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Twenty-one gun shots are fired in honour of the solemn occasion. {{Redirect|Fifteenth of August||August 15}}
{{Redirect|Fifteenth of August||August 15}}
{{Infobox holiday
{{Infobox holiday
|holiday_name = Independence Day of India
|holiday_name = Independence Day of India

Revision as of 20:54, 26 July 2012

"Fifteenth of August" redirects here. For other uses, see August 15.
Independence Day of India
The national flag of India, on the Red fort in Delhi; hoisted flag is a common sight on public and private buildings on this national holiday
Official nameIndependence Day of India
Observed byIndia India
TypeNational holiday
CelebrationsFlag hoisting, parades, singing patriotic songs, speech by the Prime Minister, kite flying, singing the national anthem
Date15 August

India celebrates Independence Day on 15 August to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on 15 August 1947.[1] India achieved independence after a struggle remarkable for largely peaceful nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience movement led by the Indian National Congress. The independence coincided with partition of India wherein the British Indian Empire was divided along religious line into two new nations—Dominion of India (later Republic of India) and Dominion of Pakistan (later Islamic Republic of Pakistan); the partition was stricken with violent communal riots.

The Independence Day is a national holiday in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by government as well as private organisations. The flagship event takes place in Delhi where the Prime Minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort. Twenty-one gun shots are fired in honour of the solemn occasion . The Prime Minister then delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts. The day is observed all over India with parades and cultural events following flag hoisting ceremonies. Citizens rejoice the day with varied activities such as displaying the national flag, kite flying and enjoying patriotic songs and films. Security concerns over possible militant attacks and sporadic calls for boycotting the celebration by separatist outfits occasionally limit the events at some places. Several books and cinema feature the independence and partition as pivotal events in their narrative.

History

The present-day India was a part of the British Indian Empire. Although the British East India Company started trading in India in the seventeenth century, Company rule in India started effectively from 1757 after the Company's victory in the Battle of Plassey. In 1858, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of India. The period after World War I was marked by British reforms but also repressive legislation, by more strident Indian calls for self-rule, and by the beginnings of a non-violent movement of non-cooperation and civil disobidience, of which Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi would become the leader and enduring symbol.[2] During the 1930s, slow legislative reform was enacted by the British; the Indian National Congress won victories in the resulting elections.[3] The next decade was beset with crises: Indian participation in World War II, the Congress's final push for non-cooperation, and an upsurge of Muslim nationalism led by the All-India Muslim League. All were capped by the advent of independence in 1947, but tempered by the bloody partition of the subcontinent into two states: India and Pakistan.[4]

Immediate background

Numerous people gathered before the wall of a fort.
A file photo of the Indian Independence Day at the Red Fort on 15 August 1947

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,[5][6] decided to end British rule of India, and in early 1947 Britain announced its intention of transferring power no later than June 1948.

As independence approached, the violence between Hindus and Muslims in the provinces of Punjab and Bengal continued unabated.[7] 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, representatives of the Indian National Congress,[8] the Muslim League,[9] and the Sikh community[10] 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.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Clement Attlee, announced on 20 February 1947 that British Government would grant full self government to British India by June 1948 at the latest,[11] and future of Princely States would be decided after the date of power transfer is finalised. The British government announced on 3 June 1947 that the principle of partition of India was accepted by the British Government,[11] 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) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan.[12] The Act received the royal assent on 18 July 1947.[11]

The Indian Independence Act's salient provisions were:[12]

  • the division of British India into the two new and fully sovereign dominions of India and Pakistan, with effect from 15 August 1947;
  • the partition of the provinces of Bengal and Punjab between the two new countries;
  • the establishment of the office of Governor-General in each of the two new countries, as representative of the Crown;
  • the conferral of complete legislative authority upon the respective Constituent Assemblies of the two new countries;
  • the termination of British suzerainty over the princely states, with effect from 15 August 1947, and recognised the right of states to accede to either dominion;
  • the dropping of the use of the title "Emperor of India" by the British monarch (this was subsequently done by King George VI by royal proclamation on 22 June 1948);
  • the Act also made provision for the division of joint property, etc. between the two new countries, including in particular the division of the armed forces.

Partition and independence

Main article: Partition of India
A bespectacled man wearing a cap standing on a podium with a flag in his hand.
Jawaharlal Nehru gives his speech on the occasion of first Independence Day in 1947 with the Indian national flag in his hands.

