National symbols

Related Links

Introduction

History

Partition

Celebrations

Flag Hoisting

Other Programs

National Anthem

National Pledge

National Song

National symbols

Patriotic Poems

Patriotic Songs

Quotes about India

Proud to be Indian

Important Events

videos

National Emblem

The National Emblem of India is a replica of the Lion of Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. Four Lions in standing position (one hidden from view) on a base having Dharma Chakra at the center, a bull on the right and a horse on the left.

The words 'Satyameva jayate' in devanagri script are inscribed at the bottom meaning “ truth alone triumphs”. The National emblem is a symbol of contemporary India's reaffirmation of its commitment to world peace and goodwill.

National Calendar

The national calendar of India was adopted on March 22nd 1957. The calendar is based on the Saka Era with Chaitra as its first month and Phalgun as the last month. The year comprises of 12 months and 365 days. The national Calendar of India is used along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes-

* Gazette of India.

* news broadcast by All India Radio.

* calendars issued by the Government of India.

* Government communications addressed to the members of the public.

National Animal

Tiger

National Flower

Lotus

National Fruit

Mango

National Tree

Banyan Tree

National Game

Hockey

National Bird

Pea

The National Pledge

Related Links

Introduction

History

Partition

Celebrations

Flag Hoisting

Other Programs

National Anthem

National Pledge

National Song

National symbols

Patriotic Poems

Patriotic Songs

Quotes about India

Proud to be Indian

Important Events

videos

One of the common activities performed during Independence Day celebrations is the recitation of National Pledge in a fixed specific manner.

The National Pledge is recited in a loud voice in unison by standing straight and stretching right hand forward.

Many Indian schools include national pledge as a part of daily morning assemblies and essentially also included in the observance ceremonies for Independence Day and Republic Day.

Pledge

India is my country.

All Indians are my brothers and sisters.

I love my country.

I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.

I shall always strive to be worthy of it.

I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders, respect, and treat everyone with courtesy.

To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.

In their well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness.

Flag Hoisting

Related Links

Introduction

History

Partition

Celebrations

Flag Hoisting

Other Programs

National Anthem

National Pledge

National Song

National symbols

Patriotic Poems

Patriotic Songs

Quotes about India

Proud to be Indian

Important Events

videos

“Under this flag, there is no difference between a prince and a peasant, between the rich and the poor, between man and women."

-- Mrs. Sarojini Naidu

Preamble of the Flag Code of India says that:

The significance of the colours and the chakra in the National Flag was amply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Constituent Assembly which unanimously adopted the National Flag. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan explained -

"Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation of disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work."

"The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct."

"The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends."

"The Ashoka Wheel in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change."

On 15 August 1947 India and Pakistan were created. India adopted the tricolour of orange, white, and green with a blue Ashoka Chakra at the centre. Unofficially this tricolour had been the flag of the Indian National Congress. The orange colour represented Hinduism, the green colour - Islam and the white colour represented peace. There was a blue spinning wheel in the centre, which represented Gandhiji's call for economic self-sufficiency through hand spinning.

Prime Minister of India hoists the flag and pays his homage to the freedom fighters and addresses the Nation. Children are brimming with enthusiasm on this day. Early in the morning, they attend the

flag hoisting ceremony in their schools. They sing patriotic songs and present skits and dramas based on the freedom struggle.

This special day revives in us the nationalist spirit. There are celebrations all over the country. We listen to patriotic songs, and there are assemblies all over to salute the national flag. People watch the colourful march-past of the local police or the military forces. In educational institutions, the march-past is usually done by students and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets. Sweets are distributed and free movie shows featuring Nationalistic and Patrotic movies are shown.

Independence Day (India)

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"Fifteenth of August" redirects here. For other uses, see August 15.Independence Day of India

The national flag of India hoisted on the Red Fort in Delhi; hoisted flag is a common sight on public and private buildings on this national holiday.

Official name Independence Day of India

Observed by India

Type National holiday

Date 15 August

Celebrations Flag hoisting, parades, singing patriotic songs, speech by the Prime Minister, kite flying, singing the national anthem

The Independence Day of India, celebrated on 15 August, is a holiday commemorating India's independence from the British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on 15 August 1947. India achieved independence following the Indian independence movement noted for largely peaceful nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress. The independence coincided with the partition of India wherein the British Indian Empire was divided along religious

lines into two new nations—Dominion of India (later Republic of India) and Dominion of Pakistan (later Islamic Republic of Pakistan); the partition was stricken with violent communal riots.

