Cash-strapped Assam freedom fighter chooses a life of dignity over govt aid

GUWAHATI: The 94-year-old freedom fighter, Paresh Chandra Das, who had later turned into a hardcore Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) pracharak and one of the founding members of BJP from Assam, has never compromised with values, ethics, ideals and self-esteem in life, said his son Bireswar Das (55).
On Tuesday, two days after the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the eve of Republic Day, Bireswar narrated how Paresh had come in touch with Bose during his visit to Assam’s Dhubri district in 1938 and worked as a volunteer of Netaji’s All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) at the age of 12.
He also dedicated his life for the country and made immense sacrifices for BJP. However, life has not been kind to him as he is grappling with financial crisis and health issues, he added. “He can starve to death, but will never seek anything in return from the government or BJP,” said Bireswar, a resident of Pyari Mohan Lane in Dhubri’s RK Mission Road, who owns an electronic goods shop to run the family.
“My father has become mentally ill. Often, he fails to remember his past. But sometimes when he is able to jog his failing memory, he offers us a glimpse of his life when he used to work with AIFB and RSS. He stitches together a portion of his life when he had joined BJP and worked for the party’s growth, particularly in Assam,” he said. When TOI tried to strike a conversation with Paresh, he kept repeating on how he was arrested by the British police for his involvement with Netaji and was left in a deep forest in the Panbari area, and also walked down the memory lane of his RSS and BJP days.
Bireswar said, “I remember how my father used to be busy with party (BJP) activities. He did not have any time for his four children. He was a man of principle and has not misappropriated or taken a single penny for his contribution to the party till date. My mother had to work as a daily wager to run our family.” He added that his father was honoured by the BJP government in its first term of coming to power in the state. “Apart from that, his father has not received any help from the party or government. In fact, he has never wanted anything other than dignity,” Bireswar said.