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 halves, massive bloodshed followed; in Bengal and Bihar, where Mahatma Gandhi's presence assuaged communal tempers, the violence was mitigated. In all, anywhere between 250,000 and 1,000,000 people on both sides of the new borders died in the violence.[7] While the entire nation was celebrating the Independence Day, Gandhi decided to stay alone in Calcutta[13] mourning the partition.[14]

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 midnight, as India moved into 15 August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the famous 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[15]

India, now a smaller Union of India, became an independent country as official ceremonies took place in New Delhi in which Jawaharlal Nehru assumed the office as the first Prime Minister, and the viceroy, Lord Mountbatten,[16] continued as its first Governor General.

Celebration

Several flags mounted on a bicycle parked on a road
Indian flags on bicycle on Independence Day in Siliguri in eastern India

In 1929 Lahore session of Indian National Congress, the Purna Swaraj declaration, or "Declaration of the Independence of India" was promulgated,[17] and 26 January was declared as India's Independence Day.[17] Congress called people to take pledge on that day until India attained complete independence from the Great Britain.[18] Between 1930 and 1947, 26 January was observed as the Independence Day of India, and carried symbolic value to the Congress.[19][20] Following the actual independence in 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect on and from 26 January 1950; and since then 26 January is celebrated as the Republic Day.[21]

Independence Day is 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. On the eve of the Independence Day, the President of India delivers the "Address to the Nation", which is televised nationally. On 15 August, the Prime Minister of India hoists the Indian flag on the ramparts of the historical site, Red Fort, Delhi. 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. The Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana is sung. The speech is followed by march past by divisions of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces, and parades and pageants showcasing events from struggle for independence as well as cultural traditions of the country. Similar events take place in state capitals where the Chief Ministers of individual states unfurl the national flag, and parades and pageants follow.[22][23][24]

Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programmess take place in government and non-government institutions in the country.[25] Educational institutes such as schools and colleges observe flag hoisting ceremonies and various cultural events within their premises. Major government buildings are often adorned with strings of light.[26] In some cities, such as Delhi, kite flying is a celebratory event associated with the Independence Day.[27][28] Differently sized national flags are used abundantly by the rejoicing residents to symbolise their allegiance to the country.[29] Commentators have noted a trend that the celebration pattern has changed from a nationalistic one to a more relaxed, festive one, where friends and family bond and make merry.[30][31] The Indian diaspora celebrates the Independence Day in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with high concentration of non-resident Indians, with parades and pageants.[32] In some locations such as several cities in the United States, 15 August has received the nomenclature "India Day" among the diaspora as well as the local populace.[33]

Security and insurgency

Men in uniform walking in unison
Parade during Independence Day celebration in Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India

Security measures in the country, especially in major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and in troubled states such as Jammu and Kashmir, are intensified before Independence Day celebration, since such celebratory events are often anticipated to be the target of terrorist attacks, particularly by Islamic fundamentalist militants.[34][35] The Separatist insurgent organisations have called for boycotting Independence Day celebration on several instances.[36][37][38] Organisations such as United Liberation Front of Assam in Northeast India have repeatedly boycotted the celebrations, and often have carried out terrorist activities like bomb blast on and around 15 August.[39][40] As a consequence, the celebratory events in Northeast India is often marred by the looming tension.[41] Separatist residents have boycotted Independence Day celebration in Jammu and Kashmir, sometimes with bandh (strike) and use of black flags.[42][43][44] Boycotting of Independence Day celebration has also been called for by insurgent Maoist rebel organisations.[45][46]

On Independence Day and Republic Day, patriotic Hindi film songs are broadcast on TV and radio channels.[47] They are also played at locations of flag hoisting.[47] Patriotic songs in regional languages are broadcast and played in respective states. Patriotic films are broadcast on television channels.[25] However, over the decades, the number of such film broadcast has decreased since some channels report that too many patriotic films would overwhelm the audience who want popular entertaining films as well, to enjoy the holiday.[48] The population cohort belonging to the Generation Next often combine nationalism with popular culture during the celebration of the Independence Day. The Outfits with tri-color of the national flag—saffron, green and white; using food colours to make savouries and delicacies served on order in parties; cloths designed utilising ideas gleaned from the cultural traditions of India are some of the examples of such mixtures.[30] Rampant commercialisation of patriotism during Independence Day has been noted by commentators.[49]