The Independence Day is a national holiday in India. The flagship event takes place in Delhi where the Prime Minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort, followed by a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts. The day is observed all over India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events. Citizens rejoice the day by displaying the national flag on their attire, household accessories, vehicles; varied activities such as kite flying, bonding with family and friends, and enjoying patriotic songs and films are seen.

Security concerns over militant attacks and sporadic calls for boycotting the celebration by separatist outfits occasionally limit the celebration in some places. Some organisations have carried out terrorist attacks on and around 15 August, and others have declared bandh and used black flags to boycott the celebration. Several books and films feature the independence and partition as pivotal events in their narrative.Contents [hide]

1 History

1.1 Immediate background

1.2 Partition and independence

2 Celebration

3 Security threats

4 In popular culture

5 See also

6 References

6.1 Notes

6.2 Citations

7 External links

[edit]

History

Main article: Indian independence movement

The present-day India was a part of the British Indian Empire. Although the British East India Company started trading in India in the seventeenth century, Company rule in India started from 1757 after the Company's victory in the Battle of Plassey. In 1858, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of India. The period after World War I was marked by British reforms but also repressive legislation, by more strident Indian calls for self-rule, and by the beginnings of a non-violent movement of non-cooperation and civil disobedience, of which Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi would become the leader and enduring symbol.[1]:167 During the 1930s, slow legislative reform was enacted by the British; the Indian National Congress won victories in the resulting elections.[1]:195–197 The next decade was beset with crises: Indian participation in World War II, the Congress's final push for non-cooperation, and an upsurge of Muslim nationalism led by the All-India Muslim League. All were capped by the advent of independence in 1947, but tempered by the bloody partition of the subcontinent into two states: India and Pakistan.[1]:203

[edit]

Immediate background

A file photo of the Indian Independence Day at the Red Fort on 15 August 1947.

Front page of The Times of India on 15 August 1947, carrying news reports on the first Independence Day.

In 1946, the Labour government in Britain, its exchequer exhausted by the recently concluded World War II, and conscious 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,[1]:203[2][3][4] decided to end British rule of India. In February 1947, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Clement Attlee announced that the British government would grant full self-governance to British India by June 1948 at the latest.[5] With the British army unprepared for the potential for increased violence, the new viceroy, Louis Mountbatten, advanced the date for the transfer of power, allowing less than seven months for a mutually agreed plan for independence.

The British government announced on 3 June 1947 that the principle of partition of India was accepted by the British government,[5] the successor governments would be given dominion status and would have an implicit right to secede from the British Commonwealth. Viceroy Mountbatten chose 15 August as the date of power transfer; he chose this date as this was the second anniversary of Japan's surrender in the World War II.[6] The Indian Independence Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo 6 c. 30) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan.[7] The Act received the royal assent on 18 July 1947.[5]

The Indian Independence Act's salient provisions were:[7]

the division of British India into the two new and fully sovereign dominions of India and Pakistan, with effect from 15 August 1947;

the partition of the provinces of Bengal and Punjab between the two new countries;

the establishment of the office of Governor-General in each of the two new countries, as representative of the Crown;

the conferral of complete legislative authority upon the respective Constituent Assemblies of the two new countries;

the termination of British suzerainty over the princely states, with effect from 15 August 1947, and the right of states to accede to either dominion;

the dropping of the use of the title "Emperor of India" by the British monarch (this was subsequently done by King George VI by royal proclamation on 22 June 1948);

the provision for the division of joint property between the two new countries, including in particular the division of the armed forces.

[edit]

Partition and independence

Main article: Partition of India

Jawaharlal Nehru delivers his speech on the occasion of the first Independence Day in 1947 with the Indian national flag in his hand.

Millions of Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu refugees trekked across the newly drawn borders. In Punjab, where the new border lines 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, anywhere between 250,000 and 1,000,000 people on both sides of the new borders died in the violence.[8] While the entire nation was celebrating the Independence Day, Gandhi decided to stay in Calcutta and help mitigate the communal carnage.[9] On 14 August 1947, the new Dominion of Pakistan came into being; Muhammad Ali Jinnah sworn in as its first Governor General in Karachi. At midnight, as India moved into 15 August 1947, 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[10]

Dominion of India became an independent country as official ceremonies took place in New Delhi in which Jawaharlal Nehru assumed the office as the first Prime Minister, and the viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, continued as its first Governor General.

