Independence Day (India)

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"Fifteenth of August" redirects here. For other uses, see August 15.
Independence Day
The national flag of India, on the Red fort in New Delhi; a common sight on
public and private buildings on national holidays like the 1th of !ugust"
Also called The #ifteenth of !ugust
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Observed by India
Type National
Significance The day India became independent from 'ritish rule"
Date !ugust 1
Celebrations #lag hoisting, (arades, )inging patriotic
songs, )peech by the(rime *inister, #amily
reunions,(icnics, +ite flying
Independence Day of India is celebrated on Fifteenth of August (8/15/4) to commemorate its independence from !ritish
r"le and its birth as a so#erei$n nation in 1%4&
'1(
)he day is a national holiday in India& *ll o#er the co"ntry, fla$+hoistin$
ceremonies are cond"cted by thelocal administration in attendance& )he main e#ent takes place in ,e- Delhi, the capital
city of India, -here the .rime /inister hoists thenational fla$ at the 0ed Fort and deli#ers a nationally tele#ised speech from its
ramparts& In his speech, he hi$hli$hts the achie#ements of his $o#ernment d"rin$ the past year, raises important iss"es and
$i#es a call for f"rther de#elopment& )he .rime /inister also pays his trib"te to leaders of the freedom str"$$le& )he .rime
/inister also declares holiday on 15 *"$"st&
Contents
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1 'ackground
. /elebrations
0 )ee also
1 References
23ternal links
[edit]Background
In 1%41, the 2abo"r $o#ernment in !ritain, its e3che4"er e3ha"sted by the recently concl"ded World War II, and conscio"s that
it had neither the mandate at home, the international s"pport, nor the reliability of nati#e forces for contin"in$ to control an
increasin$ly restless India,
'5('6(
decided to end !ritish r"le of India, and in early 1%4 !ritain anno"nced its intention of transferrin$
po-er no later than 7"ne 1%48&
*s independence approached, the #iolence bet-een 8ind"s and /"slims in the pro#inces of ."n9ab and !en$al contin"ed
"nabated& With the !ritish army "nprepared for the potential for increased #iolence, the ne- #iceroy, 2o"is /o"ntbatten,
ad#anced the date for the transfer of po-er, allo-in$ less than se#en months for a m"t"ally a$reed plan for independence& In
7"ne 1%4, the nationalist leaders, incl"din$ .andit ,ehr", *b"l :alam *;ad, /ohammed *li 7innah, !& 0&
*mbedkar and /aster )ara <in$h a$reed to a partition of the co"ntry alon$ reli$io"s lines& )he predominantly 8ind" and <ikh
areas -ere assi$ned to the ne- India and predominantly /"slim areas to the ne- nation of .akistan= the plan incl"ded a
partition of the pro#inces of ."n9ab and !en$al&
/any millions of /"slim, <ikh, and 8ind" ref"$ees trekked across the ne-ly dra-n borders& In ."n9ab, -here the ne- border
lines di#ided the <ikh re$ions in half, massi#e bloodshed follo-ed= in !en$al and !ihar, -here >andhi?s presence ass"a$ed
comm"nal tempers, the #iolence -as more limited& In all, any-here bet-een 55@,@@@ and 5@@,@@@ people on both sides of the
ne- borders died in the #iolence&
'4(
An 14 *"$"st 1%4, the ne- Dominion of .akistan came into bein$, -ith /"hammad *li
7innah s-orn in as its first >o#ernor >eneral in :arachi& *t the stroke of midni$ht, as India mo#ed into *"$"st 15,
1%4, 7a-aharlal ,ehr", read o"t the famo"s )ryst -ith destiny speech proclaimin$ India?s independence& India, no- a
smaller Union of India, became an independent co"ntry -ith official ceremonies takin$ place in ,e- Delhi, and -ith 7a-aharlal
,ehr" ass"min$ the office of the first prime minister, and the #iceroy, 2o"is /o"ntbatten, stayin$ on as its first >o#ernor
>eneral&
[edit]Celebrations
This section re4uires e3pansion"
)he Indian fla$ at Delhi >ate
)he .rime /inister of India hoists the Indian fla$ on the ramparts of the historical site, 0ed Fort (), Delhi, on *"$"st 15&
)his is telecasted li#e on the ,ational Bhannel Doordarshan and many other ,e-s Bhannels all o#er India& Fla$ hoistin$
ceremonies and c"lt"ral pro$rams take place in all the state capitals& In the cities aro"nd the co"ntry the national fla$ is hoisted
by politicians in their constit"encies& In #ario"s pri#ate or$anisations the fla$ hoistin$ is carried o"t by a senior official of that
or$anisation& *ll o#er the co"ntry, fla$s are $i#en o"t to citi;ens -ho -ear them pro"dly to sho- their patriotism to-ards India&
<chools and colle$es aro"nd the co"ntry or$anise fla$ hoistin$ ceremonies and #ario"s t"ral e#ents -ithin their premises, -here
yo"n$er children in cost"me do impersonations of their fa#o"rite characters of the Independence era& )hey also ha#e a parade&
Families and friends $et to$ether for l"nch or dinner or for an o"tin$& 8o"sin$ colonies, c"lt"ral centres, cl"bs and societies hold
entertainment pro$rams and competitions, "s"ally based on the Independence Day theme& /ost national and re$ional tele#ision
channels screen old and ne- film classics -ith patriotic themes on Independence Day& /any non+$o#ernmental or$ani;ations
telecast patriotic pro$rams& It is a national festi#al that is celebrated by e#ery Indian irrespecti#e of reli$ion&