Emergency prisoners seek freedom fighter tag

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

A  delegation comprising persons who suffered jail term during the national Emergency in 1975 met Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera here on Monday.

They urged the State Government to consider giving them status of freedom fighters and facilities as given to the freedom fighters.

They said that already 11 States have extended the status to such persons who were imprisoned during the emergency time and played a key role in bringing the non-Congress Government to power in the country.

The delegation included Rajendra Prasad Singh, Chhita Ranjan Mohanty, Ramesh Allibesant, Sushila Panda, Prasant Mishra, Rabindra Prasad Chand, Sridhar Das, Kahnu Charan Behera, Trilochan Pradhan, Kamalkanta Sahu, Rameswar Purohit, Radhakanta Bohidar, Gyana Patnaik and Sisir Das.

Notably, the State Government has already initiated a process in this regard.

The Director of Prisons has sought a list of the persons who were jailed during the emergency time between 1975 and 1977 from different jails in the State.