Independence Day (India)

{{main|Indian independence movement}}

European traders had established outposts in the Indian subcontinent by the late 17th century. Through overwhelming military strength, the East India Company fought and annexed local kingdoms and established themselves as the dominant force by the 18th century. Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led the British Crown to assume direct control of India. In the decades following, civic society gradually emerged across India, most notably the Indian National Congress Party, formed in 1885.{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Sumit|author-link=Sumit Sarkar|title=Modern India, 1885–1947|year=1983|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-333-90425-1|pages=1–4|url=https://archive.org/details/modernindia1885100sark/page/1}}{{rp|123}} The period after World War I was marked by colonial reforms such as the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms, but it also witnessed the enactment of the unpopular Rowlatt Act and calls for self-rule by Indian activists. The discontent of this period crystallised into nationwide non-violent movements of non-cooperation and civil disobedience, led by Mahatma Gandhi.{{cite book|last1=Metcalf|first1=B.|last2=Metcalf|first2=T. R.|author1-link=Barbara Metcalf|author2-link=Thomas R. Metcalf|date=9 October 2006|title=A Concise History of Modern India|edition=2nd|publisher=Cambridge University Press| isbn=978-0-521-68225-1}}{{rp|167}}

During the 1930s, the reform was gradually legislated by the British; Congress won victories in the resulting elections.{{rp|195–197}} The next decade was beset with political turmoil: Indian participation in World War II, the Congress' final push for non-cooperation, and an upsurge of Muslim nationalism led by the All-India Muslim League. The escalating political tension was capped by Independence in 1947. The jubilation was tempered by the bloody partition of colonial India into India and Pakistan.{{rp|203}}

Hasrat Mohani was the first person in Indian History who demanded 'Complete Independence' (Azadi-e-Kaamil), at the 1929 session of the Indian National Congress, the Purna Swaraj declaration, or "Declaration of the Independence of India" was promulgated,{{cite book|last=Wolpert|first=Stanley A.|author-link=Stanley Wolpert|title=India|url={{Google books|nHnOERqf-MQC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=20 July 2012|date=12 October 1999|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-22172-7|page=204|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509231648/http://books.google.com/books?id=nHnOERqf-MQC|archive-date=9 May 2013}} and 26 January was declared as Independence Day in 1930. 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.{{cite book|title=India's Date with Destiny|chapter=India's Independence Pledge|last=Datta|first=V. N.|editor-last=Gandhi|editor-first=Kishore|year=2006|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=978-81-7764-932-1|pages=34–39|quote=We recognise, however, that the most effective way of getting our freedom is not through violence. We will therefore prepare ourselves by withdrawing, so far as we can, all voluntary association from British Government, and will prepare for civil disobedience, including non-payment of taxes. We are convinced that if we can but withdraw our voluntary help and stop payment of taxes without doing violence, even under provocation; the need of his inhuman rule is assured. We therefore hereby solemnly resolve to carry out the Congress instructions issued from time to time for the purpose of establishing Purna Swaraj.}} 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.{{cite book|last=Guha|first=Ramachandra|title=India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy|url={{Google books|2fvd-CaFdqYC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=23 August 2012|date=12 August 2008|publisher=Harper Collins|isbn=978-0-06-095858-9|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231095737/http://books.google.com/books?id=2fvd-CaFdqYC|archive-date=31 December 2013}}{{rp|19}}

