Independence Day 2023: Why India Got Freedom At The Stroke Of Midnight

“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom,” said Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, on the eve of August 14, 1947. No matter where you are, when you hear or read the speech, it gives you goosebumps. However, have you ever wondered why our country got the status of ‘Independent India’ at midnight?

This article will tell you the tale of the day that holds a lot of importance for every Indian, no matter where they are living today. After centuries of struggles, losing many brave and innocent lives, and fighting for days and nights, we were finally able to call India a free country on August 15, 1947.

Who Decided The Day Of Independence For India?

In 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru declared Poorna Swaraj (Complete Independence) for India in Lahore and added that on January 26, 1930, our country will celebrate its first independence day. However, the rule of the Britishers continued.

Later, Mountbatten was tasked to hand over India its independence from the British Raj on June 30, 1948. It was decided that India and Pakistan would receive Dominion status. To minimise the bloodshed, the date was preponed but yet not decided.

Barrister Cyril Radcliffe was tasked to define the boundaries of both countries and submitted his draft on August 9.

In ‘Freedom at Midnight’, Mountbatten was quoted saying that he decided the date of independence of India (Women Freedom Fighters) and Pakistan out of the blue. In a strive to show that he was the master of the entire event, he just gave a random date of August 15. By this time, he knew nothing had worked out, but he was sure that the date had to be in either August or September.

Don't Miss: Fun Ways To Celebrate Independence Day With Your Family

Why Did India Get Independence At The Stroke Of Midnight?

When the date of independence was decided, astrologers said it was an inauspicious day. Many wanted to propose preponing the partition a day earlier, on August 14, 1947. However, on the same day, Mountbatten was in Karachi telling the authorities of Pakistan that the King had decided to grant freedom to the country.

The only solution to this issue was to ring the bell of freedom before August 15. On August 14, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Rajebdra Prasad, and other members of the newly formed cabinet gathered in the parliament at 11 pm.

Nehru’s speech started before August 15 and declared that India will be a free country on August 15, and the celebrations began at the stroke of midnight.

Don't Miss: Unforgettable Patriotic Numbers That Will Fill Your Heart With Pride

Here is the speech that no Indian can ever forget,

"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 new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance...

...The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over. And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world."

Stay tuned to HerZindagi for more such interesting stories.