Independence Day of India : History, Significance, Speech and Facts

15th August, Independence Day stands as a day of pride. It marks the end of the colonial rule that prolonged for centuries.On this day, people of India rejoiced after the success of their freedom struggle.  They fought tooth and nail to ensure an environment of liberty, freedom, self-esteem and rights. The shackle that captivated them mercilessly finally got thrown.

India got independence in the year of 1947. Since then we salute our leaders and their sacrifices on this day. 15th August is nothing but a tribute to freedom fighters for their grit, determination and valour.

Read here: Virtual Celebration Ideas for Independence Day

Some Basic Details:

Flag hoisting for the first time (independence)Red Fort, 15 August, 1947
National Anthem sang for the first time27 December, 1911
Nation Song of IndiaVande Mataram
Who wrote the National AnthemRabindranath Tagore
First Indian governor generalC Rajagopalachari
Who hoists flag on 15 AugustPrime Minister Of India
Who gave ‘tryst with destiny speech’Jawahar Lal Nehru

What is the Significance of August 15 in India?

  • On August 15, in the year 1947, the Republic of India declared independence from British authority.
  • Since then, August 15th has been observed as Independence Day in India to commemorate the country’s independence from the 200-year-old British government.
  • The 15th of August is a day of a new beginning for India. The British authorities gave the country over to the leaders of India at midnight bringing an end to a great fight that had lasted for many years.
  •  On 15 August 1947, the momentous occasion when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s 1st Prime Minister, unfurled the nation’s tricolor flag on the magnificent Red Fort. The day is significant in Indian history since it marks the end of British colonial control in India.

Read here: Independence Day of America

What Happened in the Midnight of 14-15 August?

  • Lord Mountabatten personally decided the date of independence for India.
  • He found it a lucky date.
  • The bloodshed of partition was evident.
  • Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India.
  • He gave the famous speech on ‘tryst with destiny’.
  • Gandhi did not participate in the official celebration.
  • He undertook a fast to promote Hindu-Muslim unity.

August 15 – Independence Day India:

  • This year, India will celebrate its 75th Independence Day, marking 74 years of independence. 
  • India honors all former leaders who battled for India’s independence. 
  • India’s Prime Minister hoists the tricolor at the Red Fort in Old Delhi and delivers a speech to the country on this day.
  • In Delhi, a variety of cultural programs involving schools and organizations are held. The celebrations will be different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • It was tough for India to gain independence from British domination. However, our political leaders, freedom fighters, and citizens joined the freedom movement and were committed to achieving independence.

Read here: Indian Republic Day

Colonial History of India:

  • After the British were victorious at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the (EIC) East India Company took control of India.
  • The British Crown, then, took control of India by 1858. Following the First World War, the British enacted oppressive and exploitative legislation. 
  • This launched a phase of the non-cooperation movement, which was followed later by the civil disobedience movement.
  • Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, was a national symbol and the unwavering leader for all of these initiatives. 
  • The next few decades were defined by ongoing fights for independence between the British and the Indians.
  •  Freedom fighters, the Indian National Congress, and the people of India participated in a variety of activities and actions.
  • Due to their capital exhaustion following the Second World War, the Labour administration and the British exchequer considered abandoning their authority over India in 1946. 
  • On February 20th, 1947, the Prime Minister of Britain Clement Atlee proclaimed that the British administration in India would end on June 30th, 1948.
  • That power would be handed over to responsible representatives of India.
  • Following this declaration, the Muslim League launched a campaign calling for the country to be divided and partitioned. 
  • On June 3, 1947, the British administration declared that any Constitution created by the Indian Constituent Assembly in 1946 would not apply to those parts of India that refused to accept it. 
  • Louis Mountbatten, the then Viceroy of India, recommended the power hand-over date because the British army could not cope with the escalating unrest in the nation. 
  • The Muslim League and Congress both voted in favor of the initiative. The plan adopting the Indian Independence Act 1947 was given immediate effect. 
  • In June 1947, important Indian leaders such as Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Master Tara Singh, Abul Kalam Azad, and B. R. Ambedkar agreed on a religiously based partition of the nation. 
  • Thousands of people from various religious groups crossed the freshly formed boundary, searching for a place to live. This resulted in the deaths of between 250,000 and 500,000 people. 
  • On the 14th and 15th of August, 1947, at midnight, British authority over India and Pakistan came to an end, and power was transferred to India and Pakistan’s new independent Dominions.
  •  Lord Mountbatten was appointed as the fledgling Dominion of India’s first governor-general.
  •  India’s first prime minister after independence was Jawahar Lal Nehru.
  •  The Constituent Assembly, which was established in 1946, became the Indian Dominion Parliament.

15th August Celebrations in India:

  • Every year on this day, all proud Indians commemorate India’s independence.
  • August 15th is a national holiday in India. 
  • Though municipal governments around India hold flag hoisting ceremonies, the primary celebration takes place at the Red Fort in India’s capital city, New Delhi.
  • Every year, the ceremony begins with the country’s prime minister unfurling the tricolored national flag, followed by a broadcast address.
  • The speech highlights the country’s current state, past year’s accomplishments, and future growth objectives. 
  • One of the primary attractions following the flag-hoisting ritual is patriotic performances by children from schools across the country.
  • On Independence Day in India, people fly kites to symbolize India’s free spirit.
  • The Red Fort in Delhi is highly significant since it was here that the first Prime Minister of Independent India, Jawahar Lal Nehru, presented India’s flag on August 15, 1947.
  • The flag hoisting event in Delhi attracts a large crowd, and it is a lovely sight to behold.
  • Thus, India celebrates Independence Day in a variety of ways and with a strong sense of patriotism.

