Freedom fighters' kin raise slogans at memorial opening

KARTARPUR (JALANDHAR): Inauguration of the first phase of Jang-e-Azadi Memorial at Kartarpur was marred by protest of freedom fighters' kin, who raised anti-Badal slogans, and some even threw away the shawls given to them as a token of honour. They claimed they had held a meeting with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on November 2 about their issues and demands, and the CM had assured them that an announcement would be made on November 6.
A piquant situation was created, as the kin of freedom fighters, who were seated on a separate stage, started raising anti-government slogans from the stage itself.The CM and other dignitaries had still not left when the sloganeering started. Politicians left it to bureaucrats to manage the protesters. Jalandhar deputy commissioner KK Yadav had a tough time persuading those protesting as they were unrelenting, and a few even left without having lunch.
Some others seated in the front rows in a separate enclosure also joined the protestors in raising slogans. They alleged that the chief minister and deputy chief minister either praised each other or patted their own backs, but there was no announcement for the kin of freedom fighters, even as their demands were not unreasonable. "Politics is being done in the name of freedom fighters, but they and their families are treated shabbily by governments, barring some token gestures at official functions," said Hardev Singh from Mundi Kharar.
Punjab Pradesh Swatantarta Sainani Utradhikari Sangathan president Harinder Pal Singh Khalsa said they had a meeting with the chief minister on November 2, where they presented their demands, and the CM had assured them that an announcement would be made on November 6 at the Kartarpur function. "We were sitting here since morning with the hope that the CM would make an announcement about our demands, but he did not mention anything. Rather, he kept either praising his aides or patted his own back," said Khalsa.
Khalsa and kin of other freedom fighters said their demands included restoring the reservation of two per cent in jobs for the next of kin of freedom fighters, which was reduced to one per cent, free bus passes, exemption from toll tax, 500 units of free power, free treatment, and revising the pension for freedom fighters.
Vijay Rani, whose father Prem Nath was a freedom fighter, said they felt cheated by the state government. Prem Sagar said they they were told an announcement would be made about their demands. "They have raised a big structure of concrete, but what about the families of the freedom fighters?" asked Tara Singh. Gurmit Singh from village Avaipur near Mohali, whose father Gajj Singh had served in the Indian National Army, was also among the protestors.