The Congress observed 26 January as the Independence Day between 1930 and 1946.{{cite book|last=Vohra|first=Ranbir|title=The Making of India: a Historical Survey|url={{Google books|IDKoyGjFo44C|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=20 July 2012|year=2001|publisher=M. E. Sharpe|isbn=978-0-7656-0711-9|page=148|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111195943/http://books.google.com/books?id=IDKoyGjFo44C|archive-date=11 January 2014}}{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120126/jsp/nation/story_15055256.jsp|title=Why January 26: the History of the Day|last=Ramaseshan|first=Radhika|date=26 January 2012|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=The Telegraph|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120111841/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120126/jsp/nation/story_15055256.jsp|archive-date=20 January 2013}} The celebration was marked by meetings where the attendants took the "pledge of independence".{{rp|19–20}} Jawaharlal Nehru described in his autobiography that such meetings were peaceful, solemn, and "without any speeches or exhortation".{{cite book|last=Nehru|first=Jawaharlal|title=Jawaharlal Nehru, An Autobiography: With Musings on Recent Events in India|url={{Google books|NFKgAAAAMAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=26 August 2012|year=1989|publisher=Bodley Head|isbn=978-0-370-31313-9|page=209|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232328/http://books.google.com/books?id=NFKgAAAAMAAJ|archive-date=26 June 2014}} 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".{{cite book|first=(Mahatma)|last=Gandhi|title=Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi|url={{Google books|1sEmAQAAMAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=26 August 2012|volume=42|year=1970|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India|pages=398–400|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232329/http://books.google.com/books?id=1sEmAQAAMAAJ|archive-date=26 June 2014}} Following actual independence in 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect on and from 26 January 1950; since then 26 January is celebrated as Republic Day.

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 maintain control in an increasingly restless India.{{rp|203}}{{cite book|last=Hyam|first=Ronald|title=Britain's Declining Empire: The Road to Decolonisation, 1918–1968| year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-68555-9|page=106|quote=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-organised 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.}}{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Judith Margaret|author-link=Judith M. Brown|title=Modern India: the Origins of an Asian Democracy|year=1994|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-873112-2|page=330|quote=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}}{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Sumit|author-link=Sumit Sarkar|title=Modern India, 1885–1947|year=1983|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-333-90425-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/modernindia1885100sark/page/418 418]|quote=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.|url=https://archive.org/details/modernindia1885100sark/page/418}} On 20 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.{{cite book|last=Romein|first=Jan|author-link=Jan Romein|title=The Asian Century: a History of Modern Nationalism in Asia|url={{Google books|OXaIQZMevjcC|page=PA357|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=24 July 2012|year=1962|publisher=University of California Press|page=357|asin=B000PVLKY4|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224411/http://books.google.com/books?id=OXaIQZMevjcC&pg=PA357|archive-date=26 June 2014}}

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.{{cite book|last1=Read|first1=Anthony|last2=Fisher|first2=David|title=The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence|url={{Google books|q9ebuSG64dkC|page=PA459|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=4 August 2012|date=1 July 1999|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-31898-2|pages=459–60|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921063252/http://books.google.com/books?id=q9ebuSG64dkC&pg=PA459|archive-date=21 September 2013}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/30|title=Indian Independence Act 1947|publisher=The National Archives, Her Majesty's Government|access-date=17 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630080036/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/30|archive-date=30 June 2012}} The Act received royal assent on 18 July 1947.

{{Clear}}

File:Jawaharlal_Nehru_delivering_his_"tryst_with_destiny"_speech.jpg delivering his speech, Tryst with Destiny, on the eve of India's first independence day.]]

Millions of Muslim, Sikh and Hindu refugees trekked the newly drawn borders in the months surrounding independence.{{cite book |last1=Keay |first1=John |title= India: A History |year=2000 |publisher= Grove Press |isbn=9780802137975 |page=508 |quote=East to west and west to east perhaps ten million fled for their lives in the greatest exodus in recorded history.}} 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.{{cite book|last1=DeRouen|first1=Karl|last2=Heo|first2=Uk|title=Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II|url={{Google books|nrN077AEgzMC|page=PA414|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=24 July 2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-919-1|pages=408–414|date=28 March 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224414/http://books.google.com/books?id=nrN077AEgzMC&pg=PA414|archive-date=26 June 2014}} While the entire nation was celebrating the Independence Day, Gandhi stayed in Calcutta in an attempt to stem the carnage.{{cite web|url=http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/amiracleincalcutta/|title=A miracle in Calcutta|last=Alexander|first=Horace|author-link=Horace Alexander|work=Prospect|date=1 August 2007|access-date=27 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509064628/http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/amiracleincalcutta/|archive-date=9 May 2013}} 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.{{cite web| url=http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol5p1.htm| title=Constituent Assembly of India Volume V| access-date=15 August 2013| publisher=Parliament of India| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904092038/http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol5p1.htm| archive-date=4 September 2013| df=dmy-all}} The session was chaired by the president Rajendra Prasad. In this session, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the Tryst with Destiny speech proclaiming India's independence.

