‘Humanity bubbling in prison’, says letter from Stan Swamy

Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist in Taloja prison for the Koregaon-Bhima case, wrote a letter that showed hope in what is a rather dark place. He described his living conditions, and the help he received from other prisoners.

John Dayal, a friend of Stan Swamy and human rights activist, shared excerpts of the letter, which presently remains inaccessible. Swamy wrote the letter to his friends, purportedly with the help of another activist in prison, Arun Ferreira.

As per the letter, Swamy is in a 13 feet x 8 feet cell, with a small bathroom and Indian commode. The prison however provided him with a ‘western commode chair’ as well. With him are two inmates coming from poor families.

Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira stay in another cell. The three are also under arrest for the same case. They remain in different cells from 5:30 PM to 6 AM and 12 noon to 3 PM, and meet during the day when the prison opens the cells and barracks.

Swamy explained that Ferreira helped him have breakfast and lunch while Gonsalves aided him in bathing. This comes due to the fact that Swamy has Parkinson’s. Swami earlier requested for a straw and a sipper, but the NIA is yet to respond. 

Stan Swamy asks for prayers in letter

The prisoners with whom Swamy stays help him with dinner and massage his knee joints. They also assist him in washing his clothes.

Despite all odds, humanity is bubbling in Taloja prison.

Swamy also thanked those who remained in solidarity and supported him. He also asked everyone to remember him as well as the other prisoners in their prayers.

We at Truepost India are working relentlessly to serve you with truth. Stay connected with us for most accurate, reliable and up-to-date information. From politics in India and around the world, to blogs, research and critical opinions. From entertainment, to sports, tech, business, fashion and lifestyle.

Giving voice to the masses and most importantly, filtering truths and facts from rumours.

For regular updates, follow us on our social media or subscribe to our newsletter. We’re here to give our readers only the best.

Join us if you have stories to tell. We are growing and we’d love to grow together.

About Post Author

Khadijah Ahmed

editor

19 years old.
Intersectional feminist.
Currently pursuing a B.Sc. degree in India.

See author's posts