Independence Day (India)
Independence Day (India)
Independence Day is
celebrated annually on 15 August as a national holiday in India
commemorating the nation's independence from the United Kingdom on
15 August 1947, the day when the provisions of the 1947 Indian
Independence Act, which transferred legislative sovereignty to the Indian
Constituent Assembly, came into effect. India retained King George VI as
head of state until its transition to a full republic, when the nation adopted
the Constitution of India on 26 January 1950 (celebrated as Indian
Republic Day) and replaced the dominion prefix, Dominion of India, with
the enactment of the sovereign law Constitution of India. India attained
independence following the Independence Movement noted for
largely non-violent resistance and civil disobedience.
Independence coincided with
the partition of India, in which British India was divided along
religious lines into the Dominions of India and Pakistan;
the partition was accompanied by violent riots and mass casualties, and the
displacement of nearly 15 million people due to religious violence. On 15
August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru raised
the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red
Fort in Delhi. On each subsequent Independence Day, the incumbent Prime
Minister customarily raises the flag and gives an address to the
nation. The entire event is broadcast by Doordarshan, India's
national broadcaster, and usually begins with the shehnai music
of Ustad Bismillah Khan.
Independence Day is observed
throughout India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events. It
is a national holiday.
History
European traders had
established outposts in the Indian subcontinent by
the 17th century. Through overwhelming military strength, the East India
Company fought and annexed local kingdoms and established
themselves as the dominant force by the 18th century. Following
the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Government
of India Act 1858 led the British Crown to
assume direct control of India. In the decades following, civic society
gradually emerged across India, most notably the Indian
National Congress Party, formed in 1885. The period after World War
I was marked by colonial reforms such as the Montagu–Chelmsford
Reforms, but it also witnessed the enactment of the unpopular Rowlatt
Act and calls for self-rule by Indian activists. The
discontent of this period crystallised into nationwide non-violent movements of
non-cooperation and civil disobedience, led by Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi.
During the 1930s, the reform
was gradually legislated by the British; Congress won victories in the
resulting elections. The next decade was beset with political turmoil: Indian
participation in World War II, the Congress' final push for
non-cooperation, and an upsurge of Muslim nationalism led
by the All-India Muslim League. The escalating political
tension was capped by Independence in 1947. The jubilation was tempered by
the bloody partition of the subcontinent into India and
Pakistan.
Independence Day before Independence
At the 1929 Lahore session
of the Indian National Congress, the Purna Swaraj declaration,
or "Declaration of the Independence of India" was
promulgated, and 26 January 1930 was declared as Independence Day at that
time. The Congress called on people to pledge themselves to civil
disobedience and "to carry out the Congress instructions issued
from time to time" until India attained complete
independence. Celebration of such an Independence Day was envisioned to
stoke nationalistic fervour among Indian citizens, and to force the British
government to consider granting independence. The Congress observed 26
January as the Independence Day between 1930 and 1946. The celebration was
marked by meetings where the attendants took the "pledge of
independence". Jawaharlal Nehru described in his autobiography that such
meetings were peaceful, solemn, and "without any speeches or
exhortation". Gandhi
envisaged that besides the meetings, the day would be spent " ... in
doing some constructive work, whether it is spinning, or service of
'untouchables,' or reunion of Hindus and Mussalmans, or prohibition work, or
even all these together". Following
actual independence in 1947, the Constitution of India came
into effect on and from 26 January 1950; since then 26 January is celebrated
as Republic Day.
Immediate background
In 1946, the Labour
government in Britain, its exchequer exhausted by the recently
concluded World War II, realised that it had neither the mandate
at home, the international support nor the reliability of native
forces for continuing to maintain control in an increasingly
restless India. On 20 February 1947, Prime Minister Clement
Attlee announced that the British government would grant full
self-governance to British India by June 1948 at the latest.
The new viceroy, Lord
Mountbatten, advanced the date for the transfer of power, believing the
continuous contention between the Congress and the Muslim League might lead to
a collapse of the interim government He chose the second anniversary of
Japan's surrender in World War II, 15 August, as the date of power transfer. The
British government announced on 3 June 1947 that it had accepted the idea of
partitioning British India into two states; the successor governments
would be given dominion status and would have an implicit right to secede from
the British Commonwealth. The Indian
Independence Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo 6 c. 30) of the Parliament
of the United Kingdom partitioned British India into
the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan (including what is
now Bangladesh) with effect from 15 August 1947, and granted complete
legislative authority upon the respective constituent assemblies of
the new countries. The Act received royal assent on
18 July 1947.
Partition and independence
Millions of Muslim, Sikh and
Hindu refugees trekked the newly drawn borders in the months
surrounding independence. In Punjab, where the borders divided
the Sikh regions in halves, massive bloodshed followed; in Bengal and Bihar,
where Mahatma Gandhi's presence assuaged communal tempers, the violence was
mitigated. In all, between 250,000 and 1,000,000 people on both sides of the
new borders died in the violence. While the entire nation was celebrating
the Independence Day, Gandhi stayed in Calcutta in an attempt to stem
the carnage. On 14 August 1947, the Independence Day of Pakistan, the
new Dominion of Pakistan came into being; Muhammad Ali Jinnah was
sworn in as its first Governor General in Karachi.
The Constituent Assembly
of India met for its fifth session at 11 pm on 14 August in the
Constitution Hall in New Delhi. The session was chaired by the
president Rajendra Prasad. In this session, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered
the Tryst with Destiny speech proclaiming India's independence.
Long years ago we made a tryst with
destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or
in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour,
when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes,
which comes but rarely in history when we step out from the old to the new when
an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.
It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to
the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.
