Puducherry to celebrate Liberation day for first time
Nov 1 marks merger of French colonies in India
By : harigovind
Update: 2014-10-23 05:39 GMT
MAHE: Sixty years after the de facto transfer of French territories to India was signed in New Delhi between the two countries, Puducherry will celebrate its Liberation Day for the first time on November 1. Though last year the State Government had declared a public holiday, no official functions were held.
However, this year, the Government has directed all administrative units and institutions to celebrate November 1 as ‘Puducherry Liberation Day’ on the lines of the Republic Day and Independence Day. The Mahe administration has also geared up for wide celebrations as a part of the day.
It was after a long pending demand from freedom-fighters in Pondicherry that the Government decided to recognize the day. “The de facto transfer or merger of Puducherry and other French colonies with India came into effect on November 1, 1954.
“The Government used to observe August 16 as the special day because it was on the same day in1962 that the rights and laws enshrined in the Indian Constitution were extended to the people of Puducherry, which is known as de jure transfer”, explains Mahe Regional Administrator Dinesh Mangalat.
“Following the request from freedom fighters, the administration appointed a committee chaired by Judge David Anusamy and based on the recommendations, the Chief Minister declared November 1 as Liberation Day,” he adds.
The Regional Administrator said full-fledged arrangements would be made by the administration to celebrate the day. Freedom-fighters from Mahe would be honoured on the day.
However, many freedom-fighters in Mahe are raising the demand to celebrate July 16 as Mahe’s libration, as on that day in 1954, freedom- fighters under the leadership of I.K.Kumaran took over the administration from the French administrator marking the end of 228 years of French rule in Mahe.