Democracy is not just a system of governance but a way of life: The struggle of democracy fighters is a source of inspiration for all of us – Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai

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 we are experiencing in the atmosphere of democracy today, its price was paid by some people during the Emergency by 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 Vishnu Dev Sai said this while addressing the Emergency Memorial Day program organized at his residential office today. Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai called upon 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 of the cruelty of the British rule. The democracy fighters who suffered unbearable suffering during the Emergency are still a source of inspiration for us.

Chief Minister Sai honored the democracy fighters on this occasion. In the program, he also released the book ‘Woh 21 Mahonee: Emergency’ written by Sachchidanand Upasne. Chief Minister 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 put in jails without any crime, fundamental rights were snatched away and democracy was strangled. Chief Minister Sai said that he has seen this tragedy very closely. His late elder father 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 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 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 honor scheme in future.

In his address, Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh elaborately highlighted 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 blow to democracy to every citizen of the country. Dr. Singh said that it is the good fortune of all of us 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 whole 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 jail. 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. Resentment was brewing among the public and the Emergency was imposed to suppress it. He said that if democracy is alive and strong today, the credit for this goes to those fighters who protected the Constitution and the soul of the country despite immense suffering.

On this occasion, Pawan Sai and Loktantra Senani Sangh’s National Vice President Sachchidanand Upasane also addressed the program. Industry Minister Lakhanlal Devangan, MLA Motilal Sahu, CGMSC Chairman Deepak Mhaske, Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Sanjay Srivastava, Minority Commission Chairman Amarjeet Chhabra, Raipur Development Authority Chairman Nand Kumar Sahu, Loktantra Senani Sangh State President Diwakar Tiwari, along with a large number of Loktantra Senanis and their families were present in the program.