Madras High Court: Don't deal with freedom fighters' pension in light manner

Chennai: Grant of pension to the political sufferers or freedom fighters, who rendered their valuable service in getting freedom to this great nation, cannot be lightly dealt with, by anyone in this country, said the Madras high court while directing the Central government to sanction pension to a freedom fighter, who waited for over 30 long years to get a pension and died in 2002.

Allowing the petition filed by M. Anjalai (since deceased), wife of freedom fighter K.P. Muthiah, and five of the legal heirs of Muthiah, Justice Suresh Kumar said, “The freedom fighters service to the nation is immeasurable. Had they not fought for freedom, we the 1.2 billion Indians cannot live in with liberty, rights, dignity and with economical sufficiency. Therefore, whenever the application for freedom fighter pension is received by the authorities, top priority must have been given to decide such application, of course on the basis of the documents and certificates submitted by the claimants to the authorities, as per the scheme formulated by the governments”.

Muthiah had involved in the freedom struggle, for which, he had been imprisoned in 1945 and in fact, he was lodged for six months in prison at Jagarcha and Nilaganj camp jail. Subsequently, because of efflux of time, the jail records have been destroyed. However, on the basis of the documents submitted by him, the state government sanctioned pension to him in 1969. Thereafter he applied for the central government pension in 1972 along with necessary certificates. But there was no response. In the meantime, he died on June 24, 2002. As there was no response, his wife filed the present petition. While it was pending, she died in 2006. Thereafter, his legal heirs were impleaded as petitioners.

The judge said the participation of Muthiah in the freedom struggle cannot be put into dispute any more, in view of the fact that, his service to the nation has been recognised by the state authorities and accordingly pension was sanctioned by the state government in 1969 itself. When that being the position, there cannot be further impediment for the central government to consider the request and grant pension, the judge added and directed the central government to sanction pension from September 1972 till June 2002 and also sanction pension to his wife from June 2002 to September 2006 and calculate the arrears of such pension and pay the same to the legal heirs of the freedom fighter.