Honour freedom movement stalwarts: Elders to Govt

NEW DELHI: On the eve of 60th anniversary of country's independence, members, cutting across party lines, in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday demanded a memorial for the designer of the national flag.
    
Raising the matter during Zero Hour, TDP leader Ravula Chandasekar Reddy said due recognition has not been given to stalwarts of freedom movement from South India.
    
He demanded that memorials should be built in the national capital and in Andhra Pradesh in honour of Pingal Venkaiah who had designed the national tricolour.
    
As the entire House associated with Reddy, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri assured the members that he would apprise the Government of their
sentiments.
    
Members also made a forceful demand for pension benefits to freedom fighters and said the Union Home Ministry should intervene immediately to do justice to those who fought for the nation.
    
Prasanta Chatterjee (CPI-M) said freedom fighters in Kerala were not getting pension in the absence of orders from the Home Ministry.
    
Sushma Swaraj (BJP) in her Zero Hour mention condemned the manner in which police mercilessly beat migrant women in Jammu last week when they were demanding compensation from the Government.
    
She said though the Supreme Court had given order in their favour, some 2,000 families with 11,000 dependents were suffering in the absence of compensation and were living in forest areas in Rajouri, Doda and Udhampur.
   
Swaraj demanded a probe into the attack.