Raipur, June 26, 2025/ Democracy is not just a system of governance, but a way of life. Today, we are experiencing the freedom in the atmosphere of democracy, the price of which some people paid during the Emergency by enduring 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 Remembrance Day program organized at his residence office today.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai called for being cautious of anti-democracy forces and constantly striving to strengthen democracy. He said that the democracy fighters who fought to protect democracy were shackled and subjected to physical and mental torture. All this happened in independent India, but that inhumanity reminded of the cruelty of British rule. The democracy fighters who endured unbearable suffering during the Emergency are still a source of inspiration for us.
Chief Minister Shri Sai honored the democracy fighters on this occasion. In the program, he also released the book ‘Wo 21 Mahine: Apatkal’ written by Shri Sachchidanand Upasane.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai said that June 25, 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 taken 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 narrated by him still give goosebumps. He explained how democracy fighters were shackled and subjected to physical and mental torture. All this happened in independent India, but that inhumanity again reminded of the cruelty of British rule. He said that even the freedom of artists was taken away during the Emergency. When the playback singer Kishore Kumar refused to sing government propaganda songs, his songs were banned on Akashvani.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that the Chhattisgarh government had started giving honorarium to 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 stopped by the previous government.
The Chief Minister informed that now the funeral of the democracy fighters will be performed with state honors and an assistance amount of ₹25,000 will be provided to their families. In addition, by passing an act in the assembly, it has been ensured that no government in the future can abolish this honor scheme.
In his address, Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh elaborated on the horrors of the Emergency and the sacrifices of the democracy fighters. He said that it is the responsibility of today’s generation to convey the torture of 21 months of Emergency and the attacks on democracy to every citizen of the country. Dr. Singh said that it is our good fortune that the participants of the Misabandhi movement and their families are among us today. He termed the Emergency as unconstitutional and said that at that time the whole country was turned into a vast prison. The pillars of democracy—judiciary, executive, legislature, and media—were made inactive. Censorship was imposed on the press and those who spoke the truth were put in jail. He said that the country was then going through a deep economic and social crisis—inflation, unemployment, and corruption were at their peak. Anger was brewing within the public and the Emergency was imposed to crush it. He said that if democracy is alive and strong today, then the credit goes to those fighters who, despite suffering immense hardships, protected the Constitution and the soul of the country.
On this occasion, Shri Pawan Sai and the National Vice President of the Democracy Fighter Association, Shri Sachchidanand Upasane, also addressed the program.
Industry Minister Shri Lakhanlal Dewangan, MLA Shri Motilal Sahu, Chairman of CGMSC Shri Deepak Mhaske, Chairman of Civil Supplies Corporation Shri Sanjay Srivastava, Chairman of Minority Commission Shri Amarjeet Chhabra, Chairman of Raipur Development Authority Shri Nand Kumar Sahu, State President of Democracy Fighter Association Shri Diwakar Tiwari, along with a large number of democracy fighters and their families were present.
