Emergency opponents’ long wait for revival of pension scheme

A group of eight individuals led by Baldev Raj Wadehra has been struggling for the last nine years for the revival of a pension scheme introduced by the state government for those who participated in the Punjabi Suba Morcha and protested against the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi in June 1975.

Wadehra, now in his sixties, has been persistently pursuing the matter since May 2016, seeking the Rs 1,000 monthly pension promised to Emergency-era detainees. “We have received only assurances from every Deputy Commissioner posted in Amritsar over the past nine years, but none has acted on our request,” said Wadehra.

Sharing his story, Wadehra recounted, “I was 17 years old and studying at Khalsa College when the Emergency was imposed. I joined the Akali-led protests and was imprisoned. In March 1978, I received a letter from the Janata Party government offering Rs 25 per month as a pension to those jailed for resisting the Emergency. I received it for a few years, but when the Congress returned to power, the pension was stopped.”

The pension scheme was later revived by the Modi government after 2014 and the Punjab Government under Parkash Singh Badal began offering Rs 1,000 per month to all eligible participants. Currently, 35 individuals in the district are receiving this pension, but eight others, including Wadehra, have been excluded due to clerical issues.

Wadehra emphasized that he is not availing of any government welfare schemes, but is determined to receive this pension as a symbol of pride for his contribution to protecting democracy. He warned that if the administration continues to ignore their legitimate claim, he and his associates will intensify their agitation.

Amritsar