The
Independence Day of India is celebrated on the fifteenth of August to commemorate its independence from
British rule and its birth as a
sovereign nation in 1947.
[1] The day is a
national holiday in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the
local administration in
attendance. The main event takes place in
Delhi, the
capital city of
India, where the
Prime Minister hoists the
national flag at the
Red Fort and
delivers a nationally televised speech from its ramparts. In his speech, he highlights the achievements of his government during the past year, raises important issues and gives a call for further development. The Prime Minister also pays his tribute to leaders of the
freedom struggle.
In 1946 the
Labour government in Britain, its exchequer exhausted by the recently concluded World War II, and conscious that it had neither the mandate at home, the international support, nor the reliability of
native forces for continuing to control an increasingly restless India,
[2][3] decided to end British rule of India, and in early 1947 Britain announced its intention of transferring power no later than June 1948.
Map of India before Partition
As independence approached, the violence between Hindus and Muslims in the provinces of Punjab and Bengal continued unabated. With the British army unprepared for the potential for increased violence, the new viceroy,
Louis Mountbatten, advanced the date for the transfer of power, allowing less than seven months for a mutually agreed plan for independence. In June 1947, the nationalist leaders, including
Pandit Nehru,
Abul Kalam Azad,
Mohammed Ali Jinnah,
B. R. Ambedkar and
Master Tara Singh agreed to a
partition of the country along religious lines. The predominantly Hindu and Sikh areas were assigned to the new India and predominantly Muslim areas to the new nation of
Pakistan; the plan included a partition of the provinces of Punjab and Bengal.
Prime Minister Nehru, delivering the speech, Tryst With Destiny, at the house.
Many millions of Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu refugees trekked across the
newly drawn borders. In Punjab, where the new border lines divided the Sikh regions in half, massive bloodshed followed; in Bengal and Bihar, where
Mahatma Gandhi's presence assuaged communal tempers, the violence was more limited. In all, anywhere between 250,000 and 500,000 people on both sides of the new borders died in the violence.
[4] On 14 August 1947, the new
Dominion of Pakistan came into being, with
Muhammad Ali Jinnah sworn in as its first Governor General in
Karachi. At the stroke of midnight, as India moved into August 15, 1947,
Jawaharlal Nehru, read out the famous
Tryst with destiny speech proclaiming India's independence.India, now a smaller
Union of India, became an independent country with official ceremonies taking place in New Delhi, and with
Jawaharlal Nehru assuming the office of the first
prime minister, and the viceroy, Louis Mountbatten, staying on as its first
Governor General.
[edit] Celebrations
The Indian flag at Delhi Gate
The Prime Minister of India hoists the
Indian flag on the ramparts of the historical site,
Red Fort (लाल क़िला),
Delhi, on August 15. This is telecasted live on the National Channel Doordarshan and many other News Channels all over India. Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs take place in all the state capitals. In the cities around the country the national flag is hoisted by politicians in their constituencies. In various private organisations the flag hoisting is carried out by a senior official of that organisation. Schools and colleges around the country organize flag hoisting ceremonies and various cultural events within their premises, where younger children in costume represent their idols of the Independence era.
History
On the eve of India’s independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru famous speech “Tryst with Destiny” marked the beginning of a free India with words symbolizing hope and triumph.
India got its independence from the clutches of British rule on 15th August 1947. It was this day when India’s tricolor flag was unfolded by Pandit Nehru on the barricades of the Red Fort at Delhi. Each and every patriotic soul watched with excitement and paid tribute to thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom.
The Independence Day of India is a moment of delight and grandeur but to achieve it the nation had to put up a long battle for over two centuries against the British Empire. At last on 3rd June 1947, the last British Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, declared the separation of the British Empire in India into India and Pakistan. The announcement was made under the terms of the Indian Independence Act 1947.
Significance of Independence Day
The significance of the Independence Day in the existence of a nation is of greater value. The day is much more than merely celebrating the anniversary of India’s free statehood. On this day India attained a major part of Asian subcontinent’s 562 extensively spread territories besides British owned states.
15th August 1947 symbolizes the victory of Indian patriotism which the nation got after uncertain yet brutal struggle from the repression of the British colonialism. The British, who oppressed India for centuries had primarily arrived to initiate business but steadily captured the entire government of the nation. They educated the Indians and in the process generated enthusiasts who weren’t hesitant in helping them expanding their regime.
Men and women from all over India joined hands and fought for India’s freedom. Many were acclaimed while others contribution went unnoticed. However, praise wasn’t what they desired for. It was the dream of free and autonomous India which motivated them to walk the path of struggle unselfishly. Neither did they battle for their region nor for their natives, but for India and Indians.
At the time of growing communal and caste conflicts, it becomes significant to remind us that the people who laid the foundation of free India has always dreamt of an integrated nation. Hence, it is our duty to live and sustain their dreams, the sole reason for which Independence Day in India is observed.
It is a day to pay a mark of respect to our saviors because of whom we are breathing an air of freedom which does not have the elements of exploitation and repression.
Independence Day celebrations in India
Independence Day is considered as a national holiday in India. The arrangement begins a month before the D-day and the roads are embellished with ribbons and Indian flags.
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