On the occasion of Ambedkar Diwas on Friday, over 100 elderly citizens, including social activist Aruna Roy, were detained for protesting outside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence here demanding restructuring of the pension scheme. They were taken to the Parliament Street police station.
“We are all here to meet and speak to Dr. Manmohan Singh in his capacity as Prime Minister as well as senior citizen because we are completely overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the problem and the untold miseries and indignities the elderly people are experiencing,” said Ms. Roy.
“We have met Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and other leaders. We decided to gather before the PM’s house to put forward our demand because despite their assurances, nothing concrete happened,” she added.
In its letter to the Prime Minister, the Pension Parishad said the targeted pension payment of Rs.200 a month, which forced senior citizens to live in penury and destitution, was an unacceptable violation of fundamental rights, and that their agitation would continue.
Members of the Parishad held placards capturing the famous words of Dr. Ambedkar: “In politics we … recognise the principle of one man one vote and one vote one value. In our social and economic life, we shall by reason of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man one value.”
The elderly people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka shouted slogans asking the Prime Minister, “Please tell us how we are to live on Rs. 200 a month.”
Activist and economist Baba Adhav said, “This campaign for claiming the right of pensions for the poor is a fight for basic social justice and against exploitation.”
He said: “Having collected over 25000 signatures endorsing the Pension Petition, I am going to hand it over to the Prime Minister in person on this special day to remind the government of its commitment to the elderly.”
