Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
All over India people will celebrate the Independence Day of India on 15th August. India will celebrate its 79th Independence Day to pay tribute and remember all the freedom fighters who had contributed a lot and fought for the Independence of India. Everyone knows that our country got freedom from the 300 years of British Rule at the stroke of midnight as India moved towards August 15, 1947.
The midnight of August 15, 1947 is one of the most memorable for every Indian on earth, as it is the time, when India gained independence from the stranglehold of the mighty British. The day is a celebration and to realize our freedom. Thousands of our freedom fighters sacrificed their lives and millions of them struggled in order to drive away British rulers and constituted a system of democracy centered around us. How our nation has fared over the last 69 years is something we cannot change but the future is in our hands. India’s Independence Day is a day of great significance for the people of India. At this day India got freedom from the British rule after long years of slavery. This is a special day when we remember the great sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Raj Guru, Gandhiji and other dared freedom fighters for their unforgettable contribution in the independence of India.
Don’t we forget the importance of this day soon after the evening? Aren’t we attaching too much importance to our individual freedom rather than to the national independence? Why is there little sense of pride in the country about what our parents and grandparents managed to achieve against all odds? The awakening of masses by Gandhi and the activities of Bose behind the scenes (of strengthening Indian National Army) which had intensified during 1940s were already a cause of concern for the British.
It was Lord Mountbatten who had personally decided the date of Aug 15 because he had considered that date to be “very lucky” for his career. During the World War II, it was on Aug 15, 1945 (Japan time zone) that the Japanese Army had surrendered before him (Lord Mountbatten was the commander of the allied forces).
In the midnight of 15 August 1947, India was proclaimed as independent country by the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru where he gave his speech over “Tryst with destiny”. He said during his speech that “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will 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. We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again.”
Today our country is a well established democratic country all over the world. Gandhiji was great leader who taught us about effective way of freedom like ahimsa and sathyagraha methods. Gandhi dreamed of an independent India with the non violence and peace.
It was not so easy for the India to get freedom from the Britishers however; various great people and freedom fighters of India made it a truth. Let us be grateful to those events responsible for the freedom in India. Indians were treated more badly than slaves by the Britishers just to fulfill their meaningless orders.
Let us ensure that we exercise our rights and proudly participate in our democracy so that our nation heads in the right direction. The Celebration of Independence day is the same throughout the country and this is the day when we find whole country celebrating and rejoicing but the real celebration is to worship those patriots who shed their blood for achieving freedom.
(The author is a freelancer and can be reached at [email protected])
