Independence Day 2024: 5 Interesting Facts About August 15, 1947, That Every Indian Must Know

As we embrace ourselves to celebrate the 78th Independence Day, commemorating the struggles of our freedom fighters, we bet you did not know a few facts about August 15, 1947. From getting independent at the stroke of midnight to Mahatma Gandhi not participating in the celebrations of India’s freedom, we bring you a list of facts every Indian must know.

India And Pakistan Got Independence On Different Days Because Of Lord Mountbatten

In the original Indian Independence Bill, August 15, 1947, was marked as the date when both India and Pakistan would have been free from the British Raj. However, Lord Mountbatten wanted to attend celebratory gatherings in both independent countries.

Hence, Pakistan got independence on August 14, 1947, and India on August 15, 1947.

Indians Did Not Sing The National Anthem Or National Song On August 15, 1947

India did not sing the National Anthem during the celebrations of the independence of the country because we did not have one. Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore composed ‘Jana Gana Mana’ in 1911, but it was not adopted as the national anthem until January 24, 1950. It was probably around the first Republic Day of India when citizens of the country sang the national anthem.

The same was the case with the national song ‘Vande Mataram’. Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1882 as a part of his novel ‘Anandamath’, the song was adopted as the national song on January 24, 1950.

Mahatma Gandhi Was Not A Part Of Jawaharlal Nehru’s Speech During Independence Of India

The day of India’s independence was a joyous occasion because we were finally free from the rule of the Britishers. However, freedom came at the price of the division of the country into two parts: India and Pakistan.

The partition led to a bloodbath in both countries. To stop it, Mahatma Gandhi went on a hunger strike. He was in Kolkata, West Bengal when Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the first speech for the independent India.

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India Clocked In Independence At The Stroke Of Midnight

If you ever wondered why India got freedom at the stroke of midnight, the answer lies in astrology. August 15, 1947, was an inauspicious day. Therefore, people along with Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Rajendra Prasad, and Dr Radhakrishnan gathered in the parliament at 11 pm to kickstart the celebrations for the next day.

“.…At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom…” was the speech by the first Prime Minister of India with which Indians welcomed a new day which marked the first day of independent India.

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India Was Supposed To Get Independent On June 30, 1948

The original date when India was supposed to get freedom from the rule of the Britishers was June 30, 1948. However, to minimise the bloodshed, it was preponed. On August 9, 1947, Barrister Cyril Radcliffe submitted the final draft of boundaries demarcating India and Pakistan.

August 15, 1947, was a random pick by Lord Mountbatten, who later revealed in ‘Freedom At Midnight’ that had to show he was the master of the event. He knew nothing had worked out, but the date had to be in either August or September of 1947.

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