Independence Day
-- Ritvik Srikanth, class-VIII, D P S (Mangaf)
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Independence Day (August 15) is a reminder of all the sacrifices our freedom fighters made for our country’s future. Looking back on the last 73 years of Independence, India has made progress in every field, be it education or its military and space programmes. Speaking about freedom, Mahatma Gandhi has said, “Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living?”
Independence Day reminds us of all the sacrifices our freedom fighters made for the country’s future. In the last 73 years of Independence, India has made progress in every field, be it education or its military and space programmes.
On August 15, 1947, the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the Indian national flag at the Red Fort in New Delhi. Flag hoisting ceremonies take place and cultural programmes are held in governmental and non-governmental institutions all over the country on this day.
For India, August 15 is a day of her re-birth, a new beginning. At midnight on August 15 1947, the British rulers handed the country back to its Indian leaders, ending a remarkable struggle that lasted years. It was on this historic date on which sovereign India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the tricolour flag of the nation on the glorious Red Fort.
Kite flying is celebrated as an event associated with Independence Day. People symbolise their patriotism towards the country with the use of national flags of different sizes. They decorate their homes, cars etc. with the colours of the flag. Indians living in various parts of the world also celebrate Independence Day with parades and pageants. Several cities in the United States have declared August 15 as India Day.
Interesting facts about india :
•When India became independent, it had no national anthem. ‘Jana Gana Mana’ by Rabindranath Tagore, which was first sung in 1911 was declared the national anthem of India in the year 1950.
•When India became independent, it did not have a prime minister, president or even a government. All of this happened only much later when India became a republic nation. During the time of independence, the Governor General was the most important and powerful person in India.
•Many parts of India were in fact, different kingdoms during independence. It has been recorded that when India became independent, there were as many as 565 princely states or kingdoms. All of that changed quickly as Sardar Vallabhai Patel, and other leaders used different strategies to incorporate these kingdoms into India. Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Mysore and Travancore were just some of the big kingdoms that became a part of India after Independence.
•India is not the only country that celebrates Independence Day on 15th August. There are others that share the same day as their Independence Day. However, these countries became independent in different years. These countries are Bahrain, North Korea, Congo, Liechtenstein and South Korea.
•Goa was a Portuguese colony even after Independence and only became a part of India in 1961.
•Officially, the celebration of Independence Day by the Government of India takes place at the Red Fort in New Delhi. Here, the Prime Minister gives a speech to the nation.
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Ritvik Srikanth, class-VIII, D P S (Mangaf) |
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