Guwahati, (Samajweekly) Assam government on Sunday felicitated the persons who served prison terms for protesting against the declaration of Emergency in the country in 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Earlier, the state government had announced that a monthly pension of Rs 15,000 will be given to those who had served jail term during the Emergency days.
In the event of death of such a person named ‘Lok Tantra Senani’ by the government, his wife or unmarried daughter will be entitled to the monthly pension.
At a programme organised by the state government, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma felicitated 301 ‘Lok Tantra Senani’ and their relatives, and handed over 91 pension papers.
Sarma said, “The date June 25, 1975, when the Emergency was clamped, is considered as a ‘black day’ in Indian democracy because it was declared flouting all democratic principles and norms.
“However, braving the high handedness of the then Prime Minister, lakhs of Indians raised their voice for subverting democracy, and in return, they ended up in prison.”
According to the Chief Minister, in Assam, thousands of people raised their voices against the ‘despotism’ of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and showed their resentment for imposing Emergency.
He added that in the name of Emergency, the then Congress government arrested several people in Assam and sent them to prison.
Sarma said that it was because of the stiff resistance of the staunch believers of democracy that after one year and nine months, democracy was restored in the country on March 21, 1977.
