99-year-old Freedom Fighter Deprived of Pension

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Sept 8: Down the line, India has fulfilled 71 years ever since its independence from the British. Besides many up and down, throughout these decades, the nation has achieved a lot to claim itself as an emerging global power.

Each year, during the celebration of Independence Day, remembering the martyrs and recognizing the sacrifices of the freedom fighters has been the ritual besides exhibiting the nation’s might. As such, numbers of freedom fighters, who are still alive are awarded, felicitated or provided pensions in recognition of their sacrifice made during the fight against the British to earn historic freedom.

However, 99-year-old freedom fighter Dwipcharan Pathak of Chaporbori village, Sarupeta under Bhabanipur Assembly constituency could not find a space in the pensioner’s list of the freedom fighters till date. He has been deprived and neglected from a pension decades after decades.

A few days ago, Pathak sustained a severe fracture falling on the ground at his own resident, and has been bed-ridden since then.

Notably, Pathak had been one of the active members of the Quit India Movement in 1942. He also actively campaigned in the nook and corner of the state to ignite the minds of the residents in favour of the movement. In reward of all these, he has been helplessly counting the agony of deprivation and negligence at the age of 99.