Freedom fighers' pension scheme cancelled ; Netaji followers move High Court
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 19 2015: At least 34 aged people including 'soldiers' of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army (INA) and widows of the force's cadres have filed two petitions with the Manipur High Court against the cancellation of the 'freedom fighters' pension by the Centre.

Before cancellation, the petitioners, all Scheduled Tribes, had enjoyed the pension, said case dossiers.

They prayed before the Court to restore the pension benefits .

On April 14, 1944 the INA/ 'Azad Hind Fauz' flag was unfurled for the first time at Moirang in Bishnupur district by Colonel Saukat Hayat Malik and designated the area as its headquarters.

Commanders of Japanese troops and their allies chalked out World War II strategies to fight against the allied forces from Moirang.

Thousands of soldiers from the two sides were killed and several others were injured in various pitched battles across Manipur.

Of the 34 petitioners, 16 of them are INA fighters, who fought against the British (Allied Force) , while the rest 18 are widows of the freedom fighters, the dossiers said.

M Ringneikip (87), wife of late INA lieutenant M Saihluchung Kom of M Cananphai Village in Churachandpur district bordering Bishnupur is one of the petitioners.

Kom, who met Netaji, joined INA as a sepoy and was later promoted to Lieutenant and was arrested before being detained in jail after WW II.

Kom accompanied General Ito with five hundred soldiers and fought fierce battles at Laimaton and Khengcheng hill tracks in Chuachandpur district, added the dossiers.

When the Japanese retreated, the general asked Kom to move to Japan but he declined.

On July 27, 1944 he was arrested while moving to his native village, the dossiers said and added that he was imprisoned by the British till August, 1945 .

The Freedom Fighters Pension scheme 1972 was replaced by the new scheme known as the Swatantrata Sainik Samman (SSS), 1980 .

Any INA personnel who underwent minimum imprisonment of six months (for general category) and three months (for SC and ST) in the mainland jails before Independence are eligible for the pension scheme.

The Centre had cancelled the pension against many Manipuris on different dates about ten to fifteen years back on the ground that their claims were false.

However, the Centre allowed only five persons of the State to get the pension benefits, saying that they had undergone imprisonment as per records available.

Challenging the cancellation orders, the petitioners, in two separate petitions, one filed by Ringneikip and the other by 33 persons, filed the cases in the Court said advocate ST Kom, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners.

He argued that all persons related to the petitions were genuine freedom fighters.

The Centre had cancelled their pension as the State authorities had submitted false reports on the status of the freedom fighters' jail term to the Centre, contended the lawyer.

Having heard both sides, the Court headed by Justice Kh Nobin Singh had on March 11, asked the Centre to institute a committee and inquire whether petitioners and husbands of the petitioners had undergone imprisonment for three months and take appropriate decisions according to the probe findings.

For petitioner Ringneikip, the Court asked the Centre to restore the pension scheme to her as her late husband had undergone imprisonment for more than three months as an under trial.

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