Dehradun. That dark night of 25 June 1975 is such a page in the history of the country, which cannot be forgotten even if one wants to. To honor the memories of this period and the heroes who protected democracy, Dehradun’s G.M.S. A special program was organized on the occasion of ‘Samvidhan assassination day’ in a hotel located on the road. In this emotional and dignified ceremony, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami honored the democracy fighters and their families who raised their voice against the Emergency.

Chief Minister Dhami bluntly said from the stage that the then government had hurt the soul of the country just to save its power. The liberties of ordinary citizens were snatched away, freedom of newspapers and press was locked and the very spirit of our sacred Constitution was deeply hurt. Actually, CM Dhami was referring to the dictatorship of that period, which had turned the entire country into a jail.

‘Constitution Killing Day’ and honoring democracy fighters

Saluting the elderly fighters present in the program, the Chief Minister said that the free air we are breathing today has become possible only because of the sacrifice, courage and long struggle of these democracy fighters. If these people had not endured lathicharge and jail torture during that period, it would have been difficult to restore democratic order in the country. It is being told that the government is now also considering a plan to convey the struggles of these fighters to the new generation through school curriculum and digital mediums so that the feeling of ‘Nation First’ can be awakened among the youth.

Increase in pension and government facilities

In fact, the Dhami government of Uttarakhand has been very serious about the honor and welfare of democracy fighters. The Chief Minister himself mentioned this in his address. He reminded that in the year 2023, his government had directly increased the Samman Nidhi of democracy fighters from Rs 16 thousand to Rs 20 thousand per month. Apart from this, special identity cards have also been issued to the fighters and their dependent spouses who have spent their days behind bars during the Emergency, so that they do not face any problem in availing the benefits of any government office or facility.

Reference was made to Antyodaya and good governance

On this occasion, the Chief Minister praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that today the Central Government is working keeping ‘service, good governance and poor welfare’ at the center. On the basis of the basic mantra that we have received – ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’, the benefits of development are being extended to the person sitting at the last end of the society i.e. Antyodaya. He called upon everyone to fulfill their responsibility in building a developed India and a better Uttarakhand.

In this special honor ceremony, not only the Chief Minister but many big faces of Uttarakhand politics were also present. On the stage, Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, Khajan Das, MLA Savita Kapoor, Umesh Sharma Kau along with BJP State Vice President Shailendra Bisht, State General Secretary Kundan Parihar and Metropolitan President Siddharth Aggarwal were also seen encouraging the fighters. Everyone unanimously expressed their gratitude towards these guardians of democracy.