[edit]

Celebration

Indian flags on a bicycle on the Independence Day in Siliguri in eastern India.

In the 1929 Lahore session of Indian National Congress, the Purna Swaraj declaration, or "Declaration of the Independence of India" was promulgated,[11] and 26 January was declared as India's Independence Day.[11] The Congress called people to take pledge on that day until India attained complete independence from the Great Britain.[12] Between 1930 and 1947, 26 January was observed as the Independence Day of India, and carried symbolic value to the Congress.[13][14] Following the actual independence in 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect on and from 26 January 1950; since then 26 January is celebrated as the Republic Day.

The Independence Day is 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) and is observed in all Indian states and union territories. On the eve of the Independence Day, the President of India delivers the "Address to the Nation", which is televised nationally. On 15 August, the Prime Minister of India 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.[15] In his speech, the Prime Minister highlights the achievements of his government during the past year, raises important issues and gives a call for further development. He pays tribute to the leaders of the freedom struggle. The Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana is sung. The speech is followed by march past by divisions of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces, and parades and pageants showcasing events from the struggle for independence as well as cultural traditions of the country. Similar events take place in state capitals

where the Chief Ministers of individual states unfurl the national flag, and parades and pageants follow.[16]

Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programmes take place in government and non-government institutions in the country.[17] Schools and colleges conduct flag hoisting ceremonies and various cultural events within their premises. Major government buildings are often adorned with strings of light.[18] In some cities, such as Delhi, kite flying is a celebratory event associated with the Independence Day.[15][19] National flags of different sizes are used abundantly by the rejoicing residents to symbolise their allegiance to the country.[20] Citizens adorn their cloths, wristbands, cars, household accessories with replicas of the tri-colour.[20] Newspapers have reported a trend that the celebration pattern has changed from a nationalistic one to a more relaxed, festive one, where friends and family bond and make merry.[21][22] The Indian diaspora celebrates the Independence Day in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with high concentration of non-resident Indians, with parades and pageants.[23] In some locations such as several cities in the United States, 15 August has received the nomenclature "India Day" among the diaspora and the local populace.[24]

[edit]

Security threats

Security measures in the country are intensified before the Independence Day celebration, especially in major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and in troubled states such as Jammu and Kashmir. The celebratory events are anticipated to be the target of terrorist attacks, particularly by the Islamic fundamentalist militants.[25][26] The aerial space around the Red Fort is declared a no-fly zone during the celebration to prevent aerial attacks,[27] and additional police forces are deployed in other cities.[28] Separatist insurgent organisations have called for boycotting the Independence Day on several instances.[29][30][31] Organisations such as the United Liberation Front of Assam in Northeast India have repeatedly boycotted the celebrations, and have carried out terrorist activities like bomb blasts on and around 15 August.[32][33] As a consequence, the celebratory events in Northeast India is often marred by the looming tension.[34] Separatist protesters have boycotted the Independence Day in Jammu and Kashmir with bandh (strike), use of black flags and even by burning the Indian national flag.[35][36][37] Boycotting of the Independence Day celebration has also been called for by insurgent Maoist rebel organisations.[38][39]

[edit]

In popular culture

On the Independence Day and the Republic Day, patriotic songs in Hindi and regional languages are broadcast on TV and radio channels.[40] They are also played at locations of flag hoisting.[40] Patriotic films are broadcast on television channels.[17] Over the decades, the number of such film

broadcast has decreased as channels report that too many patriotic films would overwhelm the audience who want popular entertaining films to enjoy the holiday.[41] The population cohort belonging to the Generation Next often combine nationalism with popular culture during the celebration of the Independence Day. Outfits displaying the three colours of the national flag—saffron, green and white; use of food colours to make savouries and delicacies resembling the tri-colour; cloth-designs reflecting ideas gleaned from the cultural traditions of India are example of such mixture.[21] Retail stores offer discount on merchandise to promote buying spree around the Independence Day.[42][43] Rampant commercialisation of patriotism during the Independence Day has been noted in newspaper reports.[42][44][45]

