Pondicherry today is famous for Sri Aurobindo's Ashram. But during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it played a crucial role in the fight against both British and French imperialism.

Pondicherry has a unique place in the history of the freedom movement. It played a twin role, first it had to fight for its own freedom from the French and secondly, it gave active support to the Independence struggle against the British. Great nationalists like Sri Aurobindo and Subramaniam Bharati took asylum in Pondicherry when Britishers were out to arrest them. During his stay in Pondicherry, Bharati edited 'India' after it was banned in Madras by the British administra­tion. It was in Pondicherry that the revolution­ary v.v. Subramaniya Iyer gave arms training to Vanchinathan, the youth who later killed the then Tirunelveli collector Ashe, a white man.

The freedom movement, in French dominat­ed parts of India dates back from the days the British left India. However, even earlier there were agitations now and then against the French rulers. Way back in 1787 and 1791, farmers of Karaikal agitated against the heavy land tax imposed by the French. The first war of Indian Independence had its impact in the French settlements but it did not attract the attention of the rulers, as the incidents were few and consid­ered as local. People employed legal means to fight against the French. In 1873, an advocate, Ponnutharnmbi Pillai, moved the Paris court and won the case in which he was awarded a penalty by a French Magistrate in Pondicherry for walking into the court with footwear.

In 1946, the French India Congress was formed with the objective of integrating the French possessions with India. Later next year, the French India Students Congress adopted a resolution on merger. In January 1948, the French People's Convention passed a resolution expressing its determination to merge the French possessions with the motherland. The Communist Party also asked the people to accept only the merger.

The freedom movement in the British India had its echo in Pondicherry also. There were student agitations in 1927 and 1930 which exhibited their sentiments. Leaders like Mahat­ma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Bal Gangad­har Tilak visited Pondicherry and its other enclaves and addressed the meetings. In 1934, 'Swatantram', a monthly, was started by veteran freedom fighter and trade union leader V.Sub­biah for the cause of workers and the country.

The new Government under Jawahar Lal Nehru was anxious to integrate the French Indian territories with the country. India signed an agreement with France in June 1948 which gave power to the people for determining the political status of their land.

Finally, a treaty of cession was signed by India and France in May 1956. It was ratified by the French Parliament in May 1962. On August 16, 1962 India and France exchanged the instru­ments of ratification under which France ceded to India's full sovereignty over the territories it held. Pondicherry and other enclaves of Karaikkal, Mahe and Yanam came to be admin­istered as Union Territory of Pondicherry from July 1, 1963.