You are here: Home > Bangalore > Last battle won

Fighter: Laxmi, who was an INA soldier washed vessels to make ends meet

Justice came a little too late for this freedom fighter.

Laxmi Panda (80) fought for the country's freedom under Subhash Chandra Bose's INA in her younger days. But for the rest of her life, she fought for the freedom fighter's pension that was due to her.
However, just nine days after the President signed her pension papers, she died.

Freedom fighter to housemaid Laxmi joined the Indian National Army (INA) when she was 15 and after Independence, she worked as a housemaid to make ends meet. Her grandson, Probin Raj, who works in Bangalore had been helping in her battle for her freedom fighter's pension from the Centre. Laxmi, who lived in Orissa, got just Rs 1,000 a month from the state government.

"On August 18 this year, she met President Pratibha Patil who promised her that the government would fulfill her needs. The President signed the pension papers on September 26. But what is the use now? My grandmother is gone. During her lifetime she did not get any money from the government and washed dishes to make a living.

The authorities too made her run from pillar-to-post," said Probin.

Laxmi suffered from a brain stroke last month and was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Cuttack. On October 3, she was shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi. "A social worker, Anil, helped us by flying her to Delhi," he said.

Brave warrior

Last year Laxmi had told MiD DAY her story:

"I joined the INA when I was 15 along with my brother Nakula Rath. Our father was working with the railways in Burma. During a bomb explosion, both my parents died. Lt N C Das of the INA adopted us. We both became active members of the INA. I was a part of the Jhansi Laxmi Bai Regiment."

"At INA I was trained in arms and also in espionage. The British soldiers loved frogs. So we women used to sell frogs to the soldiers, and while doing so, we would collect information on their movements and ammunition.

Women soldiers hid in the jungles of Burma and came out only at nights. When we had to escape to Singapore, we moved only at nights."