HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
Indian Independence Day, on August 15, reminds us of the long, hard-fought battle for liberation against British domination championed by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Despite the expansive British Empire on which it was said, “the sun never sets,” ragtag groups of liberation fighters and brilliant strategists soundly defeated the British with strong, tactical mobilizing and the persistence that comes from centuries of oppression. Join in the celebration of what Nehru called India’s “Tryst with Destiny.”
On 15th August 1947, the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru lifted the Indian flag above the Lahori Gate in Delhi. In some ways, this became a custom and on each subsequent Indian Independence Day, the sitting Prime Minister raised the countries flag and gives an address to the nation.
Indian Independence Day 2021 will be observed throughout India with parades, flag hoisting events, and cultural setups.
WHEN IS INDIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 2021?
As the Urdu patriotic song goes, “Better than the entire world, is our Hindustan (India). We are its nightingales, and it (is) our garden abode.” India celebrates its Independence Day on August 15.
HISTORY OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
The British Empire’s rule started in India in 1757, followed by the English East India Company gaining control over the entire country by winning the Battle of Plassey. The Indian independence movement began during World War I and was led by renowned leader Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi staunchly advocated noncooperation, nonviolent method of protest, after which the civil disobedience movement took place.
After relentlessly long campaigns for independence, India’s struggle paid off. Britain had weakened after the two world wars and began thinking of ending its rule in India. In 1947, the British government declared the transfer of all powers to India by June 1948, but continuing tensions and violence between Muslims and Hindus led to a consensus for the partition of India into two separate states.
To deal with this, the British government proposed on June 3, 1947, that any constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly of India will not be applicable to parts of the country that refuse to accept it. On the same day, a plan for partition was put into action by Lord Mountbatten — the then viceroy of India.
Mountbatten’s plan was agreed to by both the Congress and the Muslim League. As new borders were drawn and the world map changed forever, between 300,000 and 500,000 people died on both sides. On August 15, 1947, at midnight, India gained independence and was concluded by the iconic speech by Jawaharlal Nehru, “Tryst with destiny.”
HOW TO OBSERVE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
Make it a family affair
Gather family and friends together for an outing at the park, a special dinner, or strolling in a garden. The main thing is to get with the people you hold dear and spend quality time celebrating this special day of India’s liberation.
Go fly a kite
Bet you didn’t know that kite flying has a revered place in India because it is a symbol of Indian Independence Day. If you can’t be in India for the festivities; head to your nearest park or beach, unfurl your brightest-colored kite and fly in honor of India’s day of freedom.
The day starts with a 21-gun salute
On Indian Independence Day, the prime minister hoists the Indian flag from Red Fort, Delhi, while someone sings the National Anthem and soldiers fire off a 21-gun salute to commemorate the event.
The date changed
The actual date of India’s independence is July 18, 1947, but Britain’s Lord Mountbatten changed the date to coincide with the second anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allied Forces on August 15.
Flag symbolizes progress
India’s original flag was made up of the two symbolic colors of red and green, but Gandhi suggested adding a white strip in the middle with a spinning wheel to represent India’s national progress.
There’s a mandatory no-fly zone
Safety measures call for a ban on air traffic over Delhi’s historic Red Fort.