Another instance has emerged of DMK and its allies engaging in damage control by glorifying Stan Swamy — a Jesuit linked to a banned organisation — as a mere tribal activist. In reality, he was part of a conspiracy involving the CPI (Maoist) to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and foment unrest, as exposed in the Bhima Koregaon investigation.
On 5 July, a grand commemorative event was held in Trichy marking Stan Swamy’s fourth death anniversary. A statue of him was unveiled in his native town of Virugalur. Similar events were reportedly held across the country, clearly indicating a coordinated narrative-building attempt.
The Trichy event, attended by over 5,000 people including several Church pastors bishops and political leaders, was more of a canonisation than a commemoration. Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, despite being deeply entangled in urban Naxal activities, was eulogised as a ‘champion of the oppressed’.
Bishop Jeevanandam of Kumbakonam Diocese presided over the gathering, flanked by Archbishop Francis Kalist of Pondicherry-Cuddalore, and bishops from Ooty, Chengalpattu, Kottar and others. In what can only be described as a thinly veiled political rally, DMK MP Kanimozhi claimed Swamy was a victim of a repressive regime. “Today, if you question the Union government, you’re called anti-national or urban Naxal. That’s what happened to Stan Swamy,” she alleged, ignoring the fact that he was arrested not for dissent but for involvement in terror-linked Maoist conspiracies.
She added that Swamy was “not even given water in prison, but only labels,” and vowed to introduce a private member bill on human rights.
பழங்குடி மக்களின் உரிமைகளுக்காகப் போராடி, தன் வாழ்நாளெல்லாம் பொது தொண்டாற்றிய பெருந்தகை ஸ்டேன்சாமி அவர்களின் நினைவுநாளையொட்டி, நேற்று திருச்சி – விரகாலூரில் ஸ்டேன்சாமி மக்கள் கூட்டமைப்பு மற்றும் ஊர் பொதுமக்கள் இணைந்து நடத்திய சனநாயக எழுச்சி மாநாட்டில் பங்கேற்று, அவரது திருவுருவச்… pic.twitter.com/eU0HHGRo7C
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) July 6, 2025
Ironically, critics point out that she would do better to first address her own party’s track record — from custodial deaths to crackdowns on social media critics in Tamil Nadu — before sermonising about human rights.
While the reality remains that, in 2021, while denying bail to Stan Swamy, the NIA court observed, “The material placed on record thus prima facie denotes that the applicant (Swamy) was not only a member of the banned organisation CPI (Maoist) but was also actively involved in furthering its objectives.”
Kanimozhi further added, “Stan Swamy (a Christian, not to be confused with a Hindu Sadhu) was targeted for fighting for tribals’ rights to forests and minerals,” repeating the same narrative used to deflect attention from his actual links Maoists.
State Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi too joined in, pledging to continue Swamy’s ‘mission’ and calling the charges against him fabricated. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan declared that “Naxals are those who fight for people’s rights,” whitewashing violent Maoist insurgency as social justice.
Thirumavalavan went a step further, accusing the BJP government of planting evidence on Swamy’s laptop and claimed the CPI (Maoist) ideologue was framed in a fabricated plot to assassinate the Prime Minister. He also attempted to link Swamy’s death to a so-called pattern of state repression, naming Gauri Lankesh and Narendra Dabholkar as other ‘victims’ — ignoring the significant differences and legal contexts in those cases.
Tamil Nadu CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan demanded the immediate repeal of the UAPA — a law designed to combat terrorism — and called for all charges in the Bhima Koregaon case to be dropped.
The gathering passed eight resolutions, including the erection of a memorial for Stan Swamy and a demand to repeal the UAPA and withdraw cases against Bhima Koregaon accused. Among them are writers, activists, and lawyers, several of whom have been directly linked to Maoist propaganda and operations.
Attempts are also being made to whitewash Swamy’s involvement via legal petitions. Fr Santhanam stated that two cases were filed in 2022 seeking compensation for his custodial death and to ‘clear his name’ — but the fact that five judges have recused themselves from hearing the matter.
On 18 July 2021, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin paid tributes to Stan Swamy’s ashes at Chennai’s Loyola College. Other DMK leaders including Kanimozhi, Dhayanidhi Maran and Thirumavalavan were present. This was the beginning of a now well-funded campaign to paint Swamy as a martyr of the Modi government.
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