Take Risk Without Fear

"He knew that if change had to be made, it would have to be done at a policy level.

That's why he shifted to Ranchi," says Tony, who joined him a few years later.

"When I met Fr Stan, he was already living with Parkinson's disease. But that didn't come in the way of his work. He would ride the motorbike from Ranchi to Chaibasa, 139 km away, three to four times a week, so that he could build a strong network of activists," says Tony.

Fr Stan's main mission was to make the Adivasis aware of their land rights.

He was a critic of the government's attempts to amend land laws—the Land Acquisition Act in Jharkhand, being among them—and a strong advocate of the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, and Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, instituted to protect Adivasi land.

"PESA gave power to the gram sabhas to control resources and acquisition of land for the Adivasis. Otherwise, the community would be assimilated into the big ocean called the mainstream. Unfortunately, these resources were being diverted elsewhere," says Tony.

He highlights his focus on the cause as his most remarkable quality. "He had his ear to the ground. Every time there was a new policy that he felt would affect the Adivasis, he'd read about it, and write articles. He'd then distribute his pieces among his network of activists to spread awareness."

Siraj Dutta, a member of the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, says the priest was a sympathiser of all civil and social movements.

"I have known him for seven years, and his life revolved around empowering the gram sabhas. But, in the past few years, he also raised issues about hunger deaths and mob-lynching."

Another important cause that he got involved in a few years ago, was finding the true story behind Adivasi prisoners, many of whom were accused of joining the Naxals. "We filed many RTIs and managed to get data from jails on the number of Adivasis arrested. Fr Stan and I also visited those who had been released on bail. Of the 102 people we met, only three said they had something to do with the Maoists. Based on this research, we even published a report," says Tony.

There were many naysayers within the Church and outside, but he insulated himself from the noise.

"We were aware of his activism even here [in Mumbai]," says Fr Mascarenhas, who says Fr Stan's involvement in the Elgar Parishad is far-fetched.

"Anyone who knows him will say that this [allegation] is not true. Most importantly, it goes against our [Jesuit: The Society of Jesus] very ethos. At the moment, he is very ill. Because of Parkinson's, he's unable even to lift a glass of water. He has hearing loss in both ears, and recently underwent surgery. In this condition, how did the government think it wise to arrest him?" he asks.

Dutta says that ever since his house was raided two years ago, Fr Stan had cooperated with the agencies.

"He has repeatedly clarified that he has not been to Bhima-Koregaon, but he was arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The manner in which it was all panned out was ruthless."