15 Aug 1947

Independence Day (India)

Independence Day, observed annually on 15 August, is a National Holiday in India commemorating the nation's independence from the British Empire on 15 August 1947. India attained independence following an Independence Movement noted for largely nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress (INC). Independence coincided with the partition of India, in which the British Indian Empire 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 sectarian violence.

On 15 August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had become the first Prime Minister of India that day, raised the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi. On each subsequent Independence Day, the prime minister has raised the flag and given a speech.

The holiday is observed throughout India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events. Indians celebrate the day by displaying the national flag on their attire, accessories, homes and vehicles; by listening to patriotic songs, watching patriotic movies; and bonding with family and friends. Books and films feature the independence and partition in their narrative. Separatist and militant organisations have often carried out terrorist attacks on and around 15 August, and others have declared strikes and used black flags to boycott the celebration.

History

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 was declared as Independence Day.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 1956.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 1932, 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 control an increasingly restless India. In 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 across 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 Hindu and Muslim. 

 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 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 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.
A child holding a small sized flag
A child holding the Indian national flag.

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 cultural events. Major government buildings are often adorned with strings of lights. In Delhi and some other cities, kite flying adds to the occasion.[23][28] 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.

indian flag

first day of indian independence

 Freedom Fighter

1 Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh  (  27/28 September 1907 – 23 March 1931)[a] was an Indian socialist considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement. He is often referred to as "Shaheed Bhagat Singh", the word "Shaheed" meaning "martyr" in a number of South Asian and Middle Eastern languages. Born into a Sikh family which had earlier been involved in revolutionary activities against the British Raj, as a teenager Singh studied European revolutionary movements and was attracted to anarchist and Marxist ideologies. He was involved in several revolutionary organisations and became prominent in the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), which changed its name to the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928.

Seeking revenge for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, Singh was involved in the murder of British police officer John Saunders. He eluded efforts by the police to capture him. Soon after, together with Batukeshwar Dutt, he and an accomplice threw two bombs and leaflets inside the Central Legislative Assembly. The two men were arrested, as they had planned to be. Held on this charge, he gained widespread national support when he underwent a 116-day fast in jail, demanding equal rights for European prisoners and those Indians imprisoned for what he believed were political reasons. During this time, sufficient evidence was brought against him for a conviction in the Saunders case, after trial by a Special Tribunal and appeal at the Privy Council in England. He was convicted and subsequently hanged for his participation in the murder, aged 23.

His legacy prompted youth in India to begin fighting for Indian independence and he continues to be a youth idol in modern India, as well as the inspiration for several films. He is commemorated with a large bronze statue in the Parliament of India, as well as a range of other memorials.Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh

2 Chandra Shekhar Azad

Chandra Shekhar Azad (23 July 1906 – 27 February 1931), popularly known as Azad ("The Free"), was an Indian revolutionary who reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association under the new name of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) after the death of its founder, Ram Prasad Bismil, and three other prominent party leaders, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and Ashfaqulla Khan. He is considered to be the mentor of Bhagat Singh and chief strategist of the HSRA.

 Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on 23 july 1906 in Bhavra village, in the present-day Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. His forefathers were from the Badarka village near Kanpur (in present-day Unnao District). His mother, Jagrani Devi, was the third wife of Sitaram Tiwari, whose previous wives had died young. After the birth of their first son, Sukhdev, in Badarka, the family moved to Alirajpur State.
A monument of Chandra Shekhar Azad in his native village Badarka

His mother wanted her son to be a great Sanskrit scholar and persuaded his father to send him to Kashi Vidyapeeth, Banaras to study. In December 1921, when Mohandas K. Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement, Chandra Shekhar, then a 15-year-old student, joined. As a result, he was arrested. On being produced before a magistrate, he gave his name as 'Azad', father's name as 'Swatantrata' (independent) and residence as 'Jail'. From that day onward, having announced his name to be Azad (The Free) in court, he was known as Chandra Shekhar Azad among the people.

Chandra Shekhar Azad

 3 Sukhdev Thapar

Sukhdev Thapar (15 May 1907-23 March 1931) was a revolutionary, born in Ludhiana, Punjab, British India.He is from valmiki or mazhabi cast.
Sukhdev Thapar was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), and organised revolutionary cells in Punjab and other areas of North India. He also taught at the National College in Lahore, where he and other revolutionaries also established the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, an organisation involved in various activities intended mainly to prepare youths for the struggle for independence and putting an end to communalism.

Sukhdev is best remembered for his involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case of 18 December 1928 and its aftermath. He was an accomplice of Bhagat Singh, and Shivaram Rajguru, whose conspiracy led to the assassination of Deputy Superintendent of Police, J. P. Saunders in 1928 in response to the violent death of a veteran leader, Lala Lajpat Rai. After the Central Assembly Hall bombings in New Delhi on 8 April 1929, the conspirators were arrested and convicted of their crime.


