St Xavier’s College, Mumbai Cancels Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture Following ABVP Protest

Mumbai, August 7, 2025 – St. Xavier’s College has cancelled its annual Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture, originally scheduled for the evening of 9 August, following a protest by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The lecture, organised by the college’s Department of Inter-Religious Studies, was to have been delivered virtually by Fr. Prem Xalxo on the theme “Migration for Livelihood: Hope amidst Miseries.”

The ABVP submitted a strongly worded letter to the college principal, objecting to the event and raising concerns about the legacy of Fr. Stan Swamy. The letter alleged that Fr. Swamy was a prime accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case and had been arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), an anti-terrorism law. ABVP Mumbai Secretary, Prashant Mali, further claimed that Fr Swamy had links to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

In response to the protest, a delegation from ABVP submitted a formal written objection to the college administration. Shortly thereafter, the management announced the cancellation of the event, citing “unavoidable circumstances” as the reason for calling it off.

The lecture was intended to commemorate the late Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Fr. Stan Swamy, who passed away in 2021 while in judicial custody. The college has not issued further comments on the decision.

Source : The Free Press Journal

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