As India marks five decades since the imposition of the Emergency in 1975, Ministry of Culture held a special observance of Samvidhan Hatya Diwas on 25 June, 2026. The programme was organised by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomous body under the Ministry, at its New Delhi campus. Hon'ble Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presided over the event as chief guest.
The event was attended by Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA); Shri Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Shri K.K. Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Dr. Vinod Narayan Indurkar, Chairman, CCRT; and Shri Rajeev Kumar, Director (Media and Publicity), Ministry of Culture; Shri Pappunjay Kumar, Director, CCRT.
The proceedings began with a walkthrough of the exhibition "Long Live Democracy", which captured the impact of the Emergency on India's institutions and citizens, and highlighted the importance of protecting constitutional rights.
Addressing the gathering, Hon’ble Minister Shekhawat said that democracy runs deep in India's civilisational identity. He described the occasion as an opportunity to pay tribute to those who fought silently to protect constitutional freedom. The Minister underlined that democracy goes beyond electoral processes. It encompasses the right to free expression, a free press, the dignity of every citizen, and the primacy of the Constitution. Reflecting on the Emergency years, he said that the period ultimately served as a reminder of how precious democratic values are and at what cost they are preserved.
Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, veteran journalist, author, and a voice who was himself detained during the Emergency, delivered a special address. He spoke of the ordeals faced by the nation during those years and the quiet resilience of democratic institutions that ultimately prevailed.
A cultural highlight of the programme was a special performance by CCRT scholars titled "Musical Tribute to the Spirit of Democracy: From Silence to Voice, From Darkness to Dawn", presented under the artistic direction of noted flautist Pandit Chetan Joshi. The performance paid homage to the enduring spirit of India's democracy.
During the event, a parallel exhibition on the Digital District Repository (DDR) was also presented. A national initiative developed during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemoration, the DDR seeks to discover and document district-level stories, personalities, and places linked to India's freedom struggle. The exhibition was inaugurated on 24 June, 2026 by Dr. Vinod Narayan Indurkar, Chairman, CCRT, and Shri Rajeev Kumar, Director (Media & Publicity), Ministry of Culture. It drew an encouraging response from across sections of society. Over 1,500 children, 400 teachers from various schools and NGOs across the region visited the exhibition, alongside approximately 300 members of the general public. A short film on the significance of Samvidhan Hatya Diwas was also screened on the occasion.
The programme also included the DDR Felicitation Ceremony, recognising individuals and institutions for their contributions to the repository. Freedom fighters Shri Sheshrao Laxmanrao Khot and Shri Yeddula Suryanarayana Reddy were honoured alongside their families for their lifelong service to the nation. Teachers, researchers, and contributing institutions were also acknowledged. Documentary screenings and artist-led sketch presentations inspired by repository narratives added a creative dimension to the ceremony.
The event further featured a curated display of artworks from the Ministry of Culture's nationwide Seva Parv initiative, presented under the theme "Viksit Bharat ke Rang, Kala ke Sang". The initiative has sought to foster cultural pride and creative expression as expressions of social responsibility across India.