{{cquote|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.|x|x|Tryst with Destiny speech, Jawaharlal Nehru, 15 August 1947{{cite web|title=Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964): Speech On the Granting of Indian Independence, August 14, 1947|url=http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1947nehru1.html|publisher=Fordham University|access-date=26 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818123622/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1947nehru1.html|archive-date=18 August 2012|df=dmy-all}}

}}

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.{{cite book|last=Guha|first=Rama Chandra|title=India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy|year=2007|publisher=Macmillan|location=London|isbn=978-0-230-01654-5}}{{rp|6}} 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 Hindus and Muslims.{{rp|10}}

{{Quote box

|quote = 08.30 am. Swearing in of governor general and ministers at
Government House
09.40 am. Procession of ministers to Constituent Assembly
09.50 am. State drive to Constituent Assembly
09.55 am. Royal salute to governor general
10.30 am. Hoisting of national flag at Constituent Assembly
10.35 am. State drive to Government House
06.00 pm. Flag ceremony at India Gate
07.00 pm. Illuminations
07.45 pm. Fireworks display
08.45 pm. Official dinner at Government House
10.15 pm. Reception at Government office.

|source = The day's programme for 15 August 1947{{rp|7}}

}}

File:As part of rehearsals of Independence Day 2014 the Interservices Flag Guard paying respect to the National Flag after its unfurlment in the Red Fort, in Delhi on August 13, 2014.jpg]]

File:Pared of independence.jpg ]]

File:Flag hoisting ceremony of Independence day in Bhuj.jpg on Independence day ]]

File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the Nation on the occasion of 74th Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort, in Delhi on August 15, 2020 (2).jpg addressing the Nation on the occasion of 74th Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort, in Delhi on 15 August 2020.]]

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 of Red Fort in Delhi. 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 a 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.{{cite web |url= http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=772093 |title= India Celebrates Its 66th Independence Day |work= Outlook |date= 15 August 2012 |access-date= 20 August 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120820102252/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=772093 |archive-date= 20 August 2012 |df= dmy-all }}{{cite news|url=http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/news/article_1343371.php/Barring_northeast_peaceful_I-Day_celebrations_across_India%0A_State_Roundup_combining_different_series_|title=Barring Northeast, Peaceful I-Day Celebrations across India (State Roundup, Combining Different Series)|date=15 August 2007|access-date=21 July 2012|publisher=Monsters and Critics|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129044441/http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/news/article_1343371.php/Barring_northeast_peaceful_I-Day_celebrations_across_India%0A_State_Roundup_combining_different_series_|archive-date=29 January 2013}} Until 1973, the Governor of the State hoisted the National Flag at the State capital. In February 1974, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi took up the issue with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that the Chief Ministers, like the Prime Minister, should be allowed to hoist the national flag on Independence Day. Since 1974, Chief Ministers of the respective states have been allowed to hoist the national flag on Independence Day.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Karunanidhi-had-a-role-in-Chief-Ministers-hoisting-flag/article16535126.ece|title=Karunanidhi had a role in Chief Ministers hoisting flag|date=16 August 2009|work=The Hindu|access-date=29 July 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/independence-day-2018-m-karunanidhi-death-m-karunanidhi-responsible-for-chief-ministers-unfurling-tr-1900942|title=Karunanidhi Responsible For Chief Ministers Unfurling National Flag|work=NDTV.com|access-date=15 August 2018}}

