Mumbai: Fr Stan Swamy’s funeral service held at St. Peter's Church Bandra

The funeral service of Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Father Stan Lourduswamy who passed away while in custody on Monday was performed at St Peters Church Bandra here on Tuesday afternoonOwing to Covid19 protocols only 20 mourners were permittedPriests of the Society of Jesus SJ had urged people to view the mass online on the YouTube channel of St Peters Church Bandra from 12 noon onwards informed Father Frazer MascarenhasA final glimpse of Father StanSwamy as his funeral is being conducted with overwhelming grace at St Peters Church Bandra 6th July 400 PMLIVEhttpstcotsbYhJynfEmdash Karwan e Mohabbat Caravan of Love karwanemohabbat July 6 2021During the funeral service of Father Stan Swamy which was telecast live on YouTube Father Frazer Mascarenhas called him the ldquotrue son of Saint Ignatius of Loyola the founder of the Jesuitsrdquo who gave but never counted the costldquoHe knew what a dangerous territory he was getting into given that anybody who works for the poor or the marginalized is branded lsquourban naxalrsquordquo added Father MascarenhasFather Stany DrsquoSouza the Jesuit Provincial of India and South Asia said their hearts are filled with sorrow because of the sudden demise of Father Stan but also gratitude because they had ldquothe opportunity to know and learn from himrdquoReuben Mascarenhas who was present outside the church to show solidarity with Father Stan said he is ldquoangry sad and at a loss of words because no matter who the person is if they stand with the oppressed the government will come after themrdquoldquoHe Father Stan Swamy did not die but was killed Even his death is being weaponisedrdquoAlso leaders of major opposition parties have written to the President seeking his intervention to hold accountable those responsible for the detention and inhuman treatment of Father Stan SwamyLeaders of major opposition parties urge intervention of President of India to hold accountable those responsible for the detention inhuman treatment and death of Fr Stan Swamy Release all detenues detained by misusing UAPASedition etc on politically motivated charges pictwittercomom15utGfr9mdash Sitaram Yechury SitaramYechury July 6 2021The UN body on human rights has said it was deeply saddened and disturbed by the death of 84yearold rights activist Stan Swamy during his pretrial detentionIt said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and the United Nations independent experts have repeatedly raised the cases of Swamy a Jesuit priest and 15 other human rights defenders with the Indian government over the last three years and urged for their release from detention Swamy who was arrested in 2020 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act UAPA in connection with the Elgar ParishadMaoist links case died at a Mumbai hospital on July 5India We are saddened amp disturbed by the death of 84yearold human rights defender Father StanSwamy after prolonged pretrial detention With COVID19 it is even more urgent that States release every person detained without sufficient legal basis httpstcoWkoxxTiNCb pictwittercom6MUEUcgxMpmdash UN Human Rights UNHumanRights July 6 2021We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the death of 84yearold Father Stan Swamy a human rights defender and Jesuit priest in Mumbai on July 5 following his arrest in October 2020 under Indias Unlawful Activities Prevention Act Liz Throssell the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights saidFather Stan had been held in pretrial detention without bail since his arrest charged with terrorismrelated offences in relation to demonstrations that date back to 2018 she said in a statementWith inputs from Raj Patil and agencies