On 23 March 1931, the three men were hanged. Their bodies were secretly cremated on the banks of the Satluj river.

Sukhdev Thapar

 4 Shivaram Rajguru

Shivaram Hari Rajguru (24 August 1908 – 23 March 1931) was an Indian revolutionary from Maharashtra, known mainly for his involvement in the murder of a British Raj police officer.

Rajguru was born at Khed, near Pune, India. He was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, who wanted India to be freed from British rule by any means necessary. He believed that ferocity against oppression was far more effective against British rule than the nonviolent civil disobedience preferred by Mahatma Gandhi.

Rajguru became a colleague of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev, and took part in the murder of a British police officer, J. P. Saunders, at Lahore in 1928. Their actions were to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai who had died a fortnight after being hit by police while on a march protesting the Simon Commission. The feeling was that Rai's death resulted from the police action, although he had addressed a meeting later.

The three men and 21 other co-conspirators were tried under the provisions of a regulation that was introduced in 1930 specifically for that purpose.All three were convicted of the crime and hanged on 23 March 1931. They were cremated at Hussainiwala at the banks of the Sutlej river in the Ferozepur district of Punjab.
Statues of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev

His birthplace of Khed has since been renamed as Rajgurunagar in his honour. Rajguru Market, a shopping complex at Hisar, Haryana, was named in his honour in 1953

Shivaram Rajguru

5 Ashfaqulla Khan

Ashfaqulla Khan (Ashfaq Ulla Khan) About this sound pronunciation (help·info) (22 October 1900 – 19 December 1927) was a freedom fighter in the Indian independence movement who had sacrificed his life along with Ram Prasad Bismil. Bismil and Ashfaq were good friends and Urdu poets (Shayar). Bismil was the pen name of Pandit Ram Prasad whereas Ashfaq used to write poetry with the pen name of 'Hasrat'.

Ashfaqulla Khan was hanged in a conspiracy against the British Raj in the twentieth century. He was a prominent figure of the Hindustan Republican Association.

Ashfaq ullah Khan was born on 22 October 1900 in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. His father, Shafiq Ullah Khan belonged to a Pathan family which was famous for their military background. His maternal side was of the family was better educated and many of those relatives had served in the police and administrative services of British India. His mother Mazhoor-Un-Nisa Begum was an extremely pious lady. Ashfaq ullah was the youngest amongst all his four brothers. His elder brother Riyasat Ullah Khan was a class mate of Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil. When Bismil was declared absconder after the Mainpuri Conspiracy, Riyasat used to tell his younger brother Ashafaq about the bravery and shayari Urdu poetry of Bismil. Since then Ashfaq was very keen to meet Bismil, because of his poetic attitude. In 1920, when Bismil came to Shahjahanpur and engaged himself in business, Ashfaq tried so many times to contact him but Bismil paid no attention.

In 1922, when Non-cooperation movement started and Bismil organised meetings in Shahjahanpur to tell the public about the movement, Ashfaq ullah met him in a public meeting and introduced himself as a younger brother of his classmate. He also told Bismil that he wrote poems under the pen-names of 'Warsi' and 'Hasrat'. Bismil listened to some of his couplets in a private get-together at Shahjahanpur and they became good friends. Ashfaq often wrote something and showed it to Bismil who immediately corrected or improved the same. Thus a very good poetic alignment between Ashfaq and Bismil developed and it was so familiar that whosoever listened to them in any of the poetic conferences called Mushaira in Urdu language was overwhelmed with surprise.

 

Ashfaq ullah Khan

 6 Ram Prasad Bismil

Ram Prasad Bismil  (11 June 1897 – 19 December 1927) was an Indian revolutionary who participated in Mainpuri conspiracy of 1918, and the Kakori conspiracy of 1925, and struggled against British imperialism. As well as being a freedom fighter, he was a patriotic poet and wrote in Hindi and Urdu using the pen names Ram, Agyat and Bismil. But, he became popular with the last name "Bismil" only. He was associated with Arya Samaj where he got inspiration from Satyarth Prakash, a book written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He also had a confidential connection with Lala Har Dayal through his guru Swami Somdev, a preacher of Arya Samaj.

Bismil was one of the founding members of the revolutionary organisation Hindustan Republican Association. Bhagat Singh praised him as a great poet-writer of Urdu and Hindi, who had also translated the books Catherine from English and Bolshevikon Ki Kartoot from Bengali. Several inspiring patriotic verses are attributed to him; these include the poem Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna.

Ram Prasad Bismil was born on 11 June 1897 to Murlidhar and Moolmati at Shahjahanpur, in United Province, British India. He learnt Hindi from his father at home and was sent to learn Urdu from a moulvi. He was admitted to an English-language school, despite his father's disapproval, and also joined the Arya Samaj in Shahjahanpur. Bismil showed a talent for writing patriotic poetry.

