Nadar Singh, a 101-year-old freedom fighter from Haryana's Fatehabad district, is waging a personal battle to correct an administrative error that has effectively erased him from official records — the government mistakenly declared him dead approximately three years ago.
Singh, who dedicated his youthful years to India's freedom struggle, has been denied access to the pension benefits he has earned as a veteran combatant for the cause of independence. The bureaucratic blunder reportedly occurred when local authorities in Fatehabad recorded his death without any verification or knowledge of his family.
According to sources, the mistake was discovered only after Singh or his relatives approached the sub-collector's office seeking their pension dues. Instead of finding a living beneficiary, officials' records indicated the freedom fighter had passed away years ago — a claim that came as a shock to everyone involved.
Local activists and supporters have rallied behind Singh's case, calling it a glaring example of how bureaucratic negligence can strip elderly citizens, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, of their constitutional rights. Several petitions have been submitted to district authorities demanding immediate correction of the record and release of overdue pension payments.
The Fatehabad administration has yet to issue an official statement acknowledging the error, though sources suggest officials are aware of the discrepancy. However, no corrective action has been taken so far, leaving the centenarian in limbo.
Freedom fighters like Singh are entitled to monthly pensions under central government schemes designed to honor their contributions to the struggle for independence. With inflation and rising costs of living, the pension is often the primary source of income for elderly veterans who have few other means of financial support.
Rights advocates say cases like Singh's highlight systemic gaps in how the government maintains records of freedom fighters — many of whom are now in their nineties and beyond, often living in remote areas with limited digital literacy among their families. Experts have called for a comprehensive audit of freedom fighter pension records across the country to identify and correct similar errors before more veterans suffer.
