MUMBAI, Aug. 10 -- St Xavier's College in Mumbai cancelled its annual Stan Swamy Memorial Lecture, scheduled for Saturday, following protests by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The lecture, organised by the college's Department of Inter-Religious Studies (DIRS), was to be delivered virtually by Fr Prem Xalxo, associate lecturer at the Faculty of Theology in Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. The topic was 'Migration for Livelihood: Hope Amidst Miseries'. In a letter to the college principal, the ABVP demanded the event's cancellation, objecting to it being held in memory of Father Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Swamy was among several human rights activists, scholars, intellectuals and others jailed for alleged naxal activities as part of the case. A tribal rights activist, Swamy was arrested in 2020 and died in custody in July 2021 awaiting trial. The ABVP alleged that Fr Swamy had links with banned organisations and said honouring him through an academic platform could "glorify" a person accused of anti-national activities. "It is unfortunate that reputed institutions like St Xavier's are seen promoting such narratives," said ABVP Mumbai Secretary Prashant Mali. Following warnings from the student body, the college decided to cancel the lecture. Responding to the criticism, college rector Father Keith D'Souza said the DIRS was an extracurricular unit on campus that organises a variety of lectures and events throughout the year. He also stressed that Fr Stan Swamy had been accused but never convicted. "As per Indian criminal jurisprudence, a person is innocent unless proven guilty. While we respect other perspectives and concerns, we hope to elicit a reciprocal attitude of respect from others as well," he said....