At the stroke of the midnight hour of 14th of August, 1947 when the world was sleeping, India woke to life and freedom and as Jawaharlal Nehru our first Prime Minister had said, that we had a tryst with destiny, and we fulfilled those on that day.
India gained independence on the 14th of August, 1947 midnight, technically 15th of August after 200 years of oppression and tyranny of the British Empire.
The British Empire had kept the entire Indian subcontinent under their subjugation for a period of 200 years and there had been some violent but most non-violent movement and civil disobedience movement to gain freedom from foreign dominion.
It was finally attained in the year 1947, but not before the sub continent had been divided on the basis of religion. In 2019, the Independence Day falls on Tuesday.
History behind the Indian Independence
By the 17th century, the British traders had started establishing themselves in India. By various cunningness and illegal policies the British traders formed an organization called the East India Company and started subjugating various states of India under some pretext or the other. The military strength of the British added the boost needed for the British Government to turn India into one of their most profitable colonies. Following what is considered as the first battle of Independence in 1857 and which the British Government termed as the Sepoy Mutiny of 18578, in 1858 by the decree of Government of India Act 1858 transferred the British Crown the complete power of India.
Independence Day in India
The extreme tyranny of the British Government and the East India Company soon led the people across the country in desperate situation and civic societies across India started agitation demanding freedom from this oppression. The movement concretized with the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. The period post the World War 1 was the most turbulent in the history of the Indian independence struggle. The British introduced the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms etc, but it was too less and on the other hand the retrogressive and regressive Rowlatt Act sped up the momentum of the independence struggle. Various localized national leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, BHagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose and many others clamored for freedom and took to violent movements and uprisings and non-cooepration and peaceful non-violent movement started under Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
The Indian participation in World War 2 and the subsequent turmoil and furor back at England and India ware cause for concerns. The British exchequer was completely exhausted and the turbulence and freedom movement is India was on the rise, when the Prime Minister of Clement Attlee along with the parliament in Britain declared that the British government would grant self governance to India.
However, it was a bloodied independence as the nation was cut into pieces by the British Government and as a result riots and violence claimed lives of nearly 250,000 and 1,000,000 people on both sides of the country. The Sikh and the Bengal regions were cut into halves. The violence and casualties were mind shattering. However, Finally India gained independence on the 15th of August, 1947.
Celebration of Independence Day
The Independence Day on the 15th of August, is one amongst the 3 other days which are national holidays. The day is celebrated with passion to commemorate the formation of the biggest democracy of the world. It is celebrated with great devotion and respect in all over the country and on the union territories as well. The President of India addresses the nation through his ‘”Address to the Nation” on the eve of the Independence day and addresses various pertinent social causes relevant to the nation. The Prime Minister of India hoists the tri color from the ramparts of the historical Red Fort or the Lal Qilla. 21 Gun shots are fired. The Prime Min
In his speech the Prime Minister talks about the past year’s achievements, pays humble tribute to the architects who had paved the way for the independent India and also urges the citizens to come forward for important issues left unresolved. The Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana composed by Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore, is sung with deepest respect. The Indian Armed forces and the Para Military forces then portray their march past ceremony. The Red Road gets filled by people coming to witness this great day’s celebrations. Parades, Pageants and tableaus are showcased portraying the various phases of Independence struggle or the advancement that has been done in various fields by India.
In all the states and the Union Territories of India, the tri color is hoisted with a lot of respect and devotion by the Chief Ministers. The Indian flag is hoisted in all the governmental or nongovernmental organizations. Schools and colleges have the flag hoisting ceremony as well. Various cultural programs and discourses, debates are held on the day to commemorate and to never forget what we did now. All the governmental buildings are lit up with lights. The citizens put up tri color at home or wear tri color wristbands or stick them in cars etc to commemorate the importance of this day. Kite flying on this auspicious day has also taken epic proportion. It is as if the symbolical freedom of India from foreign invasion and tyranny.
The media, particularly the electronic media on this day transmit the republic day parade live from the Red Fort and shows programs and movies on national integrity to commemorate the sacrifices of those who had laid down their lives to see us live in an independent country.
Indian Independence Day celebration abroad
There is a major number of Indian Diaspora settled abroad. People organize various functions and parades to commemorate the freedom of their mother land on this day. In the US of America, particularly in New York and various other cities, 15th of August has taken the proportion of being celebrated as India Day.