The inability to embrace electoral politics and preference to remain within the bounds of a “civil society movement”, the stupid attempt to create “a third voice that would seek justice in the courts of India” will go down history as their single worst error. By shying away from political involvement, by not registering a political platform, by not trying to dominate politics, they demonstrated their collective inability to confront inequity and to turn their agenda into a struggle for the people, by the people. This in essence was the biggest mistake of their lives.
Consider Stan Swamy’s career. Swamy was a director of the Indian Social Institute in Bengaluru from 1975 to 1986. And what did he do in the years from 1986 until his death? He took to “activism”, like the others in the Bhima Koregaon case because he like the others did not find the courage to confront the political establishment directly, preferring instead to instigate change via judicial process. As he raced towards his sad end, the political establishment used the same judicial system against him. Stan Swamy was stupid.
Now Stan Swamy has paid for that stupidity with his life. While Swamy was incarcerated, All India Catholic Union, Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Federation of Asian Bishops, Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference, Kerala Latin Catholic Association, et al has issued statements decrying Swamy’s mistreatment. Now, the most important question: Will Swamy’s death force the next generation of Christian missionaries to awaken to the political necessity of participating actively in the electoral processes?
Will the wasted lives of the others implicated in the Bhima Koregaon case inspire the next generation of activists to compulsorily participate in the electoral processes? If yes, then via the death of Stan Swamy and maybe some others in the Bhima Koregaon case, this government may have made the biggest social and political contribution towards rejuvenating the constitutional processes in India.
– Horoprasad Banerjee