The independence and partition inspired literary creation in many languages.[46] Artistic depictions of the partition of India are the topic of many scholarly discourses. Literature describing the human cost of the independence and partition comprises Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan (1956), several short stories such as Toba Tek Singh (1955) by Saadat Hassan Manto, Urdu poems by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Bhisham Sahni's Tamas (1974), Manohar Malgonkar's A Bend in the Ganges (1965), Bapsi Sidhwa's Ice-Candy Man (1988) and many more.[47][48] Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children (1980), which won the Booker Prize and the Booker of Bookers, weaved its narrative based on the children born with magical abilities on the midnight of 14 August 1947.[48] Freedom at Midnight (1975) is a non-fiction by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre that chronicled the events surrounding the first Independence Day. There is a paucity of films related to the independence and partition.[49][50][51] Early films relating the circumstances of the independence, partition and the aftermath include Nemai Ghosh's Chinnamul (1950),[49] Dharmputra (1961),[52] Ritwik Ghatak's Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960), Komal Gandhar (1961), Subarnarekha (1962);[49][53] later films include Garm Hava (1973), Tamas (1987);[52] starting from the late 1990s more films on this theme were made, including several mainstream films—Earth (1998), Train to Pakistan (1998), Hey Ram (2000), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Pinjar (2003), Partition (2007).[52] The biopics Gandhi (1982), Jinnah (1998), Sardar (1993) also have the independence and partition as significant events in their screenplay.

[edit]

See also

Independence Day (Pakistan)

Preamble to the Constitution of India

[edit]

References

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

Citations

^ a b c d Metcalf, B.; Metcalf, T. R. (9 October 2006). A Concise History of Modern India (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-68225-1.

^ Hyam, Ronald (2006). Britain's Declining Empire: the Road to Decolonisation, 1918–1968. Cambridge University Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-521-68555-9. "By the end of 1945, he and the Commander-in-chief, General Auckinleck were advising that there was a real threat in 1946 of large scale anti-British disorder amounting to even a well-organized rising aiming to expel the British by paralysing the administration.

...it was clear to Attlee that everything depended on the spirit and reliability of the Indian Army:"Provided that they do their duty, armed insurrection in India would not be an insoluble problem. If, however, the Indian Army was to go the other way, the picture would be very different.

...Thus, Wavell concluded, if the army and the police "failed" Britain would be forced to go. In theory, it might be possible to revive and reinvigorate the services, and rule for another fifteen to twenty years, but:It is a fallacy to suppose that the solution lies in trying to maintain the status quo. We have no longer the resources, nor the necessary prestige or confidence in ourselves."

^ Brown, Judith Margaret (1994). Modern India: the Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford University Press. p. 330. ISBN 978-0-19-873112-2. "India had always been a minority interest in British public life; no great body of public opinion now emerged to argue that war-weary and impoverished Britain should send troops and money to hold it against its will in an empire of doubtful value. By late 1946 both Prime Minister and Secretary of State for India recognized that neither international opinion nor their own voters would stand for any reassertion of the raj, even if there had been the men, money, and administrative machinery with which to do so"

^ Sarkar, Sumit (1983). Modern India, 1885–1947. Macmillan. p. 418. ISBN 978-0-333-90425-1. "With a war weary army and people and a ravaged economy, Britain would have had to retreat; the Labour victory only quickened the process somewhat."

^ a b c Romein, Jan (1962). The Asian Century: a History of Modern Nationalism in Asia. University of California Press. p. 357. ASIN B000PVLKY4. Retrieved 24 July 2012.

^ Read, Anthony; Fisher, David (1 July 1999). The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-393-31898-2. Retrieved 4 August 2012.

^ a b "Indian Independence Act 1947". The National Archives, Her Majesty's Government. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

^ DeRouen, Karl; Heo, Uk. Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II. ABC-CLIO. pp. 408–414. ISBN 978-1-85109-919-1. Retrieved 24 July 2012.

^ Alexander, Horace (1 August 2007). "A miracle in Calcutta". Prospect. Retrieved 27 July 2012.

^ "Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964): Speech On the Granting of Indian Independence, August 14, 1947". Fordham University. Retrieved 26 07 2012.

^ a b Wolpert, Stanley A. (12 October 1999). India. University of California Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-520-22172-7. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ Datta, V.N. (2006). "India's Independence Pledge". In Gandhi, Kishore. India's Date with Destiny. Allied Publishers. p. 39. ISBN 978-81-7764-932-1.

