This time India will celebrate its 77th Independence Day on 15 August 2024. Independence Day is celebrated with great pomp and show across the country. But do you know why 15 August was chosen as the day for independence in the year 1947? Today we will tell you the reason behind choosing 15 August.
independence
India officially got independence on 15th August 1947. This time the whole country will celebrate the 77th Independence Day. But now the question is why 15th August was chosen for independence.
Why is Independence Day celebrated only on 15 August?
According to the British rule, India was to be granted independence on 30 June 1948, but at the same time, the partition of India and Pakistan became a big issue between Nehru and Jinnah. Seeing the possibility of communal conflict among the people due to Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan, it was decided to grant independence to India on 15 August 1947 itself. For this, the Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British House of Commons by Mountbatten on 4 July 1947. This bill was immediately approved by the British Parliament and India was declared to be granted independence on 15 August 1947.
Why only 15th August?
15th August was a very special day in the life of India’s last Viceroy Lord Mountbatten. Actually, on 15th August, 1945, the Japanese Army surrendered to the British during the Second World War. At that time, Lord Mountbatten was the commander of the Allied Forces in the British Army. The entire credit for the surrender of the Japanese Army was given to Mountbatten, so Mountbatten considered 15th August as the best day of his life. That is why he chose 15th August for India’s independence.
Why did Mahatma Gandhi not participate in the freedom struggle
Mahatma Gandhi did not attend the Independence Day celebrations on 15 August 1947. At the time of independence, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had sent a letter to Mahatma Gandhi inviting him to give his blessings on Independence Day. But in response to the letter, Mahatma Gandhi had said that when communal riots are taking place in the country, how can he not participate in the celebrations of Independence. In his letter at that time, Mahatma Gandhi had said that I cannot be happy on 15 August. I do not want to deceive you, but at the same time I will not say that you should not celebrate either. He had said that unfortunately the way we have got independence today also contains the seeds of future conflict between India and Pakistan. For me, peace between Hindus and Muslims is more important than the declaration of independence.
read this also: Mahatma Gandhi did not participate in the celebration of India’s first Independence Day, know what was the reason
