Maharashtra Government Increases Emergency Pension Amount for Recipients

Mumbai: Boost for Ex-Inmates Imprisoned During Emergency

The Maharashtra government has made a move to show appreciation for people who served time behind bars during the Emergency period, with the cabinet agreeing to double the pensions offered under the scheme.

This financial aid, initially introduced in 2018 by the BJP government, was nixed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2020, but has been restored since the Eknath Shinde-led government took power in 2022.

The revised scheme will award a monthly honorarium of ₹20,000 for those imprisoned for over a month during the Emergency, and their surviving spouses will receive half of this amount. Those locked up for less than a month will receive ₹10,000, with the surviving spouse getting ₹5,000.

The government has stated that those eligible must be at least 18 at the time of arrest and submissions to the District Collector offices are required to claim the pension. A change in policy allows surviving spouses to still apply for the pension scheme if their loved one passed away before January 2, 2018.

This decision comes just a week before the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, a period that saw the suspension of civil liberties, press freedom, and widespread political arrests.

The scheme was criticized as politically motivated during Devendra Fadnavis' tenure as chief minister, but gained traction as a show of recognition for the sacrifices made by activists in the face of repression, especially in cities like Mumbai.

This contemporary effort to financially support former detainees reveals a desire to honor and recognize their roles in the political and social landscape of cities like Mumbai during the Emergency period. The scheme has seen expansion in other states, such as Odisha, which offers a similar pension to those who were imprisoned during the same time.

This recognition is a long-overdue response to the repression and resistance that characterized the Emergency era in India. It is a symbolic gesture of the country's commitment to acknowledging and supporting those who stood up for their beliefs during a period of significant civil unrest.

Sources:[1] ₹55.5 crore allocated for monthly honorarium payments to former Emergency detainees or their surviving spouses. Districts such as Pune, Buldhana, and Nagpur have seen thousands of beneficiaries, signaling a broad acknowledgment across the state.

[2] Recent increases in the pension-like honorarium amount, with payments now ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000.

[3] Odisha offering up to ₹20,000 monthly to former Emergency detainees, indicating a nationwide acknowledgment of this group’s sacrifices.

[4] Historical context of repression and resistance especially vivid in cities such as Mumbai, where specific mention of pension disbursements is made.

The revised pension scheme in Maharashtra, aimed at those imprisoned during the Emergency, is no longer just a local issue, as Odisha has followed suit and offers a similar pension to former detainees, demonstrating a nationwide recognition of their sacrifices within the realm of policy-and-legislation.
The ongoing political developments in various regions, such as the restoration of pensions for ex-inmates from the Emergency in towns like Mumbai, are significant not only for general-news but also as a testament to the expanding scope of politics, acknowledging the long-untold stories of resistance and repression that shaped the nation's history.