to bid farewell to our brother and friend, guide and mentor Fr. Stan as he makes his final journey.

(The following is the edited version of Fr. Frazer’s speech during the funeral of Fr. Stan Swamy at the St. Peter’s Church, Bandra)

Fr. Stan walked on a less travelled path; led a simple life with bare minimum facilities; shunned luxury; and lived without a bank account

Judicial and Jail systems guilty of ‘death by default’

Fr. Stan Swamy’s death was not caused by an individual or a single factor. Many seem to have colluded to see him off from the scene

We are deeply saddened at the passing away of Fr. Stan Swamy. We give thanks to God for Fr. Stan’s life and commitment to the poor indigenous people and their struggles.

The arrest and incarceration Fr. Stan Swamy is a clear case of the government’s vengeful act of suppressing dissent

Father Stan Swamy fell victim to the machinations of a thick-skinned regime because he spoke the truth and stood for the marginalised

The government, police, courts, and media have become collaborators in the ‘great design’ to develop the nation by depriving the Adivasis and Dalits of their Jal, Jungle and Jameen.

The death of Stan Swamy is a clear case of constitutional and govt. bodies depriving people of dignity, liberty and justice

On the Governance front, if the PMO has been the deciding factor how will the change or reshuffle have any impact?

One of the saddest pictures I’ve seen in recent times, is the back of a young girl in jeans, head bowed down, weeping over the sliced trunk of an axed tree, her arms holding it tight!