The 69th Republic Day turned out to be a memorable day for 89-year-old V Gandhi, a former Indian National Army soldier who is living in poverty in Chennai’s Vysarpaadi slum. The Madras High Court in a landmark verdict apologised to the freedom fighter for the indifference and wooden approach of the present day bureaucrats for turning down his plea for freedom fighters' pension.
Gandhi had been imprisoned for his work as a propagandist for the India Independence league in 1945. The IIl was part of the INA launched by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.
After the country became Independent in 1947, Gandhi did not join any political party as he felt that his mission as a freedom fighter was over once the British left the Indian shores.
The Governments which came to power since 1947 had no time to look after the well being of persons like Gandhi. But when he was told by some of his former colleagues that he was eligible for freedom fighters' pension, Gandhi applied for it in 1980.
The concerned department asked him to submit proof, documents and evidences to substantiate his association with the INA and IIl. The fact of his imprisonment by the imperial forces and his association with the INA and the IIl were arrested by K Kalimuthu, another freedom fighter and co-prisoner. Kalimuthu has been drawing freedom fighters' pension since 1992. Captain lakshmi, the legendary leader of the Indian National Army too certified about the sacrifices made by Gandhi as an IIl activist and about his imprisonment for the cause of Indian freedom.
K Gurumurthy, president, All India Freedom Fighters' Successors' Organisation, too wrote to the Government of Tamil Nadu explaining in detail about the living conditions of Gandhi and requested to grant him freedom fighters' pension. But the Government department remained unresponsive for decades which forced Gandhi to approach the court in 2017.
His plea moved the heart of Justice K Ravichandrababu who apologised to the freedom fighter for the official apathy and indifference. “Sorry Sir, you are made to suffer at the hands of our people too (besides the British) as, unfortunately, this is how bureaucratic dogmatism with a wooden approach works in this country, for which you fought to get freedom,” Justice Ravichandrababu told Gandhi last week while directing the Tamil Nadu Government to ensure than an order granting pension is passed within two weeks and served at his home. The Justice said the pension arrears from 1980 should be disbursed within four weeks.
The Government department in its affidavit had told the court that his application was delayed because of a discrepancy in his age in the ration cared and voter’s identity card.
The Justice also gave a piece of his mind to the authorities through the verdict. “In my considered view, persons like the petitioner, who fought for freedom, should have been conferred with such due honour and dignity by extending the invitation to them and not by waiting for them to make their application,” said Justice Ravichandrababu. For Gandhi, it was a Republic Day gift from the Judiciary.