 Facts Regarding August 15, Independence Day India:

  • At the time of independence, the country had no official national anthem. The Bengali version of “Jana Gana Mana,” which is widely regarded as the Indian National Anthem, was penned in 1911.
  • India takes its name from the Indus River, which was the birthplace of the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world’s first civilizations. The country’s Sanskrit name, on the other hand, is “Bharat Ganarajya.”
  • North Korea, South Korea, the Republic of Congo, and Bahrain are among the countries that share their Independence Day with India. 
  • It is also a significant day in international history because it marks the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allied Forces.

Facts About the Tricolour Flag of India:

  • Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter, came up with the concept and design for our very own flag.
  • It is claimed to have been raised for the first time on August 7, 1906, in Calcutta’s Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park).
  • The first Tri-color to be erected on foreign soil was in Germany on August 22, 1907, by Bhikhaji Rustom Cama. 
  • However, it was a different version from the original, consisting of three colors with “Vande Mataram” inscribed on it, with Green at the top, Golden Saffron in the middle, and Red at the bottom.
  • The only material allowed in the manufacture of the national flag is khadi; using any other material is illegal under Indian law.
  • The exclusive “Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission” owns the production rights, which it distributes to the regional circles. “Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha” was the sole maker of the Flag as of 2009.

Struggle During India-Pakistan Partition:

  • The partition of British India led to the formation of two different states.
  • There was a massive bloodshed.
  • British India had 25% of muslim population. They were the largest religious minority.
  • India fell prey to Britishers’ ‘divide and rule’ policy.
  • Partition gave casualties, mass-killings, a wave of migration.

Some Unsung Heroes of Indian Freedom Struggle:

  • Velu Nachiyar

She was the first queen to wage a war against the British.  Velu belonged to the state of Sivaganga.

  • Madam Bhikaji Cama

She was the first ever revolutionary who hoisted an Indian flag on the foreign land.

  • Khudiram Bose

He was one of the youngest revolutions who got executed.

  • Beena Das

She was a revolutionary who fired on a British Governor during her convocation ceremony.

  • Matangini Hazra

An old lady who protested against the British. She fought bravely until the bullets took her life away.

  • Usha Mehta

She organised congress radio during the Quit India Movement, 1942.

  • Vinoba Bhave

He is best known for the Bhoodan Movement. People call him ‘ the national teacher’.

A Timeline of Important Freedom-Struggle Movements:

The first war of independence1857
Formation of Indian National Congress1885
Partition of Bengal1905
Arrival of Gandhi1915
Jallianwala Bagh genocide1919
Khilafat Movement1919-24
Delhi Assembly Bombing1929
Civil Disobedience Movement1930-31
Aazad Hind Fauz1942
Quit India Movement1942

A Short Speech for the Independence Day:

‘Independence Day’ is a celebration of valour, grit, determination. It is a slap on the face of atrocities that came along the way of Indians. In Spite of diversity the thread of nationalism kept Indian diaspora together. As we enter the 75th year of independence, we need to pledge for a wholesome development.

Long back, European powers came to India for trading purposes. But the lack of political unity within the country gave them an opportunity to intervene. This is how the land of India suffered for more than 200 years. The colonial powers took away the charm, glory, opulence and strength of the ‘sone ki chidiya’.

Our great leaders toiled hard to get us the atmosphere of ‘Free India’ to grow and live. It is our duty now to contribute in sync for the development as well as the glory of the largest existing civilization in the world.

On the auspicious day of 15 th August we must bow down to all the leaders, who shrugged their comfort off, for our secured present.

List of Movies Celebrating the Importance of the Independence Day:

Movies never fail to trigger human emotions. Let us know some of the patriotic films that fuel up the sense of nationalism.

FilmsYear
Mother India1958
Junoon1978
Lagaan2001
The Legend of Bhagat Singh2002
Mangal Pandey 2005
Rang De Basanti2006
Gandhi1982
Shaheed1965
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se2010

Interesting Facts About Indian Freedom:

  • Goa was the last state to join the Union of India (1961)
  • The Radcliffe Line was officially published on 17th August,1947.
  • Our national song was part of a novel.
  • Indian Flag was first hoisted in 1906, Calcutta.
  • After 1974, chief ministers of respective states started hoisting the flag.
  • Indian National Anthem was adopted in 1950.

 Ideas for Independence Day Celebration:

  • Online poem/biography recitation of great freedom fighters. Educational institutes can organise such events.
  • Virtual gatherings in ethnic apparels. Team mates of offices can organise events highlighting the importance of Independence Day.
  • We can organize plays, singing competitions, drama etc in our societies.
  • We can enjoy watching films pertaining to patriotism.

FAQs:

What is the usual timing of flag hoisting at Red Fort?

7:30 AM

Who gave the ‘do or die’ speech?

Mahatma Gandhi

Who gave the slogan ‘Jai Hind’?

Zain-ul-abideen gave the idea to Netaji, which he gladly accepted.

How many countries celebrate 15 August as Independence Day?

Five more countries along with India.

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