Puducherry
Sources in the Directorate of Information and Publicity Directorate said that they would participate in the celebration at Kizhoor and felicitate the freedom fighters of Puducherry that day.
Kizhoor was the venue for the referendum in October 1954 and the overwhelming verdict favoured liberation of Puducherry and its constituent regions from French regime, paving the way for the merger of Puducherry with Indian Union. The de facto merger took place in 1954 and this was followed by de jure transfer of power on August 16, 1962. Puducherry Freedom Fighters Movement President D Sivaradjou said a detailed letter had been written to the Home Ministry seeking the Centre’s directives to government to hold the function on Aug 16 to highlight the significance of the day. August 16 is a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Former CM Goubert remembered
Meanwhile, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Welfare Minister M Kandasamy paid homage at the statue of the former Chief Minister Edouard Goubert on his 37th death anniversary on Sunday. Goubert was also Mayor of Puducherry Municipal council and a veteran freedom fighter.
He was chiefly responsible for establishing JIPMER a premier medical college in Central sector here in the post-merger days. Goubert had a close rapport with the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Aurobindo’s birth anniversary
A large number of people from different parts of the country and abroad on Sunday visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram here to pay homage to the celebrated philosopher Sri Aurobindo on his 144th birth anniversary. The room used by Sri Aurobindo was thrown open for public darshan.
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