Haryana to honour Emergency victims on Independence Day

After announcing free medical and travel facilities to the persons who were imprisoned during Emergency imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi between June 25, 1975, and March 21, 1977, the Haryana government has decided to honour them or their heirs. They will be honoured with a "Tamar Patra" on August 15, the Independence Day, at district headquarters.

After announcing free medical and travel facilities to the persons who were imprisoned during Emergency imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi between June 25, 1975, and March 21, 1977, the Haryana government has decided to honour them or their heirs. They will be honoured with a "Tamar Patra" on August 15, the Independence Day, at district headquarters.

Following the directions of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the authorities are trying to identify the Emergency heroes. Deputy commissioners of all districts have also written to the jail authorities seeking details of the Emergency victims. Also, the district public relation officers are contacting mediapersons if they have any information about the people who remained in jails during Emergency.

"As per the government's letter, we have sent the names of 125 people from the district who were detained during Emergency. We have also given advertisements in the newspapers in this regard, said Rohtak deputy commissioner DK Behra.

About the function to honour the Emergency victims, he said: "The government has decided to honour these people on Independence Day, but we don't have any information whether the function will be state or district-level."

Many personalities, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart, LK Advani were lodged in the Rohtak jail during Emergency. As per the jail record, former prime minister Chandrashekhar, former deputy prime minister and former Haryana chief minister Devi Lal, Biju Patnaik, Dr Mangal Sen, Haridwari Lal, Madhu Dandwate, Sikandar Bakt, Manohar Lal Saini and Billu Modi were among 110 people were lodged in the Rohtak jail during Emergency.

As per the record, they were lodged under Section 3(1) (A) (II) of the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), 1971. Devi Lal and LK Advani were later shifted to Mahendergarh and Bangalore jails.

However, Haryana government officials are not sure whether they government will invite Advani to honour him on the first Independence Day function of the Khattar government.