Puducherry: The Union territory of Puducherry celebrated 56th De Jure Day on Wednesday to mark the day after which Puducherry became a Union Territory of India.
Celebrations were held at the border village of Kizhoor. Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, his Cabinet colleagues among others participated and paid tribute to the freedom fighters who participated in the referendum.
The “De-Jure” was celebrated as the Independence Day of Puducherry and a public holiday was declared.
The French government came forward to liberate the territory from its rule following a referendum at Kizhoor village on November 1 in 1954 in which 174 of the total 181 councilors elected from various commune panchayats in Puducherry took part. But it was on August 16, 1962, India and France exchanged the instruments of ratification under which France ceded to India’s full sovereignty the territories it held.
Chief minister hosted a tea party for the freedom fighters in the presence of his cabinet colleagues and officials of the territorial administration.