^ Hyam, Ronald (2006). Britain's Declining Empire: the Road to Decolonisation, 1918–1968. Cambridge University Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-521-68555-9. "By the end of 1945, he and the Commander-in-chief, General Auckinleck were advising that there was a real threat in 1946 of large scale anti-British disorder amounting to even a well-organized rising aiming to expel the British by paralysing the administration.

...it was clear to Attlee that everything depended on the spirit and reliability of the Indian Army:"Provided that they do their duty, armed insurrection in India would not be an insoluble problem. If, however, the Indian Army was to go the other way, the picture would be very different.

...Thus, Wavell concluded, if the army and the police "failed" Britain would be forced to go. In theory, it might be possible to revive and reinvigorate the services, and rule for another fifteen to twenty years, but:It is a fallacy to suppose that the solution lies in trying to maintain the status quo. We have no longer the resources, nor the necessary prestige or confidence in ourselves."

^ Brown, Judith Margaret (1994). Modern India: the Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford University Press. p. 330. ISBN 978-0-19-873112-2. "India had always been a minority interest in British public life; no great body of public opinion now emerged to argue that war-weary and impoverished Britain should send troops and money to hold it against its will in an empire of doubtful value. By late 1946 both Prime Minister and Secretary of State for India recognized that neither international opinion nor their own voters would stand for any reassertion of the raj, even if there had been the men, money, and administrative machinery with which to do so"

^ Sarkar, Sumit (1983). Modern India, 1885–1947. Macmillan. p. 418. ISBN 978-0-333-90425-1. "With a war weary army and people and a ravaged economy, Britain would have had to retreat; the Labour victory only quickened the process somewhat."

^ a b c Romein, Jan (1962). The Asian Century: a History of Modern Nationalism in Asia. University of California Press. p. 357. ASIN B000PVLKY4. Retrieved 24 July 2012.

^ Read, Anthony; Fisher, David (1 July 1999). The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-393-31898-2. Retrieved 4 August 2012.

^ a b "Indian Independence Act 1947". The National Archives, Her Majesty's Government. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

^ DeRouen, Karl; Heo, Uk. Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II. ABC-CLIO. pp. 408–414. ISBN 978-1-85109-919-1. Retrieved 24 July 2012.

^ Alexander, Horace (1 August 2007). "A miracle in Calcutta". Prospect. Retrieved 27 July 2012.

^ "Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964): Speech On the Granting of Indian Independence, August 14, 1947". Fordham University. Retrieved 26 07 2012.

^ a b Wolpert, Stanley A. (12 October 1999). India. University of California Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-520-22172-7. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ Datta, V.N. (2006). "India's Independence Pledge". In Gandhi, Kishore. India's Date with Destiny. Allied Publishers. p. 39. ISBN 978-81-7764-932-1.

^ Vohra, Ranbir (2001). The Making of India: a Historical Survey. M.E. Sharpe. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-7656-0711-9. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ Ramaseshan, Radhika (26 January 2012). "Why January 26: the History of the Day". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 July 2012.

^ a b "Independence Day". Government of India. Retrieved 18 July 2012.

^ "Barring Northeast, Peaceful I-Day Celebrations across India (State Roundup, Combining Different Series)". Monsters and Critics. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2012.

^ a b Gupta, K.R.; Gupta, Amita (1 January 2006). Concise Encyclopaedia of India. Atlantic Publishers. p. 1002. ISBN 978-81-269-0639-0. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ "Independence Day Celebration". Government of India. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

^ Bhattacharya, Suryatapa (15 August 2011). "Indians Still Battling it out on Independence Day". The National. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ a b "When India Wears its Badge of Patriotism with Pride". DNA. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2012.

^ a b Ansari, Shabana (15 August 2011). "Independence Day: For GenNext, It’s Cool to Flaunt Patriotism". DNA. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ Dutta Sachdeva, Sujata; Mathur, Neha (14 August 2005). "It's Cool to Be Patriotic: GenNow". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 July 2012.

^ "Indian-Americans Celebrate Independence Day". The Hindu. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2012.

^ Ghosh, Ajay (2008). "India’s Independence Day Celebrations across the United States—Showcasing India’s Cultural Diversity and Growing Economic Growth". NRI Today. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ Ramgopal, Ram (14 August 2002). "India Braces for Independence Day". CNN. Retrieved 18 July 2012.

^ "US Warns of India Terror Attacks". BBC. 11 August 2006. Retrieved 18 July 2012.

^ "Rain Brings Children Cheer, Gives Securitymen a Tough Time". The Hindu. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.

