Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday honoured the "Loktantra Senanis" for their sacrifices during the period of Emergency imposed by then-prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Sarma rued that the president, who had signed the ordinance, and the then Congress national chief were from the state.
Sarma was speaking at a programme organised to felicitate 300 'Loktantra senanis' and their next of kin here. The felicitation ceremony took place at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, where the Chief Minister acknowledged their contributions. The state government also transferred Rs 15,000 each to 91 Senanis and their kin.
Furthermore, he claimed that the opposition's political leaders, the media, the legal profession, and other groups in society had "ensured that no regime can ever think of imposing such restrictions again." "The president who signed the order was an Assamese. It was the first time that our state had gifted the nation its president, but with his hand, the order for Emergency was signed," Sarma said, referring to then President of the country Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
Emergency was imposed on this day in 1975 by the then-Congress government led by prime minister Indira Gandhi.
“Indira is India & India is Indira”
Then all India Congress Committee chief was Debakanta Baruah, another Assamese, whose 'India is Indira and Indira is India' statement has gone down in history, the CM said. He said that Congress President Dev Kant Barooah, who was from Assam, justified the Emergency by saying, “Indira is India & India is Indira.” “He said it knowing well that jails were filled with leaders from Assam and the rest of India to conceal Indira Gandhi’s corruption,” Sarma added.
While the Emergency was a "dark period in the country's history", the "warriors of democracy" fought against it so hard and resolutely that no regime can ever think of imposing such restrictions again", Sarma said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress leadership now, the BJP leader claimed that the grand old party, which had led the Independence movement under Mahatma Gandhi, "turned into a family-centric one since Indira Gandhi's tenure". He maintained that "her decision to impose the Emergency was merely due to her desire to cling to power".
Lauding the role of opposition leaders, media, advocates and other sections of people in resisting the Emergency, Sarma said his government has decided to honour the sacrifice of those from the state during that period.
Monthly pension of Rs 15,000 to 'Loktantra senanis'
"Our cabinet had taken a decision to recognise the contribution of 'fighters of democracy'. We will be giving a monthly pension of Rs 15,000 to those 'Loktantra senanis' who are still alive or to their wives or unmarried daughters in case of the death of the persons concerned. Ninety-one meet such criteria for pension," Sarma said.
The list of 300 names was drawn on the basis of records showing imprisonment of more than 15 days in connection to cases resisting the Emergency. Sarma also said that if any deserving person has been left out of the government list, their names will also be included later.
(With PTI inputs)