Flag-hoisting ceremonies and cultural programmes take place in governmental and non-governmental institutions throughout the country.{{cite book|last1=Gupta|first1=K. R.|last2=Gupta|first2=Amita|title=Concise Encyclopaedia of India|url={{Google books|9dNOT9iYxcMC|page=PA1002|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=20 July 2012|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Atlantic Publishers|isbn=978-81-269-0639-0|page=1002|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224418/http://books.google.com/books?id=9dNOT9iYxcMC&pg=PA1002|archive-date=26 June 2014}} Schools and colleges conduct flag hoisting ceremonies and various cultural events. Governmental and non-governmental institutions decorate their premises with paper, balloon decorations with hangings of freedom fighter portraits on their walls and major government buildings are often adorned with strings of lights.{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=46|title=Independence Day Celebration|publisher=Government of India|access-date=17 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215222051/http://india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=46|archive-date=15 December 2011}} In Delhi and some other cities, kite flying adds to the occasion.{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=66|title=Independence Day|publisher=Government of India|access-date=18 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406162702/http://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=66|archive-date=6 April 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/indians-still-battling-it-out-on-independence-day|title=Indians Still Battling it out on Independence Day|last=Bhattacharya|first=Suryatapa|date=15 August 2011|access-date=20 July 2012|newspaper=The National|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122092542/http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/indians-still-battling-it-out-on-independence-day|archive-date=22 November 2012}} National flags of different sizes are used abundantly to symbolise allegiance to the country.{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_when-india-wears-its-badge-of-patriotism-with-pride_1115730|title=When India Wears its Badge of Patriotism with Pride|date=15 August 2007|access-date=22 July 2012|newspaper=DNA|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101013808/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_when-india-wears-its-badge-of-patriotism-with-pride_1115730|archive-date=1 November 2012}} 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.{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-08-14/india/27859884_1_desh-bhakti-american-independence-day-patriotism|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511025139/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-08-14/india/27859884_1_desh-bhakti-american-independence-day-patriotism|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=It's Cool to Be Patriotic: GenNow|last1=Dutta Sachdeva|first1=Sujata|last2=Mathur|first2=Neha|date=14 August 2005|access-date=25 July 2012|newspaper=The Times of India}}

In some places of Nadia, West Bengal, Independence Day celebrated on 17–18 August instead of 15 August, as the rest of Nadia district except Nabadwip had become part of Pakistan for map drawing error. The error was corrected on the night of 17 August after popular protests.{{Cite web|agency=TNN|date=19 August 2011|title=Nadia keeps a date with history {{!}} Kolkata News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/nadia-keeps-a-date-with-history/articleshow/9654550.cms|access-date=9 August 2024|website=The Times of India|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=16 August 2019|title=In West Bengal, some villages celebrate Independence Day after August 15; here's why|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/west-bengal-partition-india-independence-day-5908464/|access-date=9 August 2024|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}

The Indian diaspora celebrates Independence Day around the world with parades and pageants, particularly in regions with higher concentrations of Indian immigrants.{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article573903.ece|title=Indian-Americans Celebrate Independence Day|newspaper=The Hindu|date=16 August 2010|access-date=18 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802190835/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article573903.ece|archive-date=2 August 2011}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.nritoday.net/community-news/428-cover-story-indias-independence-day-celebrations-across-the-united-states|title=India's Independence Day Celebrations across the United States—Showcasing India's Cultural Diversity and Growing Economic Growth|year=2008|last=Ghosh|first=Ajay|publisher=NRI Today|access-date=20 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729041552/http://www.nritoday.net/community-news/428-cover-story-indias-independence-day-celebrations-across-the-united-states|archive-date=29 July 2012}}

