Distinguished constitutional law expert Faizan Mustafa will speak on human rights and their defenders at the inaugural Father Stan Memorial lecture on July 1 organised by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Jharkhand, at the XISS auditorium in Ranchi.
“We had planned to host it on July 5 to mark the death anniversary of Jesuit priest and tribal right activist Father Stan Swamy. However, due to a problem in the schedule of Faizan Mustafaji, we had to schedule the inaugural lecture on July 1. However, in the coming years, the lecture will be held on July 5. It is an open programme for all though invitations have been sent to all civil society organisations, human right activists, intellectuals and students to understand the need for standing up against human rights violations. We thought this would be the best way to pay tribute to Stan Swamy,” said Shashi Verma, general secretary of PUCL Ranchi.
“We would also be releasing a bi-monthly Jharkhand Bulletin ‘Know Your Rights’ on the occasion. It would contain articles on the misuse of UAPA and inhumane conditions of undertrials in prison, instances of violations of rights of child, women and also the marginalised by cops,” informed Verma.
Mustafa, who is also the vice-chancellor of National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) in Hyderabad, runs a YouTube Web series on legal awareness. He has been awarded Renne Cassin Gold Medal of International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France (1999) and Shah Waliullah International Award of Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi (2009) for his paper on constitutionalism in Islamic perspective. He also won the SAARC’s prestigious ‘Best Law Teacher’ award in 2014.
“He has written eight books and contributed over 250 articles some of which have been quoted in Supreme Court judgments. The lecture would be live-streamed on the PUCL’s Facebook page. The programme will be chaired by former vice-chancellor of Vinoba Bhave University and economist Ramesh Sharan. We also intend to start a scholarship in the name of the late Stan Swamy in the coming years,” Verma said.
Father Stan Swamy, known for his human rights activism and his long years of work among the Adivasi community in Jharkhand, was arrested on October 8, 2020 from Bagaicha in Namkum by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. He was lodged in Taloja Central Jail in Mumbai and died under judicial custody while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in July 5 last year.
His death had caused much outrage as he was repeatedly denied bail requests despite his deteriorating health over nine months in jail. Activists had lamented the inhumane treatment meted out to Father Stan in the last few months of his life.
Earlier this month, Martin Ennals Foundation, Geneva, had conferred the Human Rights Defenders Award 2022 to Father Stan posthumously.
“Normally, the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders honours individuals and organisations that have shown exceptional commitment to defending and promoting human rights, despite the risks involved, is given during their lifetime. But in the case of Stan, it was awarded posthumously,” said director ISI Bangalore, Father Joseph Xavier.
