INDIA: At 90, freedom fighter wins yet another battle

. CHANDIGARH, Punjab / The Tribune / July 5, 2009 NEW DELHI (IANS) - After having fought to free the country from the British rule, he had no idea that another battle was in store. Ninety-year-old Satish Chandra Mishra has had to run from pillar to post for his pension since 1981. Finally he is getting it thanks to the Delhi High Court that pulled up the government for its apathy towards those who fought for the nation’s freedom. Justice Kailash Gambhir in his order said, “Today, as we freely move around in our country without anyone questioning or imposing any kind of restriction on us, we feel satisfied and contented. But this satisfaction is due to the efforts of our freedom fighters who freed the country from the British rule. It is because of them that we are enjoying in our country.” Mishra participated in the Quit India Movement in 1942. His application for claiming Swatantrata Sainik Pension (SSP) was declined by the government on the grounds that he could not produce sufficient records to establish that he was a freedom fighter. Pulling the government up for its attitude towards freedom fighters, the court said, “Free India is a gift to each one of us from these freedom fighters. As a mark of respect and to pay our gratitude to them the government started the SSP scheme. But cases like the present one show the apathy of our government that how they arbitrarily deny basic things to such freedom fighters who are eligible for it.” “The government should not deal with such matters in an arbitrary manner. These freedom fighters are aged should not be made to run from pillar to post for pension . The government should be more considerate while dealing with such cases,” the bench said while asking the government to pay Mishra his pension amount from 1981 onwards. Counsel for the petitioner said before the court, “The freedom fighter scheme was introduced by the government in 1972 in which the normal eligibility fixed for grant of pension was six months’ imprisonment while participating in the freedom movement and the SSP scheme also provided for those freedom fighters who had absconded due to registration of a criminal case.” He added, “My client did not mention the criminal case number as at the time of filing the application he could not recollect it but later upon his remembering, which was also confirmed by his friend Hira Singh, a certified copy of the same was applied for but no records were available and the government rejected his plea.” [rc] Copyright : The Tribune Trust, 2006.