As early as three years after independence, the Naga National Council called for a boycott of Independence Day in northeast India.{{cite book|last=Sharma|first=Suresh K.|title=Documents on North-East India: Nagaland|url={{Google books|_-YixIgJbSAC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=30 August 2012|year=2006|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-8324-095-6|pages=146, 165|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224506/http://books.google.com/books?id=_-YixIgJbSAC|archive-date=26 June 2014}} Separatist protests in this region intensified in the 1980s; calls for boycotts and terrorist attacks by insurgent organisations such as the United Liberation Front of Assam and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, marred celebrations.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_ulfas-independence-day-gift-for-india-blasts_1574951|title=ULFA's Independence Day Gift for India: Blasts|last=Mazumdar|first=Prasanta|work=DNA|date=11 August 2011|access-date=21 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101013820/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_ulfas-independence-day-gift-for-india-blasts_1574951|archive-date=1 November 2012}}
{{cite book|author=Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism|title=Country Reports on Terrorism 2004|url={{Google books|-fCbolclzRgC|page=PA129|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|publisher=United States Department of State|page=129|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224502/http://books.google.com/books?id=-fCbolclzRgC&pg=PA129|archive-date=26 June 2014}}
{{cite book|last1=Schendel|first1=Willem Van|last2=Abraham|first2=Itty|title=Illicit Flows and Criminal Things: States, Borders, and the Other Side of Globalization|url={{Google books|FTJhFP1FK1wC|page=PA55|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|year=2005|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-21811-7|pages=55–56|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224513/http://books.google.com/books?id=FTJhFP1FK1wC&pg=PA55|archive-date=26 June 2014}}
{{cite web|url=http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/aug/10/northeast-rebel-groups-call-for-iday-boycott.htm|title=Rebels Call for I-Day Boycott in Northeast|date=10 August 2010|access-date=21 July 2012|publisher=Rediff|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016060433/http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/aug/10/northeast-rebel-groups-call-for-iday-boycott.htm|archive-date=16 October 2012}}
{{cite book|last1=Biswas|first1=Prasenjit|last2=Suklabaidya|first2=Chandan|title=Ethnic Life-Worlds in North-East India: an Analysis|url={{Google books|lO8MAQAAMAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|date=6 February 2008|publisher=SAGE|isbn=978-0-7619-3613-8|page=233|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224453/http://books.google.com/books?id=lO8MAQAAMAAJ|archive-date=26 June 2014}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.globalpolitician.com/27087-india-independence-day-ethnicities|title=Appreciating the Spirit of India's Independence Day|last=Thakuria|first=Nava|date=5 September 2011|access-date=21 July 2012|work=Global Politician|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013124514/http://www.globalpolitician.com/27087-india-independence-day-ethnicities|archive-date=13 October 2012}} With increasing insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir from the late 1980s,{{cite book|last1=Heiberg|first1=Marianne|last2=O'Leary|first2=Brendan|last3=Tirman|first3=John|title=Terror, Insurgency, and the State: Ending Protracted Conflicts|url={{Google books|m8_pM7Ncij8C|page=PA254|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=19 November 2012|year=2007|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0-8122-3974-4|page=254|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224455/http://books.google.com/books?id=m8_pM7Ncij8C&pg=PA254|archive-date=26 June 2014}} separatist protesters boycotted Independence Day there with bandh (strikes), use of black flags and by flag burning.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7562634.stm|title=Kashmir Independence Day Clashes|date=15 August 2008|access-date=21 July 2012|publisher=BBC|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202215123/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7562634.stm|archive-date=2 February 2014}}{{cite book|last=Behera|first=Navnita Chadha|title=Demystifying Kashmir|url={{Google books|qM6kW9ZRMRkC|page=PA146|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-0846-0|page=146|year=2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224517/http://books.google.com/books?id=qM6kW9ZRMRkC&pg=PA146|archive-date=26 June 2014}}{{cite book|last=Das|first=Suranjan|title=Kashmir and Sindh: Nation-Building, Ethnicity and Regional Politics in South Asia|url={{Google books|S-t6WPdnAlgC|page=PA49|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|date=1 August 2001|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=978-1-898855-87-3|page=49|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224518/http://books.google.com/books?id=S-t6WPdnAlgC&pg=PA49|archive-date=26 June 2014}} Terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Jaish-e-Mohammed have issued threats, and have carried out attacks around Independence Day.{{cite news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2002-08-14/news/27354409_1_fidayeen-attacks-security-forces-suicide-squads|title=LeT, JeM Plan Suicide Attacks in J&K on I-Day|date=14 August 2002|access-date=25 August 2012|newspaper=The Economic Times}}
{{cite web|url=http://news.oneindia.in/2007/08/11/jaish-coordinator-killed-in-jammu-1186806783.html|title=Ayodhya Attack Mastermind Killed in Jammu|date=11 August 2007|access-date=25 August 2012|work=OneIndia News|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513040227/http://news.oneindia.in/2007/08/11/jaish-coordinator-killed-in-jammu-1186806783.html|archive-date=13 May 2013}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/let-to-hijack-plane-from-ahmedabahd-ahead-of-independence-day-415350.html|title=LeT to Hijack Plane Ahead of Independence Day?|date=12 August 2012|access-date=25 August 2012|work=The First Post|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814221228/http://www.firstpost.com/india/let-to-hijack-plane-from-ahmedabahd-ahead-of-independence-day-415350.html|archive-date=14 August 2012}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/two-hizbul-militants-held-in-delhi-6820|title=Two Hizbul Militants Held in Delhi|date=7 August 2009|access-date=25 August 2012|publisher=NDTV|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214125554/http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/two-hizbul-militants-held-in-delhi-6820|archive-date=14 December 2012}} Boycotting of the celebration has also been advocated by insurgent Maoist rebel organisations.{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2359094.ece|title=Maoist Boycott Call Mars I-Day Celebrations in Orissa|newspaper=The Hindu|date=15 August 2011|access-date=21 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911015834/http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2359094.ece|archive-date=11 September 2011}}{{cite book|last=Verma|first=Bharat|title=Indian Defence Review Vol. 26.2: Apr–Jun 2011|url={{Google books|ztwBmVMUOW4C|page=PA111|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|date=1 June 2012|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-81-7062-219-2|page=111|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224459/http://books.google.com/books?id=ztwBmVMUOW4C&pg=PA111|archive-date=26 June 2014}}

