Ranchi: Friends and followers of Father Stan Swamy have decided to stage “Raj Bhavan gherao” protest on July 15 to demand a judicial inquiry into the priest’s death, repealing of the UAPA and release of all political prisoners. Prior to the protest, his supporters would also carry out ‘pathalgarhi’, the tribal ritual of erecting stone tablets on Sunday after receiving the “sacred” soil from St Peter’s Church in Bandra, Mumbai, where Swamy was buried.
Hundreds of Swamy’s supporters congregated at Bagaicha here on Thursday in a condolence meeting and deliberated on the future course of action to pay tribute to him. The meeting, organised by the Adivasi Adhikar Manch (AAM), was attended by representatives of political parties, civil society organizations, human rights activists, tribal outfits and members of the Jesuit family.