As Court Is Taking Painfully Long To Provide Sipper To Stan Swamy, People Are Buying It For Him

For nearly a month now, an 83-year-old undertrial prisoner in Navi Mumbai's Taloja Jail has been knocking on the doors of court with a plea to provide him with a sipper and straw.

Tribal rights activist Stan Swamy who was arrested by the NIA on 8 October had sought a sipper and straw in jail as he is suffering from Parkinson's disease.

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The court had initially given the NIA 20 days to reply to the plea and on Thursday, the agency informed the judge that it had not taken away the sipper of Swamy when he was arrested and thus they cannot give it to him.

Swamy's lawyer Sharif Shaikh then filed a fresh application to obtain these things, besides winter clothing.

Special NIA Judge D E Kothalikar directed the prison authorities to respond to both the applications and posted them for hearing on December 4.

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December 4 is still a week away and the Jesuit priest whose health is rapidly deteriorating will have to continue suffering until then, at least.

But unlike the judiciary, many common people felt that what is happening to the elderly activist was unjustified and decided to do something about it.

Support galore online

One of them, Mumbai resident Deepak Venkateshan, posted a social media urging followers to courier a sipper and straw to Taloja Jail.

¡°Let¡¯s flood the jail with straws and sippers¡± he wrote on Facebook. ¡°Let the world know that we are still humane as a nation. Maybe we chose the wrong leaders, but there is still humanity left in us. An 83-year-old man not getting a straw cannot be the nation we live in.¡±

Soon many joined in with #SippersForStan. Many also posted screenshots of their Amazon/ Flipkart order for sippers, addressed to Stan Swami in Taloja Jail.

#SippersForStan https://t.co/C2NVTZbR6g pic.twitter.com/91grvZJxNS

¡ª Arpit (@arpit_1984) November 28, 2020

Shame the NIA by sponsoring a sipper for Fr Stan#StandWithStan #SippersForStan #SipperStraw4StanSwamy pic.twitter.com/isHO90Om9m

¡ª Sajeev SJ (@sajeevpainu) November 28, 2020

NIA doesn't have a sipper-cup to give Fr. Stan Swamy who is being held in Taloja Prison. He's 83 yrs old, feeble & no threat to anyone.

Please open your hearts & send sipper-cups so that Fr. Stan & old detainees can sip water with dignity.

A cup is pic.twitter.com/kDNyXcpn2B

¡ª VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) November 26, 2020

The @NIA_India CAN¡¯T SEEM TO AFFORD A SIPPER FOR FATHER STAN! I HAVE ORDERED ONE & SENT IT TO TALOJA CENTRAL JAIL! I THINK YOU SHOULD TOO SO THAT HE & HIS FRIENDS CAN SIP WATER IN PEACE!! #SippersForStan #SipperStraw4StanSwamy #StandWithStan #floodthejail #shamethecourts pic.twitter.com/d9NFVS42r2

¡ª karan sood (@karansooding) November 27, 2020

How blind is our judiciary to have accepted the NIA's refusal of a sipper to an 80 year old activist with Parkinson's?
On behalf of our org., our director, @Sameesha has arranged for a sipper & warm clothes to be sent to Taloja jail.
Will @NIA_India pass these on to Fr. Swamy? pic.twitter.com/Zqax7WeLVP

¡ª INDIA (@india__abroad) November 27, 2020

The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled said Swamy's painful wait for a sipper cannot be tolerated any longer and added that is planning to send the drinking aid to the jailed octogenarian, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease.

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"The painful wait that Swamy will have to endure for a sipper cannot be tolerated any longer. December 4, when the very same court decides again, is seven days away. Stan cannot be refused fluids for such a long period.

"The NPRD and its affiliating units have therefore decided to send sippers to the jailor of Taloja Jail, Maharashtra, to be given to Stan Swamy," the NPRD said in a statement.

It also appealed to all disability rights organisations, activists and all those who seek justice for the activist and stand in defence of his rights to join this campaign and send sippers to Swamy.