In the anticipation of terrorist attacks, particularly from militants, security measures are intensified, especially in major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai and in troubled states such as Jammu and Kashmir.{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2002-08-14/world/india.independence_1_srinagar-militants-new-delhi|title=India Braces for Independence Day|publisher=CNN|date=14 August 2002|access-date=18 July 2012|first=Ram|last=Ramgopal}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4782525.stm|title=US Warns of India Terror Attacks|publisher=BBC|date=11 August 2006|access-date=18 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530190449/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4782525.stm|archive-date=30 May 2012}} The airspace around the Red Fort is declared a no-fly zone to prevent aerial attacks{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2359798.ece?textsize=small&test=2|title=Rain Brings Children Cheer, Gives Securitymen a Tough Time|newspaper=The Hindu|date=16 August 2011|access-date=27 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234043/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2359798.ece?textsize=small&test=2|archive-date=30 December 2013}} and additional police forces are deployed in other cities.{{cite news|title=India Heightens Security ahead of I-Day|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-08-14/india/27804393_1_security-personnel-security-blanket-security-arrangements|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511025112/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-08-14/india/27804393_1_security-personnel-security-blanket-security-arrangements|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|access-date=27 July 2012|newspaper=The Times of India|date=14 August 2006}}

Since the assassination of Indira Gandhi, prime ministers would give their speeches from behind a bullet-proof glass panel.{{Cite news |date=16 August 2014 |title=PM Narendra Modi says no to bullet-proof shield at Red Fort |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pm-narendra-modi-says-no-to-bullet-proof-shield-at-red-fort/articleshow/40312128.cms?from=mdr |access-date=15 August 2022}} Since 2014, when Narendra Modi was elected as prime minister, he did away with this tradition.{{Cite web |date=15 August 2014 |title=How PM Modi got bullet-proof shield out of his way |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/how-pm-modi-got-bullet-proof-shield-out-of-his-way/story-0NnGCvEQxbtRI7PqdMyvgI.html |access-date=15 August 2022 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} Nevertheless, additional intense measures were taken to ensure security of Modi.{{Cite news |last=Sikdar |first=Shubhomoy |date=15 August 2014 |title=Tight security as Modi does away with bullet-proof shield |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tight-security-as-modi-does-away-with-bulletproof-shield/article6321861.ece |access-date=15 August 2022 |issn=0971-751X}}

