A nine-member committee under the chairmanship of a former Madras High Court judge has been constituted by Puducherry administration to give recommendations on the issue of declaring November 1 as Puducherry Independence Day and a public holiday.
At present Puducherry observes its independence day on August 16, marking the dejure transfer, on which day the Treaty of Cession between France and Indian government was ratified by parliaments of both the countries.
However, freedom fighters, activists, political parties alike want the liberation day (November 1) to be declared as Puducherry Independence day, marking the defacto transfer made through a treaty of Cession between French and Indian government on November 1, 1954, on which day Puducherry was merged with the Indian Union.
According recent Government Order issued by the Lieutenant Governor on Nov 23, the committee will examine the plea from several quarters including French India Puducherry Pradesa Viduthalai Kaala Makkal Nala Narpani Iyakkam and after examining it will make recommendations to government within three months.
The committee will be headed by a Madras High Court judge, David Annousamy, with the Director of Information and Publicity as the member secretary. The other committee members, who are well versed in the history of Puducherry include B Krishnamurthy, Director of Centre for European Studies, Pondicherry University, Dr S A Vengada Soupraya Nayagar, associate professor of French, Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post graduate studies, Lawspet, Dr S Anandavadivelu, president, Alliance Francaise, T Janakiraman alias Kalladan, president, Historical Society of India, R Ramasrinivasan, Tamrapatra awardee-cum- freedom fighter, Karaikal, D Sivaraj, French India Puducherry Pradesa Viduthalai Kaala Makkal Nala Narpani Iyakkam and V Bhalan, chairman, AFT mills.