The first Independence Day of 1947 and the partition of India play pivotal roles in several novel and non-fiction books. Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children (1980), which won Booker Prize as well as Booker of Bookers, weaved its narrative based on the children born with magical abilities on the midnight of 14 August 1947. Freedom at Midnight (1975) is a non-fiction by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre that chronicled the events surrounding the first Independence Day. Other works that mostly depicted varied aspects of the partition include Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan (1956), several stories such as Toba Tek Singh (1955) by Saadat Hassan Manto, Bhisham Sahni's Tamas (1974) and its televised adaptation Tamas (1987). Academy-Award winning Gandhi (1982), Jinnah (1998), Earth (1998), Hey Ram (2000), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Pinjar (2003) are cinemas that portray the independence and partition as major events in their screenplay.

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Elihu Lauterpacht Editor Hersch Lauterpacht (1959), International Law Reports, vol. 22, Cambridge University Press, p. 147, ISBN 978-0-949009-36-4 {{citation}}: |author= has generic name (help); horizontal tab character in |author= at position 29 (help).
  2. ^ Metcalf & Metcalf 2006, p. 167
  3. ^ Metcalf & Metcalf 2006, pp. 195–197
  4. ^ Metcalf & Metcalf 2006, p. 203
  5. ^ Hyam 2006, p. 106 Quote:By the end of 1945, he and the Commander-in-chief, General Auckinleck were advising that there was a real threat in 1946 of large scale anti-British disorder amounting to even a well-organized rising aiming to expel the British by paralyzing the administration.
    Quote:...it was clear to Attlee that everything depended on the spirit and reliability of the Indian Army:"Provided that they do their duty, armed insurrection in India would not be an insoluble problem. If, however, the Indian Army was to go the other way, the picture would be very different.
    Quote:...Thus, Wavell concluded, if the army and the police "failed" Britain would be forced to go. In theory, it might be possible to revive and reinvigorate the services, and rule for another fifteen to twenty years, but:It is a fallacy to suppose that the solution lies in trying to maintain the status quo. We have no longer the resources, nor the necessary prestige or confidence in ourselves.
  6. ^ Brown 1994, p. 330 Quote: "India had always been a minority interest in British public life; no great body of public opinion now emerged to argue that war-weary and impoverished Britain should send troops and money to hold it against its will in an empire of doubtful value. By late 1946 both Primlihue Minister and Secretary of State for India recognized that neither international opinion nor their own voters would stand for any reassertion of the raj, even if there had been the men, money, and administrative machinery with which to do so."
    Sarkar 1983, p. 418 Quote: "With a war weary army and people and a ravaged economy, Britain would have had to retreat; the Labour victory only quickened the process somewhat."
    Metcalf & Metcalf 2006, p. 212 Quote: "More importantly, though victorious in war, Britain had suffered immensely in the struggle. It simply did not possess the manpower or economic resources required to coerce a restive India."
  7. ^ a b DeRouen, Karl; Heo, Uk. Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II. ABC-CLIO. pp. 408–414. ISBN 978-1-85109-919-1. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  8. ^ represented by Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Acharya Kripalani
  9. ^ represented by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan, and Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar
  10. ^ representated by Sardar Baldev Singh
  11. ^ a b c Romein, Jan (1962). The Asian Century: A History of Modern Nationalism in Asia. University of California Press. p. 357. GGKEY:T3XS5SAFC13. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  12. ^ a b "Indian Independence Act 1947". The National Archives, Her Majesty's Government. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  13. ^ Hatt, Christine (April 12, 2002). Mahatma Gandhi. Evans Brothers. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-237-52308-4. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  14. ^ Sagar, Ratna. Social Science History: official journal of the Social Science History Association. p. 115. ISBN 978-81-8332-097-9. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  15. ^ "Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964): Speech On the Granting of Indian Independence, August 14, 1947". Fordham University. Retrieved 26 07 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  16. ^ McDonough, Sheila (1970). Mohammed Ali Jinnah, maker of modern Pakistan. Heath. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Wolpert, Stanley A. (October 12, 1999). India. University of California Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-520-22172-7. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  18. ^ Gandhi, Kishor (2006). India's Date with Destiny: Ranbir Singh Chowdhary : Felicitation Volume. Allied Publishers. p. 39. ISBN 978-81-7764-932-1. