50 YRS ON, EMERGENCY VICTIMS AWAIT OFFICIAL RECOGNITION

Around 5,000 Keralites who were arrested or took part in protests during the period are alive

- ANIL S @ T'Puram

A LONG 50 years after what's termed the dark age of Indian democracy, thousands of Emergency victims in Kerala are yet to be officially recognised. As many as 13 states have accorded them Emergency victims' status, providing them monthly pensions, with Odisha being the latest to announce it this January. Despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself being a victim, the state government has curiously been unfavourable towards the demand.

Ironically, in a first, the CPM plans to observe an anti-Emergency day on June 25 this year on the 50th anniversary of Emergency.

Though there are no official data available, it has been estimated that currently around 5,000 people including those arrested or who took part in satyagraha protests during the 1975 regime, are alive today in Kerala. On its 50th anniversary, the victims continue to knock at the doors of the state government as well as the Centre for acknowledgement of their status.