Rajasthan passes Bill to pay monthly aid to 'fighters of democracy' during Emergency

Jaipur: The Rajasthan Assembly on Friday passed a Bill to provide an honorarium, medical assistance and free transport facilities to those who "actively fought to protect democracy" during the Emergency and were imprisoned for participating in it.

The Rajasthan Fighters of Democracy Honour Bill 2024 was passed by voice vote in the House.

Responding to a debate in the House on the Bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said Rajasthan has 921 "fighters of democracy" who have 219 dependents.

They will get a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 and monthly medical treatment of Rs 4,000, the minister said.

As per the Bill, "fighters of democracy" refers to people having a domicile in Rajasthan who actively fought "to protect democracy during the emergency period" and who were detained at any time during this period in jail or police station.

Patel said the previous Congress government decided to repeal the Rajasthan Democracy Fighters Samman Nidhi Rules, 2008 in 2019.

"The present government re-implemented these rules on 14 March 2024 from January 1, 2024," he said.

It is our first duty to respect the "democracy fighters who went to jail to save democracy," Patel added.

The minister said India was known all over the world as the "mother of democracy" but the Emergency period (June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977) became a dark chapter.

The minister added, "It was a dark period but the fighters of democracy fought for so that democracy could be revived. Our government has always stood with a commitment to honour those fighters and their families." It is the result of their sacrifice that today we are in a democratic environment, he said.