CM Sukhu pays tribute to V. V. Giri on birth anniversary
Synopsis
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu marked the birth anniversary of former President and freedom fighter V. V. Giri on 10 August, saluting his contributions to national service, workers' welfare, and India's development.
Key Takeaways
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu paid tribute to V.
Giri on his birth anniversary on 10 August .
Giri served as India's fourth President from 1969 to 1974 and was a prominent freedom fighter and trade union leader.
Sukhu highlighted Giri's dedication to national service, workers' welfare, and India's development .
Giri was the first President of India elected as an independent candidate, a historic constitutional moment.
The tribute reflects the Congress party's consistent alignment with labour rights and social justice themes.
On the birth anniversary of freedom fighter and former President V. V. Giri, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu offered respectful homage to a leader whose life bridged the independence movement and the labour rights cause.
Posting on 10 August, CM Sukhu wrote: 'स्वतंत्रता सेनानी एवं पूर्व राष्ट्रपति श्री वी. वी. गिरि जी की जयंती पर उन्हें सादर नमन' — 'Respectful homage to freedom fighter and former President V. V. Giri on his birth anniversary.' He added that Giri's dedication to national service and workers' welfare, and his contribution to the country's development, 'will always remain an inspiration.'
Who was V. V. Giri — and why labour still remembers him
Varahagiri Venkata Giri served as India's fourth President from 1969 to 1974, but his identity was forged long before Rashtrapati Bhavan. A participant in the independence movement, he built his public life around trade unionism and industrial relations at a time when organised labour had few institutional champions.
His presidency is also remembered for a constitutional moment: Giri was the first President elected as an independent candidate, winning after the Indian National Congress officially backed another nominee — a rupture that reshaped the party's internal dynamics for years. For the labour movement, however, his legacy is simpler and more enduring: a politician who came from workers and kept going back to them.
A routine tribute with a consistent political signal
Indian political figures regularly mark birth anniversaries of independence-era leaders and former presidents, using the occasion to align themselves with themes of national service and social justice. For CM Sukhu — who leads a Congress government in Himachal Pradesh — invoking Giri specifically underlines a labour-welfare framing that the party has historically claimed as its own.
The tribute is brief, but the choice of figure is deliberate. In a state where seasonal workers, government employees, and agricultural labour form a significant part of the electorate, keeping Giri's memory public is also a quiet statement of political identity.
Point of View
Where workers and government employees are a key electoral constituency, invoking a president who rose through trade unionism reinforces a welfare-oriented identity. The tribute also fits a broader pattern of Congress-led state governments using presidential anniversaries to signal continuity with the Nehruvian social contract. It is ceremonial, but ceremony in Indian politics is rarely without purpose.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is V. V. Giri's birth anniversary significant?
V. V. Giri's birth anniversary on 10 August is observed by political leaders and labour organisations across India to honour his contributions to the independence movement and workers' welfare.
What did CM Sukhu say about V. V. Giri?
CM Sukhu offered respectful homage and said that Giri's dedication to national service and workers' welfare, and his contribution to India's development, 'will always remain an inspiration.'
Was V. V. Giri associated with any political party?
V. V. Giri was associated with the Indian National Congress and was supported by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, though he won the presidential election in 1969 as an independent candidate after the Congress officially nominated someone else.
What is Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's role?
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and a leader of the Indian National Congress .
