THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hundred-and-forty-one people who were part of the fight against British colonialism to get us freedom still live among us. Most of them are in their nineties and the list, naturally, is shrinking as days pass by. The state government is in the process of revising the list, and according to the latest data, Palakkad has no freedom fighter alive.
The latest statistics of the treasury department reveal that a total of 141 individuals are receiving the Kerala Freedom Fighters Pension and Khadi-Hindi Pension.
The freedom fighters’ pension entitles each to a monthly allowance of Rs 14,080. This was Rs 11,000 till last year. They are also eligible for dearness allowance allotted to other state service pensioners.
The Kerala Freedom Fighters Pension scheme was started on April 1, 1971. The state government has recognised 27 movements, strikes and conspiracies as eligible under the scheme. These include Civil Disobedience, Quit India Movement, INA volunteers, Royal Navy Mutiny, etc. Many agitations against the feudal system in Travancore, Kochi and Malabar, including Malabar Rebellion, Punnapra-Vayalar Uprising, MSP Strike of 1946, Cochin Police Strike, Karivallur, Kavumabai, Malappattam, and Kuttamkulam agitations, Kallara-Pangode Struggle, Aaron Mills Strike, Koothali Strike, teachers struggle in Malabar, Vaikom Satyagraha, Morazha Struggle, etc, are also on the list.
Those eligible for the state pension scheme were selected based on documentary evidence including jail certificates, absconding certificates, etc.
In June, the general administration department had written to all district collectors to submit a revised list of pensioners. However only four districts, Kottayam, Idukki, Alappuzha, and Palakkad, have submitted the list.
‘Segregated list of freedom fighter pensioners absent’
Accordingly, Kottayam and Idukki now have only one freedom fighter each. Alappuzha has two receiving the pension while Palakkad has none.
The dependence list is also shrinking. In Kottayam, two dependents continue to receive a family pension while Idukki has none. However, 29 dependents in Alappuzha and 41 in Palakkad continue to receive pensions. “We still do not have a segregated list of freedom fighter pensioners in the state,” a senior government official told TNIE. We are waiting for the updated list from the collectorates. Till now we depended on the treasury department’s list,” he said.
A few receive pensions under the Khadi-Hindi category, as well. Apart from these, around 11 persons in the state receive the central government’s ‘Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension’.