On Independence Day and Republic Day, patriotic songs in regional languages are broadcast on television and radio channels.{{cite book|last=Nayar|first=Pramod K.|title=Reading Culture: Theory, Praxis, Politics|url={{Google books|8FiPb3JCmy0C|page=PA57|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|date=14 June 2006|publisher=SAGE|isbn=978-0-7619-3474-5|page=57|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921063404/http://books.google.com/books?id=8FiPb3JCmy0C&pg=PA57|archive-date=21 September 2013}} They are also played alongside flag-hoisting ceremonies. Patriotic films are broadcast. Over the decades, according to The Times of India, the number of such films broadcast has decreased as channels report that audiences are oversaturated with patriotic films.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Patriotic-films-anyone/articleshow/2730159.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511035649/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-26/news-interviews/27771292_1_patriotic-films-masala-films-channels-show|url-status=live|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=Patriotic Films, Anyone?|last1=Pant|first1=Nikhila|last2=Pasricha|first2=Pallavi|date=26 January 2008|work=The Times of India|access-date=21 July 2012}} The population belonging to Generation Y often combine nationalism with popular culture during the celebrations. This mixture is exemplified by outfits and savouries dyed with the tricolour and garments that represent India's various cultural traditions.{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_independence-day-for-gennext-its-cool-to-flaunt-patriotism_1576086|title=Independence Day: For GenNext, It's Cool to Flaunt Patriotism|last=Ansari|first=Shabana|newspaper=DNA|date=15 August 2011|access-date=20 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101013836/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_independence-day-for-gennext-its-cool-to-flaunt-patriotism_1576086|archive-date=1 November 2012}}{{cite news|last=Vohra|first=Meera|title=Fashion fervour gets tri-coloured!|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-14/trends/33199927_1_national-colours-independence-day-indian-flag|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613085146/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-14/trends/33199927_1_national-colours-independence-day-indian-flag|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 June 2013|access-date=15 August 2012|date=14 August 2012|newspaper=The Times of India|author2=Shashank Tripathi}} Shops often offer Independence Day sales promotions.{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-13/people/28280639_1_weekend-getaways-independence-day-discounts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511030034/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-13/people/28280639_1_weekend-getaways-independence-day-discounts|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=Pop Patriotism—Is Our Azaadi on Sale?|last=Sharma|first=Kalpana|date=13 August 2010|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=29 July 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-08-14/news/27623445_1_retail-chains-indian-retailers-double-sales|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511015137/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-08-14/news/27623445_1_retail-chains-indian-retailers-double-sales|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=Retail Majors Flag Off I-Day Offers to Push Sales|last1= Basu|first1=Sreeradha D|last2= Mukherjee|first2=Writankar|newspaper= The Economic Times|date=14 August 2010|access-date=29 July 2012}} Some news reports have decried the commercialism.{{cite news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/old/ie/daily/19970816/22850113.html|title=The Business of Patriotism|last=Chatterjee|first=Sudeshna|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=16 August 1997|access-date=29 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514232306/http://www.financialexpress.com/old/ie/daily/19970816/22850113.html|archive-date=14 May 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2007-09-18/news/27667084_1_patriotism-national-colours-cricket|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511013729/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2007-09-18/news/27667084_1_patriotism-national-colours-cricket|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013| title=Commercial Patriotism Rides New Wave of Optimism|last=Sinha|first=Partha|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=18 September 2007|access-date=22 July 2012}} Indian Postal Service publishes commemorative stamps depicting independence movement leaders, nationalistic themes and defence-related themes on 15 August.{{cite web|url=http://indiapost.gov.in/Pdf/Indian_Postage_Stamp_Catalogue_1947-2011.pdf|title=Indian Postage Stamps Catalogue 1947–2011|work=India Post|access-date=28 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117224026/http://indiapost.gov.in/Pdf/Indian_Postage_Stamp_Catalogue_1947-2011.pdf|archive-date=17 January 2013}}

