Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 25 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the nomination of nodal officers at the government level to promptly resolve the issues of democracy fighters.

He directed that preparations be made to bring an Act in the monsoon session in the welfare and interest of democracy fighters. The Chief Minister has directed that the process of the democracy fighters' honour fund be simplified. He asked the officials to resolve the problems of democracy fighters soon. The CM has directed the concerned secretary to provide certificates to the democracy fighters immediately.

CM Dhami said that our government had decided to increase the honour fund received by democracy fighters every month, which will be increased further in the coming time.

'Our government is fully committed to solving every problem of democracy fighters. We will continue to organise the honour program of democracy fighters every year to convey your incomparable contribution to the nation to the people,' Dhami said.

CM Dhami welcomed democracy fighters and their families to the Chief Minister's residence on the occasion of Samvidhan Hatya Diwas 2025, organised to mark the completion of 50 years of the imposition of Emergency.

Saluting all the democracy fighters, CM Dhami said that it is a matter of great pride to honour those who gave their all to protect the democratic values of India during the dark period of the Emergency.

'The democracy fighters did not let the lamp of democracy extinguish, even while living in the dungeons of jails. This is the result of the penance, sacrifice and unwavering resolve of the democracy guards, due to which every citizen of India has a sincere faith in democracy,' he said.

CM Dhami said that 25 June 1975 will always be remembered as a black chapter in the history of Indian democracy.

'50 years ago on this day, Emergency was imposed on the country, and an attempt was made to crush the soul of the Constitution. And all this was the result of one person's dogmatism and dictatorial attitude,' CM Dhami said.

CM Dhami said that the Allahabad High Court had found the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral corruption and cancelled her Lok Sabha membership.

'Fearing the loss of power, an Emergency was declared in a great democratic country like India on the night of 25 June. The Indian Parliament was strangled, freedom of the press was held hostage, the dignity of the judiciary was shredded, and the fundamental rights of millions of countrymen were trampled upon. In those dark days of the Emergency, the then government, intoxicated with power, ruthlessly suppressed all opposition leaders, hundreds of journalists and every voice that was being raised to protect democracy. The entire country was turned into an open prison by crushing freedom of expression. Thousands of democracy supporters were thrown into jails by imposing black laws like MISA and DIR.' CM Dhami said.

The Chief Minister said that during the Emergency, great leaders like Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan, revered Nanaji Deshmukh and revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee, while being in jails, worked to awaken the youth towards democracy.

'Resisting the oppression of the government, students of universities and colleges across the country took to the streets against dictatorship and started a public awakening in favour of democracy. The protest that started from many educational institutions in many cities like Delhi, Banaras, Allahabad, Patna, Jaipur, Pune, and Bengaluru gradually became a nationwide people's revolution. Many social-cultural organisations, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, also launched a movement with their full strength to revive democracy. Thousands of youth accepted to go to jail, endured torture, but did not bow down to injustice,' CM Dhami said.

The Chief Minister said that in the general election of 1977, the people of the country ushered in a new dawn of democracy by electing a non-Congress government for the first time.

'After the freedom struggle of India, it was the second biggest people's revolution that liberated India from the monopoly of power. Our illustrious Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, himself was playing a leading role in the fight for democracy by staying underground during the Emergency. This is the reason why he started celebrating 25th June as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' to make the coming generations aware of the contribution of democracy fighters and the dark chapter of Emergency,' he said.

The CM Dhami said that today, under the leadership of the respected Prime Minister, work is being done in a planned manner for the welfare of every person by considering power as a medium of service.

'Under the leadership and guidance of the Prime Minister, our government is working with full determination to honour the democracy fighters. In this sequence, today we have decided to honour the democracy fighters on the completion of 50 years of the Emergency. Along with this, various exhibitions are being organised across the state today with the aim of making our young generation aware of this great movement against the Emergency,' CM Dhami. (ANI)