Freedom fighter battling for pension since 1974

Notice To Centre On Plea Of Aggarwal Who Went To Jail In ’46

More than 60 years ago, septuagenarian Suresh Prakash Aggarwal, went to jail fighting for independence from British rule. For the last 34 years, he is waging a fight for the freedom fighter’s pension, now from an old-age home in Delhi as his son has thrown him out of his house. Moved by the pitiable state of Aggarwal, a post-graduate in physics who retired as a school teacher from a private school, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and the UP government on his petition.

He was sentenced to one year imprisonment for participating in the freedom struggle and was lodged in Central Jail, Bareilly, in December 1946 along with Mukandi Lal and Kunwar Bhagwan Singh, who went on to represent Pilibhit in the 1st Lok Sabha and UP Assembly respectively. While on one hand he failed to move the bureaucracy to grant him the paltry f re e d o m f i g h t e r ’s pension, on the other, despite having a post-graduation degree in physics, he retired as a s ch o o l teacher from a private school, a nonpensionable service.

Unable to earn anything after retirement, his only son found the father a burden and threw him out of the house, which he had purchased in his son’s name in 1970. When the son closed the doors of the house on him on April 2, 2008, Aggarwal had no option but to move into an old age home at Asola, Fatehpur Beri, New Delhi.

Asked as to why he moved the court so late, his counsel Pradeep Gupta said as his client was working as a teacher in a private school he waited patiently since 1960 for 48 years for grant of the freedom fighter’s pension.

Aggarwal in his petition said: ‘‘I have no immovable property or bank balance or any other source of income and now that I am without a house or income, I have no option but to move the Supreme Court for my legitimate dues for which I waited for 48 years.’’

He also annexed with his petition a letter from the ministry of home affairs dated May 5, 1977, informing him that ‘‘The President in exercise of powers under Central Scheme 1972, is pleased to sanction Freedom Fighters Pension to Shri Suresh Prakash Aggarwal of Mohalla Habibullah Khan, Shumali Bilaspur, District Pilibhit, with effect from the date of receipt of application by the state government along with 9% annual interest on the past arrears.’’

Complaining that he had still not received a penny from the state, Aggarwal pleaded with the court for a direction to grant pension as well as the arrears.

With thanks from The Times of India 17 June 2008 P. 16 Delhi
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