Panel to go into plea for declaring Nov1 as Puducherry's I-day

The Puducherry administration has constituted a nine-member committee under the chairmanship of a former Madras High Court judge to go into the plea for declaring November 1 as Independence day of Puducherry.
A release said today the committee had been asked to go into the plea from several quarters including freedom fighters and make recommendations to government on declaring November 1 a public holiday and also Independence Day of Puducherry within three months.
The committee will be headed by Madras High Court judge David Annousamy, the release said.
The Lt Governor has ordered formation of the committee.
Puducherry became free de facto on November 1, 1954 in the wake of referendum held in the neighboring Kizhoor village on October 18, 1954 through which it was ascertained that all the then French establishments (Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam) be merged with Indian Union.

A Treaty of cession was signed between the French and Indian governments leading to Puducherry and other pockets emerging free de facto from French regime. This was followed by de jure transfer of power after the Treaty was ratified in French Parliament and the Union Territory came into being in 1963.