| Big B adopts 90-year-old freedom fighter |
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| Written by IANS | |
| Wednesday, 17 February 2010 | |
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New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was so moved by the strength and conviction of a 90-year-old freedom fighter fighting for her pension that he decided to take care of her for the next five years. Gayatri Devi had been on dharna on the streets of the capital for the past four years, fighting to get her freedom fighter’s pension restored. She was getting money from the Bihar government under the “Samman” pension scheme for freedom fighters since 1997 and has relevant documents to support her claim. But in 2002 her pension was suddenly stopped. She was told that her name appeared in a list of fake freedom fighters. She approached many prominent leaders and got them to write applications on her behalf, but nothing happened. CNN-IBN filed an RTI on her behalf. Soon after, the Delhi government intervened. They moved Gayatri Devi into an old age home and granted her a destitute pension. But her battle will continue till the Bihar government restores her freedom fighter’s pension. |
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