Why August 15 remains special to all Indians
August 15 is the day of re-birth of India. It is the day when the British left India and handed over the country to its leaders.
It is the most significant day in the history of India and it is celebrated every year with great enthusiasm by the Indian people.
Advertisement
It is the Independence Day and it reminds Indians of the sacrifices made by their forefathers, freedom fighters and political leaders in order to free their motherland.
It sends a message to the Indian masses that unity is their biggest weapon against any foreign invasion and that there is nothing to fear as long as they stay united.
Throughout its history, India has been intermittently disturbed by incursions from beyond its northern mountain wall.
Especially crucial was the coming of Islam, brought from the northwest by Arab, Turkish, Persian and other raiders beginning early in the 8th century.
Eventually, some of those raiders stayed and by the 13th century much of the subcontinent was under Muslim rule, and the number of Muslims steadily increased.
Exposure to external influences
It was only after the arrival of the Portuguese navigator, Vasco da Gama, in 1498 and the subsequent establishment of European maritime supremacy in the region that India became exposed to major external influences arriving by sea - a process that culminated in the decline of the ruling Muslim elite and absorption of the sub-continent within the British Empire.
India became the trading ground for British traders during the 17th Century, and they came to the sub-continent for trading mainly with Mughal Empires.
Later the company ended up taking control over a large part of the sub-continent, using its huge military strength.
They established their local posts/offices and deployed troops, all throughout the country during the 18th century and took administrative control of all the existing kingdoms.
Direct administration by the British, which began in 1858, effected a political and economic unification of the sub-continent. When British rule came to an end in 1947, however, the sub-continent was partitioned along religious lines into two separate countries - India, with a majority of Hindus, and Pakistan, with a majority of Muslims; the eastern portion of Pakistan later split off to form Bangladesh.
Nonetheless, many British institutions stayed in place (such as the parliamentary system of government); English continued to be a widely used lingua franca; and India remained within the Commonwealth. Hindi became the official language (and a number of other local languages achieved official status), while a vibrant English-language intelligentsia thrived after the British left India.
Independence revolution
Leading up to independence was a great revolution by the people of India against British rule in 1857.
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 is considered as India’s first struggle for Independence known by many names such as “the Revolt of 1857”, “the Indian Mutiny”, “the Uprising of 1857” and “the Sepoy Mutiny”.
It was started by a sepoy of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, named Mangal Pandey, against British East India Company’s army at Bengal Presidency on May 10, 1857.
One of the several civil and political groups and the most prominent that emerged after the revolt was the Indian National Congress Party which was formed in 1885.
The period of almost a century, since the revolt of 1857 to Independence, saw many moments of struggles and rebellion against the oppressions of the British Empire.
But, the champion of all the movements was – non-cooperation and civil disobedience movement started by Mahatma Gandhi.
The former was started in 1920 after the Jallianwalan Bag Massacre, while the latter (civil obedience) was started by Gandhi in 1930 by conducting Dandi Salt march against unjust taxes for production of salt.
In the meeting of the Indian National Congress in 1929 at Lahore, a proclamation of Purna Swaraj or complete independence for India was made. Earlier, January 26 was declared as the Indian Independence Day between 1930 and 1947.
Indian citizens were requested by the Indian National Congress to follow civil disobedience as well as the timely instructions issued until the complete independence of India.
After World War II, in 1947 the British government probably knew that it no longer exercise power over India, moreover they were facing resentment in their own land.
Indian freedom fighters were continuously exerting pressure on the Empire which consequently decided to transfer Legislative Sovereignty to the Constituent Assembly of India on August 15, 1947 by passing the Indian Independence Act 1947 in the UK Parliament.
However, King George VI was still to be retained as the Emperor of India, until India got transitioned into a complete Republic on the adoption of the Constitution of India.
Independence day
The joy of independence was, however, marred by Hindu-Muslim violence that emerged following the independence of India (on August 15, 1947) and the formation of Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the All India Muslim League became the first Governor General of Pakistan, while Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of independent India.
An official ceremony was held in the capital of the country, Delhi where all the great leaders and freedom fighters (Abul Kalam Azad, B. R. Ambedkar, Master Tara Singh, etc) took part to celebrate freedom.
During the riots of partition millions of people from both sides died, while people in other regions were celebrating Independence Day.
Meanwhile, the second meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held at 11 pm on August 14 at the Constitution Hall, New Delhi under the leadership of president, Rajendra Prasad where Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous speech titled “Tryst with the Destiny”.
In the midnight of August 15, 1947, India was proclaimed as an independent country by Jawaharlal Nehru when he gave his speech named.
He said during his speech that “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time has come when we will 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. We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again.”
After that, all the Assembly members took the pledge to be loyal in offering their services to the country.
The national flag was officially presented to the assembly by a group of Indian women.
Finally, India became an independent country officially, and Nehru became the first prime minister of India.
The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, however, was not involved in the celebrations as he was, at that time travelling through West Bengal, pacifying the riot victims and trying to establish peace between the communities.
While the celebrations at Delhi were in progress, Gandhi was staying in Calcutta marking the Independence Day with his 24-hour fast in order to encourage the peace between Hindus and Muslims.
Activities
While Independence Day has been celebrated in every Indian state and union territory with great enthusiasm and fervor as a national holiday since being gazetted on August 15, 1947, the special feature of this year’s celebration will be the paying of tribute and remembrance of all the freedom fighters who have contributed a lot to and fought for the Independence of India.
Among other activities lined up the President of India will give his “Address to the Nation” on the evening of a day before the Independence Day.
The Prime Minister of India will also hoist the Indian flag from the Red Fort, Delhi.
After the flag hoisting, the National Anthem will be sung and twenty-one gunshots will be fired to salute and honour the Indian flag.
The flag hoisting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Red Fort will be simultaneously followed by flag hoisting in other parts of the country.
Different sizes of the national flags are used by the people to symbolise faithfulness and commitment to the country.
Government offices, schools, colleges, offices of private organisations will all be adorned in tricolours, electric lights, flowers and other decorative articles and all Indians will be seen wearing traditional attire and greeting one another as has pertained in one of the very rare festivals that the whole India celebrates together.
The Prime Minister will in his speech highlight all the achievements of the past year, important social issues and solutions, further development in the country and educational matters among others during his speech on Independence Day, after paying tribute to the freedom fighter and leaders of the Indian independence movement who have sacrificed their lives.
A grand march past by the Indian Armed Forces and paramilitary forces will also take place.
In view of the risk of terrorist attacks while celebrating the Independence Day, especially at the Red Fort in Delhi, Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir a no-fly zone will be declared around the centres to prevent aerial attacks.
Additional police will also be positioned all over the cities.
Live broadcasting and webcasting is carried out by the media and government websites in order to provide live casting of the celebration of the event to the people all over the country.
Independence Day is also celebrated by the people with family members, friends and neighbours by going to dinner, picnic, the park, garden, mall for shopping or to watch a movie film.
Some people do sing patriotic songs. On this day, children will also take miniature flags in their hands and go outside saying “jai Hind”, “Jai Jawan or Jai Kisan” and other popular sayings.