After the struggle of more than 90 years, India got its independence from British on 15th of August 1947. In 1857, the British faced the first revolt for independence by Indians but that was failed. Since 1857 people were starving for their independence. Their dream turned in to reality by August 15, 1947.
Why India got Independence on 15th August?
Here is an interesting story behind the Independence Day of India. The last viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten chose 15th August as Independence Day for India because he believed that the date was lucky for him. On August 15, 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan to the allied. Lord Mountbatten was the Supreme Allied Commander of South-East Asia Command and this incident was very important for him. So on the second anniversary of the surrender of Japan, India got its Independence.
It was also said that Indian astrologers didn’t approve 15 August 1947 as the best day to declare India as an independent country. So midnight of 14th August was decided as the time of declaration of India’s Independence because British consider that a new day starts by midnight and Indian astrologers consider a new day begins with a new morning. Hence, Independence declared in midnight.
Why the year 1947 was chosen?
Here one more question rises. Why did the year 1947 was chosen to make India an Independent country? From 1857 to 1947, many protests happened and the British had handled them very wisely. Then, what happened in 1947? Let’s find the answers to this query.
Indian Leaders
In the year 1929, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the President of Congress gave the call of ‘Poorna Swarajya’ means ‘Complete Independence’. After that 26th January was celebrated as the Independence Day of India. Meanwhile Congress, in the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Azad Hind Fauz, in the leadership of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was trying hard to get the independence for India.
Financial crisis in Britain
India’s struggle for independence was getting stronger day by day. On another end, the British were facing many issues. By the end of the World War Second in 1945 British were reached on the verge of bankruptcy. Due to World War Second, British became so finically broken that ruling their own country looked like a challenge for them that time, let alone their colonies. In 1945 only, Labour party won the election in Britain. Labour party has declared in its manifesto to help India and other colonies to get their independence. This made Indian leaders more motivated.
Read More – 1947 Partition of the British Indian
Lord Mountbatten was in hurry
Lord Mountbatten was appointed as the last viceroy of India in February of 1947. He appointed in India to transfer the governing power to Indian leader by June 1948. But Lord Mountbatten decided to prepone the date from 30 June 1948 to 15 August 1947. Historians believe that the change in this planned happened because already congress leaders have got many powers. And according to Lord Mountbatten, he preferred early transfer of power to save India from riots. But riots happened as per Lord Mountbatten, bloodshed is the price of the end of the colonial rule.
On July 4, 1947, the Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British House of Commons. It was passed by the British House of Commons and by the midnight of 14 August 1947, India got its independence with an unfortunate partition with the name of Pakistan.
