Pre-Independence Agitations May Be Deemed Freedom Struggle

The Union home ministry is considering a proposal to declare some of the peasants' and workers' movements during the British period as part of the freedom struggle. Participants in these movements would be given benefits on a par with other freedom fighters.

Some such movements likely to be declared freedom movements are the Telengana movement in Andhra Pradesh, Punnapravalayar movement in Kerala and Goa liberation struggle.

The criteria adopted for selecting these movements are two-fold: The movement must be against imperialistic forces and they be intended to preserve the unity and integrity of the country.

While the Telengana movement fulfills the second criterion, the other two movements were anti-imperialistic movements.

One Communist Party of India (CPI) leader close to Union home minister Indrajit Gupta said that there had been a long-pending demand to declare the Telengana movement as part of freedom struggle and a committee headed by the party's deputy general secretary N Giri Prasad had been set up to work out the modalities.

The Telengana movement was fought against the Nizam of Hyderabad who was not interested in keeping the territory under his control with the Union of India. Thousands of workers and peasants lost their lives during the struggle and they should be duly recognised as martyrs and freedom fighters, he added.

Significantly, the CPI national council had passed a resolution in January, saying that all such movements and struggles recognised by the concerned state governments as part of the country's freedom struggle be also recognised by the Union government.

The Communist Party of India also added that Central pension, privileges and other facilities be given to all those who participated in such movements as a democratic gesture during the 50th year of India's independence.

The home minister is one of the members of the Communist Party of India's national council.