Govt to look into demands of freedom fighters soon, assures PM

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) Admitting that there was an urgent need to ''acknowledge'' the contribution of freedom fighters, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured a delegation of the MPs and freedom fighters that the government would shortly look into their long-pending demands.

CPI-M Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, who led the delegation, told newspersons that the Prime Minister said it was ''quite unfortunate'' that the issue remain unresolved even after 60 years of achieving independence.

Mr Yechury said they have taken umbrage at the ''ill treatment'' meted out to lakhs of freedom fighers who made sacrifices for in the struggle for country's indepedence. ''Some of us them died of actue poverty and penury.'' The delegation comprised of Mr P Mahdu, S Sudhakar Reddy(CPI) Mr Yerrn Naidu(TDP) and some Congress MPs.

They MPs demanded jail records of 1942, 1946 and 1948 as the official explanations for the delay in doling out facilities to the freedom fighters were not ''acceptable'' to them.

''It is for the government to make the records available. They are not demanding any pension and rail benefits, what they are asking for is just recognition at the fag end of their lives,'' Mr Yechury said.

''We will also take up the case of Shah Nawaz, Dhillon and Sehgal who are even today shown as the deserters of the Indian Army in the police records,'' he said.

Referring to the recommendations of Inderjit Gupta Committee, the delegation said it has identified as many as 13,500 freedom fighters. ''But nothing has come out so far from the government's side.'' Meanwhile, hundreds of freedom fighters, particularly from Andhra Pradesh are holding a sit-in at the Jantar Mantar here to press for for their demands.

UNI