The Hindu : MSP rebels feel let down by Govt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 25, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

MSP rebels feel let down by Govt.

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE MARCH 24. The participants in the heroic `MSP strike 1946', in which 645 personnel of the Malabar Special Police (MSP) were dismissed for rising in revolt against the British Government, are now in an unenviable predicament, having to run from pillar to post for the Central Government pension for freedom fighters.

The 645 personnel of the MSP were mercilessly dismissed by the British Government. The Governments which came to power after Independence did not take them back into service. All of them were given "dismissal certificate'' by the Commandant, MSP, Malappuram in 1946 as proof they were sacked.

The State Government, however, accorded recognition to the `MSP strike 1946' as part of the freedom struggle and all the 645 were granted pension from 1974. The Central Government also recognised the MSP strike for the grant of Swatantrata Sainik Samman (SSS) Pension in 1998. All the 645 personnel or their next of kin applied for the Central Government pension also enclosing the "dismissal certificate'' issued by the Commandant but the Government responded to the request differently to different persons.

The Union Government has taken the stand that only 56 of the 645 personnel who applied are eligible for the SSS pension. The date on which the SSS pension is granted also varied from person to person. Some were given the benefit from 1999 and a few others from 2000 and 2001.

The Kerala State ex -MSP Freedom Fighters Association has been trying to obtain the pension for all the applicants. The association president, K.P. Damodaran Nambiar, and the general secretary, T.E. Krishnan Nair, said here today hat they were shocked there had been no response to their representations sent to the Government.

The association spokesmen believed the Union Government's lukewarm response to the requests for pension was probably on account of a letter received from the State Government. The Centre had sought a clarification from the State Government regarding the requests. In response, the State Government sent a list prepared by the British Government in which some personnel were described as "dismissed'', some others as "disbanded'' and a few others as "resigned''. This letter has prompted the Centre to respond differently to different applications seeking pension.

The association leaders pointed out that after having submitted the "dismissal certificate'' issued by the MSP Commandant, no other documentary proof was needed to support the claim for the pension.

The association has represented the case before the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Minister of State for Home but so far there has not been any response. Some of the applicants are no more and those still around are aged. The association appealed to the Government to take a favourable decision on all the applications for pension and warned if the Government continued its indifference, it would be forced to launch a legal battle for justice.

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