[Freedom Fighters Pension] Agonising that Court has been repeatedly seeing pathetic cases of freedom fighters: Madras High Court

Repeated cases involving the denial of freedom fighters pension to aged freedom fighters on Monday drew the anguish of the Madras High Court. .While dealing with a 97-year old man's plea for the pension, Justice Suresh Kumar censured the bureaucratic bungle that is meted out in freedom fighter cases (CM Marisamy Gowda v. The District Collector).As noted in his order, ."It is an agonising fact that this Court has been repeatedly seeing pathetic cases of freedom fighters. Time and again, Courts have taken a very tough stand and has given directions after directions sensitizing the issue to the Government authorities / Officials / Bureaucrats, however the attitude of the Government authorities / Officials / Bureaucrats has not changed. No prudent man with his consciousness would accept this kind of bureaucratic bungle, that too in the matter of freedom fighter cases.".The perusal of a report filed in this case by the Krishnagiri District Collector made it apparent to the Judge that "neither the District Collector nor the Tahsildar concerned have understood the Freedom Fighters Pension Scheme of both the State Government and the Central Government.".Rather, the Court took critical note that, "... as a routine file, they have dealt with this case also by raising unnecessary questions without any logic, thereby they did not have the mind of considering the plea of a 97 year old freedom fighter, which shows the mindset of the bureaucrats that they do not want to recognize the yeoman selfless service rendered by the freedom fighters for the Nation's freedom. But for them, neither the Collector nor the Tahsildar and any one of us can enjoy the freedom and valuable life as we enjoy today.".“Sorry sir”, Madras High Court apologises to Freedom Fighter for 37 year-long delay in grant of pension.The Court has now called for the original files and relevant records pertaining to the 97-year old applicant's case and directed that the same be produced in a sealed cover by December 3. .Read the Order:.Earlier this month, the same Judge had also acted to aid S Gafoor, whose application for freedom fighter's pension had been rejected on account of minor discrepancies in the dates mentioned in the letters written by co-prisoners. .The Judge has directed the concerned authorities to reconsider his application on finding records to indicate that he had undergone over six months' imprisonment between July 1945 to January 1946. This matter is due to come up on November 26. .Read the Order: