MANORAMA HORTUS

Deaths of Stan Swamy, Saibaba institutional murders; judiciary must answer: Swara Bhasker

Swara Bhasker slammed the judiciary for the deaths of Father Stan Swamy and G N Saibaba saying that it was institutional murder. Speaking at Manorama Hortus during the session titled 'Artist as a dissenting citizen' she said that the way the judiciary handled the issue of political prisoners was abysmal.

Father Stan Swamy had died as an undertrial prisoner in the Bhima Koregaon case and his requests for bail had been repeatedly denied. Former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba died in October 2024, seven months after he was cleared of alleged Maoist links.

" It has become a vehicle for the government to do what they please. The centre has abused the power. It is upto the court to uphold constitutional values and citizen's rights. I am not saying this as a provocative statement, I am expressing my state of dismay. The deaths of Stan Swami and Saibaba were institutional murders.The judiciary should answer for their deaths. You may silence someone with contempt of court. When institutions don't do their jobs, it costs lives," she said. She quoted a Hindi proverb which meant that when pain becomes so severe and intolerable, it becomes the cure.

Swara who has always riled the right wing with her acerbic views admitted that it came at a cost. " My brother is my fiercest critic. He asks me if I get my stomach filled with flames of revolution. There is of course a cost to pay, but many people are paying the cost, involuntarily. There are many others who resist what is happening in this country. It is a path I choose, but when certain things like monthly budget come up, you have to deal with it. I have a daughter, if I have to put her in a good school, I will have to ask about the fee. But I have lived the most authentic life. I earn a living as an actor by pretending, can't do that in my real life," she said.

When asked about her marriage to Fahad Ahmad,who is contesting Maharashtra assembly elections as Nationalist Congress party ( Sharad Chandra Pawar) candidate, she jested "I live up to every stereotype of the Sanghis". She added that love jihad was a myth, a political propaganda and there was no data to show a spike in inter-faith marriages. Calling the idea of Bharat Jodo yatra ingenious, Swara Bhasker was all praise for Rahul Gandhi. " It was a fantastic way to challenge the hatred being unleashed in the country. He posed an ideological challenge to the Hindutva," she said.

Terming the actor-assault case a horrific crime, she hailed the Women's cinema collective (WCC) as heroic. " What they did was unprecedented. The way they stuck with it consistently was really inspiring. Women are in a condition where we have to pay for our right to work with bodily safety. There is a total lack of accountability for superstars," she said.