Chandigarh, June 26 –The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal, has announced the decision to bear expenses of up to Rs 5 lakh annually on the treatment of Loktantra Senani or his spouse in private or government hospitals. Besides, the term ‘Emergency Victim’ on the identity cards of Loktantra Senanis will be replaced with Loktantra Senani.
He made these announcements while addressing the Loktantra Senanis from across the state at the state-level Loktantra Senani Samman Samaroh organized at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh last night where satyagrahis who had struggled during the Emergency imposed in 1975, were invited for honouring them.
The Chief Minister said the state government was providing monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to Loktantra Senanis, who went to jail during the Satyagraha Movement.
in Emergency. Free bus travel facility is also being provided to Senani and one assistant in the Haryana Roadways buses. Loktantra Senanis were also honored with tamrapatras on January 26, 2019, he added.
It was an emotional moment when the Senanis presented the Chief Minister with an abhinandan patra. His voice choked with emotion, he said, “Today when we are honouring the Loktanta Senanis, I do not deserve this honour”.
He said that 44 years ago, lakhs of people across the country were put behind the bars after Emergency was clamped on June 25, 1975 at 11.45 pm, close to 28 years after the country got freedom. People’s voice was muffled, media was censored and eminent persons were put behind the bars.
Recalling an incident, the Chief Minister said he lived then in Ranibagh in Delhi. At that time, we could not speak ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. And, if someone dared do so, he was put in jail and tortured.
Today ‘Shubhr Jyotsna’ book has been released in which events related to Loktantra Senanis have been captured and highlighted. We should remember such incidents because these are inspirational stories. After the Emergency, elections were held in the country and the Janata Party received two-thirds majority. This made the people realize the real power of democracy and how they could change the government.
Referring to a statement of the late former Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said “Satta Ka Khel Chalega, Sarkarein Aayengi-Jayengi, Partiyan Banengi- Bigadegi, Parantu Desh Rehna Chahiye Aur Loktantra Bachna Chahiye”.
Earlier, the Education Minister, Mr. Ram Bilas Sharma, congratulated the Chief Minister for the effort made to gather and honour Loktantra Senanis of the state. “On seeing these old faces, I am reminded of the dark night of the country and how people had to suffer. But they did not stop and continued their campaign against the emergency.” Mr Sharma also shared with them how he suffered in jails during the Emergency.
Welcoming the Loktantra Senanis and dignitaries, the Chief Secretary, Mr. D.S. Dhesi, said in order to restore democracy, every citizen has to fulfill his responsibility. Every citizen has to be alert to protect the interests of citizens. During the Emergency, the citizens of Haryana made sacrifices to protect the interests of people.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Mr. Rajesh Khullar, also spoke on this occasion.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister and other guests released the book titled 'Shubhr Jyotsna”. A two-minute silence was observed to pay tributes to the late Loktantra Senanis. A brief film prepared by the Information, Public Relations and Languages Department on the Emergency was also shown and a song was sung by Mr. Ram Indra Saini.
Others present on this occasion included Speaker, Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Mr. Rajeev Bindal, Haryana Transport Minister, Mr. Krishan Lal Panwar, Urban Local Bodies Minister, Mrs. Kavita Jain, BJP State President, Mr. Subhash Barala, Chandigarh State BJP President, Mr. Sanjay Tandon, Chief Whip and Panchkula MLA, Mr. Gian Chand Gupta, MLA, Mr. Aseem Goyal, MLA, Mr. Pawan Saini.
Chand Gupta, MLA, Mr. Aseem Goyal, MLA, Mr. Pawan Saini, MLA, Mr. Tek Chand Sharma, President, Loktantra Senani Sangh Haryana, Jai Prakash Gupta and Vice-President Govind Bhardwaj, Director General, Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Mr. Sameer Pal Srow, and senior officers of the state government.