Democracy fighters honored on Emergency Memorial Day
Raipur, 26 June 2025
Democracy is not just a system of governance, but a way of life. The freedom that we are experiencing today in the atmosphere of democracy was paid for by some people during the Emergency by facing torture, humiliation and spending time in jails. It is our duty to convey the pain and struggle of these democracy fighters to every generation. Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai said this while addressing the Emergency Memorial Day program organized at his residential office today.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai called upon the people to be cautious of anti-democracy forces and to keep working continuously to strengthen democracy. He said that the democracy fighters who fought to protect democracy were tied in chains and tortured physically and mentally. All this happened in independent India, but that inhumanity reminded us of the cruelty of the British rule. The democracy fighters who suffered unbearable pain during the Emergency are a source of inspiration for us even today.
Chief Minister Shri Sai felicitated the democracy fighters on this occasion. In the programme, he also released the book ‘Those 21 months: Emergency’ written by Shri Sachchidanand Upasne.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai said that 25 June 1975 is considered the darkest day in the democratic history of India. During the Emergency, thousands of people were thrown into jails without any crime, fundamental rights were snatched away and democracy was strangled. Chief Minister Shri Sai said that he has seen this tragedy very closely. His late elder father Shri Narhari Prasad Sai was also imprisoned for 19 months during that period. The stories told by him still send chills down the spine. He told how the democracy fighters were chained and subjected to physical and mental torture. All this happened in independent India, but that inhumanity reminded us of the cruelty of the British rule. He said that even the freedom of artists was snatched away during the Emergency. When playback singer Kishore Kumar refused to sing government propaganda songs, his songs were banned on All India Radio.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that the Chhattisgarh government had started giving honorarium to the democracy fighters, which was stopped by the previous government. Our government not only restarted this honorarium, but also paid the outstanding amount of the last five years which was stopped by the previous government.
The Chief Minister said that now the funeral of the democracy fighters will be done with state honors and their families will be given a financial assistance of ₹ 25,000. Apart from this, by passing an Act in the Assembly, it has been ensured that no government can end this Samman Yojana in future.
In his address, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr. Raman Singh elaborated on the horrors of the Emergency and the sacrifices of the fighters for democracy. He said that it is the responsibility of today’s generation to convey to every citizen of the country the torture of the 21 months of Emergency and the blow to democracy. Dr. Singh said that it is our good fortune that today the participants of the MISA movement and their families are among us. Terming the Emergency as unconstitutional, he said that at that time the entire country was turned into a huge prison. The pillars of democracy—the judiciary, the executive, the legislature and the media—were rendered inactive. Censorship was imposed on the press and those who spoke the truth were put in jails. He said that the country was going through a deep economic and social crisis at that time—inflation, unemployment and corruption were at their peak. There was resentment brewing among the people and the Emergency was imposed to suppress it. He said that if democracy is alive and strong today, then the credit for this goes to those fighters who protected the Constitution and the soul of the country despite facing immense hardships.
On this occasion, Shri Pawan Sai and National Vice President of Loktantra Senani Sangh, Shri Sachchidanand Upasne also addressed the program.
Industry Minister Mr. Lakhanlal Devangan, MLA Mr. Motilal Sahu, CGMSC Chairman Mr. Deepak Mhaske, Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Mr. Sanjay Srivastava, Minority Commission Chairman Mr. Amarjeet Chhabra, Raipur Development Authority Chairman Mr. Nand Kumar Sahu, State President of Loktantra Senani Sangh Mr. Diwakar Tiwari along with a large number of Loktantra Senani and their family members were present in the program.
