RANCHI: Surprised over the stand taken by the 84-year old Stan Swamy and rejecting Court offer of shifting him to hospital, people close to him believes that he has placed himself along with Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose as he tried to give a message to the youths of Jharkhand.
They strongly believe that his chances of survival will increase manifold if he is released from jail and taken back to Ranchi, for which, he actually devoted his entire life.
Swamy on Friday, refused court’s suggestion to be shifted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai, stating that he did not want to be hospitalised there and would ‘rather suffer’ and ‘possibly die very shortly’ if things were to go on as they were.
According to activist Aloka Kujoor, who is associated with Swamy for more than 20 years, said that even though, he is 84-years-old, he has not let his age suppress his passion for struggle and believes that he can still do it for the cause of the poor and Adivasi people.
“It is quite surprising that Stan has presented himself like Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose inside the jail through which he has tried to give a message to the youths of Jharkhand. Like a fighter, he never considered himself weak and always stood firm for good cause,” said activist Aloka Kujoor. The way he rejected Court’s offer of shifting him to the hospital, he has proved that he is attached to the people of Jharkhand by his heart, she added.
Another priest, who was closely associated with Stan and staying at ‘Bagaicha’ for the last three years, strongly believes that his chances of survival will increase manifold if he is released from jail and taken back to Ranchi, which, he is very fond of.
“But, if he continues to remain in jail, then his body might become dysfunctional and he might die very sooner.” said Father PM Tony. It’s a hopeless situation and they are very much concerned about it, he added.
“If he were not in jail, he would have been continuing for another 20 years because his personality and physique is very strong. But now, we hear that he cannot write, cannot listen anything and is not able to take bath himself and things like that, therefore you can imagine his health conditions,” said Father Tony.
Stan is a very determined person, but if his body doesn’t support and he is put in the jail that means he might he may lose his strength that’s a big concern, he added.
Father Tony believes that if Stan’s health has not gone too bad in jail and he comes back to Ranchi, he has all chances to revive, he added.
Another Jesuit Priest, who is associated with Stan for the last 20 years, said that not Stan is rejecting medical facility, but he needs more peaceful atmosphere which he is will not get in Bombay.
“Not that he is rejecting medical facility, as far as I can read his mind, but he needs more peaceful atmosphere which he will not get in Bombay. He is linking his health, his personality, dream, and vision with his peaceful atmosphere. I think it is more related to his personality and mental health than his physical health,” said Father Joseph Xavier. Physically Stan may be weak physically weak at the age of 84, but mentally he was quite tough and used to say whatever will happen he will face it, he added.
Father Joseph, who is based in Bangalore, met him last just before his arresting on October 8. He was with him for three days from October 1 to October 3, just to provide emotional support to him as they did not know what was about to happen next.
The NIA arrested Swamy in Bhima Koregaon case on October 8, last year, in a case related to the violence which erupted at an event to mark 100 years of the Bhima-Koregaon battle on January 1 in 2018, leaving one dead and several others injured.