KOZHIKODE: Mahe, on Sunday celebrated Puducherry Liberation Day for the second time in history with Puducherry Minister for Electricity and School Education T Thiagarajan unfurling the tricolor at ‘Place de Arms’ (Mahe Government College Ground). The day marks the merger of French colonies with India in 1954.
Mahe MLA E Valsaraj and Regional Administrator Dinesh Mangalat were present during the ceremony. The occasion was marked by a grand parade by personnel of the Mahe Police, School contingents and cadet corps.
The Liberation Day ceremony also depicted the rich cultural heritage of Mahe through programmes and patriotic songs which reverberated across the administrative unit as the tricolour was unfurled at government offices and education institutions.
The Minister, elected representatives and officials later paid floral tribute to freedom fighters at the Freedom Fighters’ Memorial. The freedom fighters were felicitated by the administration with a special party. The Minister presented mementos to them.
It was after the long pending demand of freedom fighters 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.
However, the government was commemorating August 16 because on that day in 1962, the rights and laws enshrined in the Indian Constitution were extended to the people of Puducherry, which is known as de jure transfer.
Following the request from freedom fighters, the administration appointed a committee and based on their recommendations, the Chief Minister declared November 1 as Liberation Day and it was celebrated for the first time in 2014.
