Independence Day of India

-- Liya Prakash ,8-A, Indian Learners’ Own Academy

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Independence Day is celebrated annually on August 15 as a public holiday in India, commemorating the nation's independence from the British on August 15, 1947. Independence Day bestows upon us a great feeling of enthusiasm and patriotism. It was indeed after a long and difficult struggle that we were able to finally enjoy the fruits of Freedom and be free from British rule and we now would be an absolutely independent country after the tedious battle that lasted for about 200 years, which certainly was not a short period of time. Independence Day marks an important date in the pages of history and equally in the pages of our lives too. It is of utmost importance to learn more about what your country went through to achieve the great heights it has established today.

When we take a look at India’s History of Independence , we will be focusing our attention on three categories:

1. India’s Freedom Struggle
2. India’s Economy
3. History of the Indian Flag and Constitution

India’s Freedom Struggle

India has had a rich and varied history, one that isn't devoid of struggles. For 200 years, India struggled to free itself from the shackles of British power , making the fight for freedom a long-drawn one. When we take a closer look at any particular revolution in any part of the world, it consists of a certain series of events that sparked , led the way, and at last victoriously helped a country achieve its aim. According to my view , these events can be mainly grouped as 15 events taking place in different time zones and places but stillmanaging to show a vast connection to Independent India.

These are:

1. The Revolt of 1857
2. Establishment of the Indian National Congress in 1885
3. Mahatma Gandhi’s Return to India
4. The Lucknow Pact of 1916
5. The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917
6. The JallianwalaBagh Massacre
7. Non-cooperation Movement
8. Subhash Chandra Bose returns to India
9. PurnaSwaraj
10. The Dandi March
11. Government of India Act
12. Creation of the Indian National Army
13. Quit India Movement
14. Royal Navy Strike
15. Partition of India and Gain of Independence

All these events had a very significant impact on the Freedom Struggle with each event adding up more of the population showing their courage and unwillingness to be ruled upon by a Minority who has been exploiting their country’s wealth , combined with poverty and famine in a country to which they are foreigners. This actually did make an impact on the British, for now, they struggled with larger amounts of protest and enmity. Now they knew the price they would have to pay for taking over a country that didn’t belong to any of thembut was a pride asset only for the citizens of India.

The Freedom Struggle has really inspired many other countries and world leaders to establish democracy , fraternity , equality , brotherhood and love amongst all people and sow the seeds of world peace. The freedom struggle has always held me completely awestruck, as it is indeed both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. An emotion of sympathy and pride that absolutely takes over me whenever I narrate the history of the Indian Freedom Struggle.

India’s Economy:

India’s economy took a shot up when British rule finally and eventually took a turn back to their own nation, proving that India was capable of progress on its own and couldn’t just be under British rule forever, hoping that they would establish a greater economy, whereas they fed India’s economy for they would be facing competition from India as a nation in terms of economy. This has been proven by many instances during British rule as they wanted to take over the country toenjoy its benefits rather than increase India’s economy or Social Welfare,for that matter. Therefore, on Independence Day, India rightfully obtained the freedom to progress on its own. This reminded me of the famous words stated by James Mill, who preached, “British Rule was essential for the socio-economic development of India, for India alone wasn’t capable of development on its own”.

History of the Indian Flag and Constitution:

The national flag of India, colloquially called the tricolour, is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag, the colours being saffron, white and greenwith the Ashoka Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on July 22, 1947, and it became the official flag of the Dominion of India on August 15, 1947.

Mahatma Gandhi first proposed a flag to the Indian National Congress in 1921. The flag was designed by PingaliVenkayya. In the centre was a traditional spinning wheel, symbolising Gandhi's goal of making Indians self-reliant by fabricating their own clothing, between a red stripe for Hindus and a green stripe for Muslims. The design was then modified to replace red with saffron, include a white stripe in the centre for other religious communities (as well as to symbolise peace between the communities), and provide a background for the spinning wheel. However, to avoid sectarian associations with the colour scheme, the three bands were later given new meanings: courage and sacrifice, peace and truth, and faith and chivalry respectively.

The Constitution of a nation, in essence, is adjectival rather than substantive. It does not seek to direct what should be done but does lay down how the authority of the government of a nation should be exercised. India is a diverse nation with respect to its culture, its citizens, and its territory, which is why the drafting committee took so long to complete the draft. Therefore, the historical growth of the Constitution of India can be traced back to many statutes (which are mentioned in this article) before the nation gained independence.

The Constitution of India is the longest-written Constitution around the globe. It took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days along with an expenditure of $6.4 million, to frame and write the entirety of the Constitution which has been inspired by various other constitutions from different nations. The Constitution of India is the prime law of India and its spirit has been upheld by the Indian judiciary over the years.

On this auspicious occasion of India’s 76th Independence Day , Let’s take a moment to honour all the people who were both directly and indirectly involved in the making of the country independent. This occasion for the year named “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” will certainly show our gratitude and respect for all the freedom fighters and all the citizens of India who have played a crucial role in establishing India as a Free country.

Happy Independence Day