OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday underscored the importance of drawing lessons from the past and reaffirming the collective commitment to uphold the Constitution.
Leading the observance of “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” in the border district of Tawang, Khandu called upon the people to safeguard civil liberties and preserve the democratic values that define the nation.
He said the day serves as a reminder of the need to protect the Constitution and strengthen democratic principles.
“Let us draw lessons from the past and reaffirm our commitment to protect the Constitution, safeguard civil liberties, and preserve the democratic values that define our great nation,” the chief minister said in a post on X.
The day marks the anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in 1975, widely regarded as one of the most challenging and darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.
The programme was jointly organized by the BJP Tawang district unit and the district administration to reflect on the significance of constitutional integrity and democratic ethos.
State BJP president Kaling Moyong, MLAs Tsering Lhamu (Lungla) and Namgey Tsering (Tawang), former MLA Tsering Tashi, Zilla Parishad Chairperson Leki Gombu, APSCW Chairperson Yalem Taga Burang, Deputy Commissioner Namgyal Angmo, and Superintendent of Police D W Thongon were among those present, an official communique said.
During the event, the chief minister also felicitated students who had won various school-level competitions, drawing, painting, essay writing, and speech, organised to mark the occasion.
Participating in an event in Itanagar, Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik described the day as one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s democratic history.
He said the occasion serves as a powerful reminder of the time when the Constitution was suppressed, and citizens’ rights were silenced.
The governor reflected on the solemn significance of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, imposed on the midnight of June 25, 1975. He noted that the period witnessed a complete breakdown of democratic norms, with civil liberties suspended and the country reduced to a prison “for the sake of retaining power.”
Recalling the three instances of national emergency in India, during the 1962 war with China, the 1971 war with Pakistan, and the 1975 Emergency, Parnaik underlined the importance of educating younger generations on the fragility of democratic values and the need for constant vigilance to protect the Constitution.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Legislative Assembly Speaker Tesam Pongte, Deputy Speaker Kardo Nyigyor, Women & Child Development and Cultural Affairs Minister Dasanglu Pul, and Chief Secretary Manish Gupta were also present at the Itanagar event.
Addressing the gathering, deputy chief minister Chowna Mein described the Emergency as a stark reminder of how constitutional values can be eroded when authoritarianism overtakes accountability.
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