Sorry, Stan!

Cedric Prakash S J

Dear Stan,
I write this to you with a heavy heart: shocked and sad dened; upset and angry. This letter to you, is perhaps to ease the angst in me; I really don’t know what to say and how to say it! But I am sure that what I write, is also the sentiments, the emotions of many, from all over: Jesuit companions, colleagues, collaborators, alumni well-wishers and friends who knew you so well and particularly, the Adivasis and other sub-alterns, whom you loved so much and gave your life for. This letter comes from the bottom of my heart (and our hearts) to say “Sorry, Stan!” On 9 August, St Xavier’s College (SXC) Mumbai, (through their Department of Inter- Religious Studies) was scheduled to hold ‘The Annual Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture’. The topic was ‘Migration for Livelihood: Hope Amidst Untold Miseries’. It was to be delivered virtually by Jesuit Fr. PremXalxo, currently Associate Professor of Moral Theology at the Gregorian University, Rome. The speaker was a renowned personality and the topic timely and relevant. On 4 August, representatives of the AkhilBharatiyaVidyarthiParishad (ABVP) met the SXC authorities, and in a written letter ‘strongly condemned’ the organising of the lecture and demanded its cancellation. Very sadly, the Jesuit management and other officials caved in to this pressure and cancelled the lecture.

In their letter ( which they have put on their facebook page) the ABVP said “organising a lecture in memory of a person who was a key accused in serious crimes, like UAPA, including contact with the banned CPI (Maoist), financing and recruiting armed Naxalite groups, and seizure of documents containing a conspiracy to overthrow the constitutional government through armed uprising, is glorifying the Naxalites…”it is extremely sad that prestigious colleges like St. Xavier’s are trying to encourage Naxalist ideas by glorifying a person accused of committing anti-national conspiracies. We demand that the principal cancel this lecture immediately.” All this is patently false and it has been proved that even the so-called ‘incriminating documents’ were planted in your computer. Besides for an ‘alleged’ crime, the law stipulates that one is innocent, till proved guilty. That you are innocent is without doubt. Judges after judges have rescued themselves from your case, for the simple reason, is that they will have to declare you innocent! For the falsehood and slander, you are still subject to, “Sorry, Stan!”

Stan, you are aware that SXC is my Alma Mater. I spent cherished years as a Xavierite from 1968–1972(1969 was our Centenary year). At that time, we had Jesuits who were stalwarts, Staff who were excellent and a great student body! It was a joy to be a Xavierite. It was at that time I first met you in a Social Analysis Programme–and ever since, you have been to me a hero, mentor and guide. In 1974, (and later), after entering the Society, together with my companions, we readily accepted the faith–justice mandate under the leadership of Fr Pedro Arrupe. Over the years, I learnt that you heroes were Dom HelderCamara, Paolo Freire, Ivan Illich and Arrupe. Your knowledge on their writings and works, rubbed off on many. As a good friend of yours, as an SXC alumnus and as Jesuit, feel duty bound to say, “Sorry, Stan!”

Ever since the news broke out of the cancellation of the Memorial lecture, I have been literally besieged with calls and comments; in the many groups, I belong to, on social media, there are innumerable comments against the Jesuits, and particularly against SXC (some of the comments are even offensive) From across the board, people (including several alumni and Jesuits) are feeling angry and let down. They say that SXC has failed to see the big picture: cancelling the lecture means giving in to the anti-national and anti-Constitutional fascist forces; acquiescing with these forces means that they are emboldened and will continue to call the shots. It means negating the academic freedom which is the essence of every institution of higher learning; it means that the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and expression is not important. In the past, when there were such threats, we are aware that, SXC called in the police and continued with their programme. Today’s (10 August) Mid-day reports, “We are surprised that the college has shown cowardice and yielded to pressure tactics. We teach our students about the values of justice, democracy, and peace, but when it comes to taking a stand, we bow down to the pressure, even when Stan has not been proven guilty. This has been the general pulse of the St Xavier’s alumni and the community,” said a source from the St Xavier’s College Society.
Forgive us, dear Stan, and intercede for us from your eternal abode, Your
Brother Cedric
10 August, 2025

[Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation & peace activist/writer]

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Frontier
Vol 58, No. 13, Sep 21 - 27, 2025