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  19. ^ Vohra, Ranbir (2001). The Making of India: A Historical Survey. M.E. Sharpe. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-7656-0711-9. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  20. ^ Ramaseshan, Radhika (January 26, 2012). "Why January 26: the history of the day". The Telegraph. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  21. ^ Encyclopedia of Observances, Holidays and Celebrations. MobileReference. 2007. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-60501-177-6. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  22. ^ "Barring northeast, peaceful I-Day celebrations across India (State Roundup, combining different series)". Monster and Critics. Indo-Asian News Service. August 15, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  23. ^ "Colourful Ceremony Marks I-Day Celebrations in Bangalore". Daijiworld. August 15, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  24. ^ "I-Day celebrated in West Bengal". Times of India. August 16, 2004. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  25. ^ a b Gupta, K.R.; Gupta, Amita (January 1, 2006). Concise Encyclopaedia of India. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 1002. ISBN 978-81-269-0639-0. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  26. ^ "Independence Day celebration". Government of India. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  27. ^ "Independence Day". Government of India. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  28. ^ Bhattacharya, Suryatapa (August 15, 2011). "Indians still battling it out on Independence Day". The National. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  29. ^ "When India wears its badge of patriotism with pride". DNA. August 15, 2007. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  30. ^ a b Ansari, Shabana (August 15, 2011). "Independence Day: For GenNext, it's cool to flaunt patriotism". DNA India. Mumbai, India. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  31. ^ Dutta Sachdeva, Sujata (August 14, 2005). "It's cool to be patriotic: GenNow". Times of India. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  32. ^ "Indian-Americans celebrate Independence Day". The Hindu. August 16, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  33. ^ Ghosh, Ajay (2008). "India's Independence Day celebrations across the United States—showcasing India's cultural diversity and growing economic growth". NRI Today. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  34. ^ Ramgopal, Ram (August 14, 2002). "India braces for Independence Day". New Delhi, India: CNN. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  35. ^ "US warns of India terror attacks". BBC. August 11, 2006. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  36. ^ Schendel, Willem Van; Abraham, Itty (2005). Illicit Flows And Criminal Things: States, Borders, And the Other Side of Globalization. Indiana University Press. pp. 55–56. ISBN 978-0-253-21811-7. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  37. ^ "Rebels call for I-Day boycott in Northeast". Rediff. August 10, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  38. ^ Biswas, Prasenjit; Suklabaidya, Chandan (February 6, 2008). Ethnic life-worlds in north-east India: an analysis. SAGE Publications. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-7619-3613-8. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  39. ^ Mazumdar, Prasanta (August 11, 2011). "ULFA's Independence Day gift for India: blasts". DNA. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  40. ^ State Department, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Country Reports on Terrorism 2004. Government Printing Office. p. 129. GGKEY:THE8B4S5G3D. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  41. ^ Thakuria, Nava (September 5, 2011). "Appreciating the Spirit of India's Independence Day". Global Politician. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  42. ^ "Kashmir Independence Day clashes". BBC. August 15, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  43. ^ Behera, Navnita Chadha. Demystifying Kashmir. Pearson Education India. p. 146. ISBN 978-81-317-0846-0. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  44. ^ Das, Suranjan (August 1, 2001). Kashmir and Sindh: Nation-Building, Ethnicity and Regional Politics in South Asia. Anthem Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-898855-87-3. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  45. ^ "Maoist boycott call mars I-Day celebrations in Orissa". The Hindu. August 15, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  46. ^ Verma, Bharat (June 1, 2012). Indian Defence Review Vol. 26.2: Apr-Jun 2011. Lancer Publishers. p. 111. ISBN 978-81-7062-219-2. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  47. ^ a b Nayar, Pramod K. (June 14, 2006). Reading Culture: Theory, Praxis, Politics. SAGE. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-7619-3474-5. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  48. ^ Pant, Nikhila; Pasricha, Pallavi (January 26, 2008). "Patriotic films, anyone?". Times of India. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  49. ^ Sinha, Partha (September 18, 2007). "Commercial patriotism rides new wave of optimism". Economic Times. Retrieved July 22, 2012.

Sources

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