^ "India Heightens Security ahead of I-Day". The Times of India. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2012.

^ Schendel, Willem Van; Abraham, Itty (2005). Illicit Flows and Criminal Things: States, Borders, and the Other Side of Globalization. Indiana University Press. pp. 55–56. ISBN 978-0-253-21811-7. Retrieved 22 July 2012.

^ "Rebels Call for I-Day Boycott in Northeast". Rediff. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2012.

^ Biswas, Prasenjit; Suklabaidya, Chandan (6 February 2008). Ethnic Life-Worlds in North-East India: an Analysis. SAGE. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-7619-3613-8. Retrieved 22 July 2012.

^ Mazumdar, Prasanta (11 August 2011). "ULFA’s Independence Day Gift for India: Blasts". DNA. Retrieved 21 July 2012.

^ Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Country Reports on Terrorism 2004. United States Department of State. p. 129. Retrieved 22 July 2012.

^ Thakuria, Nava (5 September 2011). "Appreciating the Spirit of India's Independence Day". Global Politician. Retrieved 21 July 2012.

^ "Kashmir Independence Day Clashes". BBC. 15 August 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2012.

^ Hyam, Ronald (2006). Britain's Declining Empire: the Road to Decolonisation, 1918–1968. Cambridge University Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-521-68555-9. "By the end of 1945, he and the Commander-in-chief, General Auckinleck were advising that there was a real threat in 1946 of large scale anti-British disorder amounting to even a well-organized rising aiming to expel the British by paralysing the administration.

...it was clear to Attlee that everything depended on the spirit and reliability of the Indian Army:"Provided that they do their duty, armed insurrection in India would not be an insoluble problem. If, however, the Indian Army was to go the other way, the picture would be very different.

...Thus, Wavell concluded, if the army and the police "failed" Britain would be forced to go. In theory, it might be possible to revive and reinvigorate the services, and rule for another fifteen to twenty years, but:It is a fallacy to suppose that the solution lies in trying to maintain the status quo. We have no longer the resources, nor the necessary prestige or confidence in ourselves."

^ Brown, Judith Margaret (1994). Modern India: the Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford University Press. p. 330. ISBN 978-0-19-873112-2. "India had always been a minority interest in British public life; no great body of public opinion now emerged to argue that war-weary and impoverished Britain should send troops and money to hold it against its will in an empire of doubtful value. By late 1946 both Prime Minister and Secretary of State for India recognized that neither international opinion nor their own voters would stand for any reassertion of the raj, even if there had been the men, money, and administrative machinery with which to do so"

^ Sarkar, Sumit (1983). Modern India, 1885–1947. Macmillan. p. 418. ISBN 978-0-333-90425-1. "With a war weary army and people and a ravaged economy, Britain would have had to retreat; the Labour victory only quickened the process somewhat."

^ a b c Romein, Jan (1962). The Asian Century: a History of Modern Nationalism in Asia. University of California Press. p. 357. ASIN B000PVLKY4. Retrieved 24 July 2012.

^ Read, Anthony; Fisher, David (1 July 1999). The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-393-31898-2. Retrieved 4 August 2012.

^ a b "Indian Independence Act 1947". The National Archives, Her Majesty's Government. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

^ DeRouen, Karl; Heo, Uk. Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II. ABC-CLIO. pp. 408–414. ISBN 978-1-85109-919-1. Retrieved 24 July 2012.

^ Alexander, Horace (1 August 2007). "A miracle in Calcutta". Prospect. Retrieved 27 July 2012.

^ "Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964): Speech On the Granting of Indian Independence, August 14, 1947". Fordham University. Retrieved 26 07 2012.

^ a b Wolpert, Stanley A. (12 October 1999). India. University of California Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-520-22172-7. Retrieved 20 July 2012.

^ Datta, V.N. (2006). "India's Independence Pledge". In Gandhi, Kishore. India's Date with Destiny. Allied Publishers. p. 39. ISBN 978-81-7764-932-1.

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"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will 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.... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again."

- Jawaharlal Nehru

(Speech on Indian Independence Day, 1947)

On 15 August 1947, India attained freedom from the British Rule. Every year, August 15 is celebrated as the Independence Day in India. This national festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country.

The Independence Day of any country is a moment of pride and glory. On this special occasion, rich tributes are paid to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives and fought to free their motherland from the clutches of the oppressors - British who ruled the country.