CM Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the Loktantra Senani Samman Samaroh held on the completion of 50 years of Emergency at Himalayan Cultural Centre, Dehradun. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav was also present on the occasion. The Chief Minister honoured 10 democracy fighters including Shri Narendra Kumar Mittal, Shri Ranjit Singh Juyal.
CM Pushkar said that with the cooperation of the Central Government, forest matters in Uttarakhand are being resolved expeditiously and the state is getting all possible help on priority. Terming the democracy fighters as “Mahanayak,” he said the Emergency period will always be remembered as a dark chapter in India’s democratic history when the freedom of press was snatched, Parliament was held hostage and the judiciary was also curbed.
“In those difficult times, many leaders and organisations like Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Nanaji Deshmukh, LK Advani courageously raised their voice against the dictatorship and laid the foundation of the people’s revolution,” he said. The sons of Uttarakhand also played an important role in protecting democracy, including fighters like Chandra Singh Rathore of Bageshwar and Govind Ram Dhingra of Pauri.
CM Pushkar urged the youth to know the history of the Emergency so that they can understand the value of democracy and the importance of protecting it. He informed that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, an initiative has been taken to observe 25th June as “Constitution Killing Day” to make the new generation aware of the struggles of that period.
The Chief Minister said that the state government gives priority to the welfare of democracy fighters and such felicitation ceremonies would be held every year to take their contribution to the people. These programs will work to make the youth aware of democracy and make them aware of their rights and duties.
Cabinet Minister Shri Ganesh Joshi, Rajya Sabha MP Shri Mahendra Bhatt were among those present on the occasion.