GUWAHATI: Labelling it as only a poll gimmick, several Left leaders and CPM activists imprisoned during the Emergency period have rejected the monthly pension of ₹15,000 offered by the BJP government in Assam.
The Assam government had earlier identified 301 individuals from Assam who were jailed during the Emergency for this pension.
Isfakur Rahman, a member of the CPM's central committee from Assam, while speaking to the media on Thursday, stated that the decision was made by the CPM's state committee in consultation with the central committee, as they believe the pension offer is an attempt to gain political advantage leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
While CPM leaders and members are expected to adhere to the party's decision, some socialist leaders are also sceptical about accepting the pension.
Suprakash Talukdar, secretary of the CPM's Assam state committee, expressed that the pension list was incomplete and criticised the BJP government for its political agenda.
He emphasised that their fight during the Emergency was not for personal benefits.
Ramani Barman, a socialist leader and former minister in the Janata Party government formed after the Emergency, expressed uncertainty about accepting the pension, stating that he did not seek recognition for his struggle to restore democracy through imprisonment.
The CPM alleged that several district administrations did not have accurate lists of those imprisoned during the Emergency, suggesting that the government relied on lists provided by the RSS when finalising the pension recipients in districts like Nagaon and Goalpara.
Uddhab Barman, a CPM leader and former Lok Sabha MP who was jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency, believed that all those imprisoned should be included in the list, even though his party members would not accept the pension.
He emphasised that history should not be distorted by excluding individuals who fought during the Emergency from the list of pensioners.
