Shillong All Faiths Forum (SAFF) has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for the release of Fr. Stan Swamy on humanitarian and health grounds.
Father Stan Swamy was sent to jail, after investigation, first by Pune police, and then by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on grave charges of treason and terror.
In the letter, Most Revd Dr P Lyngdoh, president and Rev EH Kharkongor, secretary, SAFF, said: “From the media in the recent past, we are informed of the arrest of Fr. Stan Swamy from his residence in Jharkhand on October 9, 2020 and this has filled us with dismayed shock and surprise.”
Stating that it represents different communities and faith groups in Shillong, the Shillong All Faiths Forum (SAFF) said it “wishes to submit an appeal” to the office of the Prime Minister for a “special consideration of this case on humanitarian grounds”.
“Firstly, Fr. Stan Swamy is an octogenarian priest and social worker of a Christian religious order, and has consistently served the tribals and downtrodden all his life.
“Secondly, this year has seen the effect of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in our country as in different parts of the world, and for this reason, an elderly person as Fr. Stan Swamy whose age exposes him to the dreaded virus should not have been arrested,” SAFF said in the letter.
In line with the call for respect of the elderly all over the world, “we hope that your good self would also consider our request to intervene for Fr. Stan Swamy to be released on humanitarian and health grounds while the due process is on,” the SAFF leaders said in their letter to the PM.