— Tryst
with Destiny speech, Jawaharlal Nehru, 15 August 1947
The members of the Assembly
formally took the pledge of being in the service of the country. A group of
women, representing the women of India, formally presented the national flag to
the assembly.
The Dominion of India became an
independent country as official ceremonies took place in New Delhi. Nehru
assumed office as the first prime minister, and the viceroy, Lord
Mountbatten, continued as its first governor general. Gandhi's name
was invoked by crowds celebrating the occasion; Gandhi himself however took no
part in the official events. Instead, he marked the day with a 24-hour fast,
during which he spoke to a crowd in Calcutta, encouraging peace between Hindus
and Muslims.
Celebration
Independence Day, one of the three National
holidays in India (the other two being the Republic Day on 26
January and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday on 2 October), is observed in
all Indian states and union territories. On the eve of Independence Day,
the President of India delivers the "Address to the
Nation". On 15 August, the Prime Minister hoists the Indian flag on
the ramparts of the historical site of Red Fort in Delhi. Twenty-one
gun shots are fired in honour of the solemn occasion. In his speech,
the Prime Minister highlights the past year's achievements, raises important
issues and calls for further development. He pays tribute to the leaders of
the Indian independence movement. The Indian national anthem, "Jana
Gana Mana", is sung. The speech is followed by a march past of
divisions of the Indian Armed Forces and paramilitary forces.
Parades and pageants showcase scenes from the independence struggle and India's
diverse cultural traditions. Similar events take place in state capitals where
the Chief Ministers of individual states unfurl the national flag,
followed by parades and pageants. Until 1973, the Governor of the State
hoisted the National Flag at the State capital. In February 1974, the Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi took up the issue with then
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that the Chief Ministers, like the Prime
Minister, should be allowed to hoist the national flag on Independence Day.
Since 1974, Chief Ministers of the respective states have been allowed to hoist
the national flag on Independence Day.
Flag hoisting ceremonies and
cultural programmes take place in governmental and non-governmental
institutions throughout the country. Schools
and colleges conduct flag hoisting ceremonies and various cultural events.
Governmental and non-governmental institutions decorate their premises with
paper, balloon decorations with hangings of freedom fighter portraits on their
walls and major government buildings are often adorned with strings of
lights. In Delhi and some other cities, kite flying adds to the
occasion. National flags of different sizes are used abundantly to
symbolise allegiance to the country. Citizens adorn their clothing,
wristbands, cars, household accessories with replicas of the
tri-colour. Over a period of time, the celebration has changed emphasis
from nationalism to a broader celebration of all things India.
The Indian diaspora celebrates
Independence Day around the world with parades and pageants, particularly in
regions with higher concentrations of Indian immigrants. In some
locations, such as New York and other US cities, 15 August has become
"India Day" among the diaspora and the local populace. Pageants
celebrate "India Day" either on 15 August or an adjoining weekend
day.
Security threats
As early as three years after
independence, the Naga National Council called for a boycott of
Independence Day in northeast India. Separatist protests in this
region intensified in the 1980s; calls for boycotts and terrorist attacks by
insurgent organisations such as the United Liberation Front of Assam and
the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, marred celebrations. With
increasing insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir from the late
1980s, separatist protesters boycotted Independence Day there with bandh (strikes),
use of black flags and by flag burning. Terrorist groups such
as Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Jaish-e-Mohammed have
issued threats, and have carried out attacks around Independence Day. Boycotting
of the celebration has also been advocated by insurgent Maoist rebel organisations.
In the anticipation of
terrorist attacks, particularly from militants, security measures are
intensified, especially in major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai and in
troubled states such as Jammu and Kashmir. The airspace around the Red
Fort is declared a no-fly zone to prevent aerial attacks and
additional police forces are deployed in other cities.
In
popular culture
On Independence Day and
Republic Day, patriotic songs in regional languages are broadcast on
television and radio channels. They
are also played alongside flag hoisting ceremonies Patriotic films are broadcast. Over
the decades, according to The Times of India, the number of such
films broadcast has decreased as channels report that audiences are
oversaturated with patriotic films. The population belonging to Generation
Y often combine nationalism with popular culture during the
celebrations. This mixture is exemplified by outfits and savouries dyed with
the tricolour and garments that represent India's various cultural
traditions. Shops often offer Independence Day sales promotions. Some
news reports have decried the commercialism. Indian Postal Service publishes
commemorative stamps depicting independence movement leaders, nationalistic
themes and defence-related themes on 15 August.
Independence and partition
inspired literary and other artistic creations. Such creations mostly
describe the human cost of partition, limiting the holiday to a small part of
their narrative. Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children (1980),
which won the Booker Prize and the Booker of Bookers, wove its
narrative around children born at midnight of 14–15 August 1947 with magical
abilities. Freedom at Midnight (1975) is a non-fiction work
by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre that chronicled the
events surrounding the first Independence Day celebrations in 1947. Few films centre
on the moment of independence, instead highlighting the circumstances of
partition and its aftermath. On the Internet, Google has been
commemorating Independence Day of India since 2003 with a special doodle on
its Indian homepage.
08.30 a.m. Swearing in of governor general and ministers at
Government House
09.40 a.m. Procession of ministers to Constituent Assembly
09.50 a.m. State drive to Constituent Assembly
09.55 a.m. Royal salute to governor general
10.30 a.m. Hoisting of national flag at Constituent Assembly
10.35 a.m. State drive to Government House
06.00 p.m. Flag ceremony at India Gate
07.00 p.m. Illuminations
07.45 p.m. Fireworks display
08.45 p.m. Official dinner at Government House
10.15 p.m. Reception at Government office.
The day's programme for 15 August 1947
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