Amitabh Bachchan adopts a freedom fighter

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has a heart of gold. He was moved by the fighting spirit of a 90-year-old freedom fighter for her pension so much so that he decided to adopt her for five years. He said that all Gayatri Devi wants is her due.

“I am moved by their plight. Particularly that of the 90 year old lady and have announced that I shall take care of her pension for the next 5 years. She blesses me. She has only that element of humanity left in her. She can barely walk. And she is old. And all she wants is her due - her pension - Rs 3,500 /- per month from the Government !!" wrote Amitabh on his blog.

Gayatri Devi has been trying to restore her freedom fighter's pension for the last four years and holding dharna on the streets of the capital. She had been enjoying the Samman pension scheme for freedom fighters since 1997 from the Bihar government but was stopped in 2002, alleging that her name appeared in a list of fake freedom fighters. She has been trying to get justice since then and has approached many prominent names but nothing worked.

She was moved into an old age home and granted a destitute pension after the intervention of the Delhi Government. But the spirit in her has not died down. She is determined to get her freedom fighter's pension from the Bihar Government.