Ram Prasad Bismil

All Fredom Fighters

Tipu Sultan kishore     1750 November 20     1799 May 5         First Freedom Fighter of Indian Independence Movement against British

Bal Gangadhar Tilak     1856 July 23         1920 August 1         Leader of Indian Independence Movement

Khudiram Bose         1889 December 3     1908 August 11         The Muzaffarpur killing

Chandra Shekhar Azad     1906 July 23         27 February 1931     Kakori Conspiracy

Ram Prasad Bismil     1897 June 11         19 December 1927     Kakori Conspiracy

Bhagat Singh         1907 September         23 March 1931         Central Assembly Bomb Case 1929

Udham Singh         1899 December 26     31 July 1940         Shooting in Caxton Hall

Hemu Kalani         1923 March 23         21 January 1943     Sabotage of Railway Track

Ashfaqulla Khan     1900 October 22     19 December 1927     Kakori Conspiracy

Sachindra Bakshi     1904 December 25     23 November 1984     Kakori Conspiracy

Manmath Nath Gupta     1908 February 7     26 October 2000     Kakori Conspiracy

Vasudev Balwant Phadke     1845 November 4     17 February 1883     Deccan Rebellion

Anant Laxman Kanhere     1891             1910 April 19         Shooting of British Officer Jackson

Krishnaji Gopal Karve     1887             1910 April 19         Shooting of British Officer Jackson

Ganesh Damodar Savarkar   1879 13 June         March 16, 1945         Armed movement against the British

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar     1883 May 28     26 February 1966     Father of Hindu Nationalism

Bagha Jatin         1879 December 7     10 September 1915     The Howrah-Sibpur conspiracy case, Hindu–German Conspiracy

Batukeshwar Dutt     1910 November 18     July 20, 1965         Central Assembly Bomb Case 1929

Sukhdev Thapar         1907 May 15         23 March 1931         Central Assembly Bomb Case 1929

Shivaram Rajguru     1908 August 24         23 March 1931         Murder of a British police officer, J. P. Saunders

Roshan Singh         1892 January 22     19 December 1927     Kakori Conspiracy, Bamrauli Action

Pritilata Waddedar     1911 May 5         23 September 1932     Pahartali European Club attack

Jatindra Nath Das     1904 October 27     13 September 1929     Hunger strike and Lahore conspiracy case

Durgawati Devi         1907 October 7         15 October 1999     Running the bomb factory 'Himalayan Toilets'

Bhagwati Charan Vohra     1904 July 4         28 May 1930         Philosophy of Bomb

Madan Lal Dhingra     1883 September 18     17 August 1909         Curzon Wyllie's assassination

Alluri Sitarama Raju     1897             7 May 1924         Rampa Rebellion of 1922

Kushal Konwar         1905             15 June 1943         Train sabotage Sarupathar

Surya Sen         1894 March 22         12 January 1934     Chittagong Armoury Raid

Ananta Singh         1903 December 1     25 January 1979     Chittagong armoury raid

Sri Aurobindo         1872 August 15         5 December 1950     Alipore Bomb Case

Rash Behari Bose     1886 May 25         21 January 1945     Indian National Army

Ubaidullah Sindhi     1872 March 10         August 22, 1944     Silk Letter Conspiracy

Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee     1895         1969             Kakori Conspiracy

Baikuntha Shukla     1907             May 14, 1934         Assassination of Phanindra Nath Ghosh, a government Approver

Ambika Chakrabarty     1892             6 March 1962         Chittagong armoury raid

Badal Gupta         1912             8 December 1930     Attack at Writers Building

Dinesh Gupta         1911 December 6     7 July 1931         Attack at Writers Building

Benoy Basu         1908 September 11     13 December 1930     Attack at Writers Building

Rajendra Lahiri     1901             1927 December 17     Kakori Conspiracy

Barindra Kumar Ghosh     1880 January 5         18 April 1959         Alipore Bomb Case

Prafulla Chaki         1888             December 10     1908     The Muzaffarpur killing

Ullaskar Dutta         1885 April 16         May 17, 1965         Alipore Bomb Case

Hemchandra Kanungo     1871      1951                     Alipore Bomb Case
 

Basawon Singh (Sinha)     1909 March 23         7 April 1989         Lahore conspiracy case

Bhavabhushan Mitra     1881             27 January 1970     Ghadar Mutiny
 

Bina Das         1911 August 24         26 December 1986     Attempted to Assassinate the Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson

Sri Prakasa         1890 August 3         23 Jun 1971 

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Freedom is never dear at any price.It is the breath of life.What would a man not pay for living? Mahatma Gandhi

Let us scarifies our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow

Angrejo Bharat Chhodo

Inquilab Zindabad

Give me blood and I shall give you freedom

Vande Matram

Lal Bahadur Shastri

At the stroke of the midnight hour,when the world sleeps India will awake to life and freedom

Tum mujhe khoon do mein tumhe azadi doonga

Jai Jawan Jai Kisan-Lal Bahadur Shastri

The Freedom we have was not possible without your Idiologies and Contributions