Independence and partition inspired literary and other artistic creations.{{cite book|last=Cleary|first=Joseph N.|title=Literature, Partition and the Nation-State: Culture and Conflict in Ireland, Israel and Palestine|url={{Google books|omFqtDGADfYC|page=104|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|date=3 January 2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-65732-7|page=104|quote=The partition of India figures in a good deal of imaginative writing...|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530040329/http://books.google.com/books?id=omFqtDGADfYC|archive-date=30 May 2013}} Such creations mostly describe the human cost of partition, limiting the holiday to a small part of their narrative.{{cite book|last=Bhatia|first=Nandi|editor-last=Natarajan|editor-first=Nalini|title=Handbook of Twentieth-Century Literatures of India|url={{Google books|1lTnv6o-d_oC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-28778-7|chapter=Twentieth Century Hindi Literature|pages=146–147|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530024816/http://books.google.com/books?id=1lTnv6o-d_oC|archive-date=30 May 2013}}{{cite book|last=Roy|first=Rituparna|title=South Asian Partition Fiction in English: From Khushwant Singh to Amitav Ghosh|url={{Google books|HCQfRFr6iMgC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|date=15 July 2011|publisher=Amsterdam University Press|isbn=978-90-8964-245-5|pages=24–29|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602022816/http://books.google.com/books?id=HCQfRFr6iMgC|archive-date=2 June 2013}} Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children (1980), which won the Booker Prize and the Booker of Bookers, wove its narrative around children born at midnight of 14–15 August 1947 with magical abilities. Freedom at Midnight (1975) is a non-fiction work by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre that chronicled the events surrounding the first Independence Day celebrations in 1947. Few films centre on the moment of independence,{{cite book|last=Mandal|first=Somdatta|editor1-last=Bhatia|editor1-first=Nandi|editor2-last=Roy|editor2-first=Anjali Gera|title=Partitioned Lives: Narratives of Home, Displacement, and Resettlement|url={{Google books|YWB0GmmoOSMC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1416-4|pages=66–69|chapter=Constructing Post-partition Bengali Cultural Identity through Films|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530042051/http://books.google.com/books?id=YWB0GmmoOSMC|archive-date=30 May 2013}}{{Cite journal | last1 = Dwyer | first1 = R. |url=https://www.amu.ac.in/emp/studym/99993703.pdf | title = Bollywood's India: Hindi Cinema as a Guide to Modern India | doi = 10.1080/03068374.2010.508231 | journal = Asian Affairs | volume = 41 | issue = 3 | pages = 381–398 | year = 2010 | s2cid = 70892666 }}{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Bhaskar|title=Mourning the Nation: Indian Cinema in the Wake of Partition|url={{Google books|wghFNlpM3PIC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|date=29 April 2009|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-4411-7|page=121|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530043825/http://books.google.com/books?id=wghFNlpM3PIC|archive-date=30 May 2013}} instead highlighting the circumstances of partition and its aftermath.{{cite journal|last1= Vishwanath|first1= Gita|last2= Malik|first2= Salma|year= 2009|title= Revisiting 1947 through Popular Cinema: a Comparative Study of India and Pakistan|journal= Economic and Political Weekly|volume= XLIV|issue= 36|pages= 61–69|url= http://www.careerlauncher.com/lstcontent/plansuppliments/attachments/40/62/REVISITING%201947%20THROUGH%20popular%20cinema.pdf|access-date= 27 July 2012|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053940/http://www.careerlauncher.com/lstcontent/plansuppliments/attachments/40/62/REVISITING%201947%20THROUGH%20popular%20cinema.pdf|archive-date= 21 September 2013|df= dmy-all}}{{cite journal |last1=Raychaudhuri |first1=Anindya |year= 2009|title=Resisting the Resistible: Re-writing Myths of Partition in the Works of Ritwik Ghatak |journal=Social Semiotics |volume=19 |issue= 4|pages= 469–481 |doi=10.1080/10350330903361158|s2cid=143332374 }}{{subscription required}} On the Internet, Google has been commemorating Independence Day of India since 2003 with a special doodle on its Indian homepage.{{cite web|title=Google doodles Independence Day India|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/google-doodles-independence-day-india/282430-11.html|publisher=CNN-IBN|access-date=15 August 2012|date=15 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817221156/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/google-doodles-independence-day-india/282430-11.html|archive-date=17 August 2012}}

{{portal|India|Holidays}}

• Partition Horrors Remembrance Day
• History of India
• Indian Independence Day Parade
• 75th Year of Independence Day of India

{{clear}}

{{reflist}}

{{Indian days}}

{{Indian independence movement}}

Category:August observances

Category:Public holidays in India

Category:Indian independence movement

Category:Observances in India

Category:Independence days