Independence Day Special
Happy
Independence Day!
Know the history of India's Independence
Significance of India's
Independence Day
India's Independence Day is significant as it stands as a
reminder of the sacrifices that many freedom fighters made to get independence
from British rule. It is a national holiday and it is usually observed
throughout the nation with the hoisting of the tricolour, parades and cultural
events. India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian
national flag above the Lahori Gate of Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 1947. It
is a tradition that has since been followed by the incumbent Prime Minister,
followed by an address to the country.
15th August Celebrations in India
Every
year, India's Independence Day is celebrated on this day by all the proud Indians. 15th August is observed as a national
holiday throughout the country. Though,
local governments conduct the ceremony of flag hoisting
all over India,
the venue of main celebration is the Red Fort
in the capital city New Delhi in India. The celebration starts
every year with the unfurling of the tricoloured national flag
by the Prime Minister of the nation, followed by a televised speech. The speech
generally reflects the present condition of the nation along with the
achievements in the previous year and the future development plans. A tribute
is even paid by the Prime Minister to freedom fighters
of India by declaring the day as a national
holiday. Post the flag-hoisting ceremony, patriotic programs by children
from schools based in different states is one of the main attractions.
Almost every school, college, university and government organization hoist the national flag on 15 August. Nowadays, many housing complexes, clubs, societies, group of friends, etc. even observe the flag-hoisting ceremony within their premises with ease, joy and honesty. This just shows the togetherness of Indians, who never forget to pay a tribute to their ancestors who sacrificed their life for the betterment of the country.
.Rare
facts about India's Independence Day
1. The
song ‘Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata’ composed in 1911 by Nobel laureate Rabindranath
Tagore was renamed as ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and adopted
by the Constituent Assembly of India
as the national anthem on January 24, 1950.
2. The Indian
national flag with three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green was hoisted
on August 7, 1906, at Parsee Bagan Square in Kolkata. The first variant of
India's current national flag was designed by freedom fighter
Pingali Venkayya in 1921. The current flag with
saffron, white and green colours and the Ashok Chakra in the middle was
officially adopted on July 22, 1947, and hoisted on August 15, 1947.
3. Five other countries celebrate
their independence on August 15 along with India. They are Bahrain, North Korea, South Korea and Liechtenstein.
4. The
Indian flag is manufactured and supplied from only one place in the nation. The
Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), located in Dharwad in Karnataka, has the authority to manufacture and supply the Indian national
flag. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the
flag is manufactured only with hand-spun and handwoven cotton khadi wafting.
5. Even after India's independence, Goa was still a Portuguese colony. It was annexed to India by the Indian Army only in 1961. Thus, Goa was the last state to join the Indian territory.
Know our Great Freedom Fighter
Mahatma Gandhi
Born on 2nd October 1869, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is revered as
Father of the Nation for his immense sacrifices for India. He not only ushered
India towards freedom, but he also became the inspiring figure for many
independences struggles and rights movements across the world. Popularly called
Bapu, Gandhi introduced the doctrine of non-violence in India. According to
him, independence was to be achieved through a combination of non-violent
movement and non-co-operation with the British. His credit lies in the fact
that he was able to bring the masses into the freedom struggle. The historic
Non-Cooperation movement, Dandi March and the Quit India movement were all
started under his leadership.
v Born: 2 October 1869, Porbandar
v Full name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
v Assassinated: 30 January 1948, New
Delhi
v Famously Known as Bapu
Subhash Chandra Bose
One of the
greatest Indian freedom fighters that history witnessed was none other than
Subhas Chandra Bose. He was born on 23rd January 1897. He was a radical
nationalist and his ultimate patriotism carved a hero out of him. Bose belonged
to the extremist section of the Indian freedom fighters. He was the leader of a
radical youth wing of Congress from the early years of the 1920s till the end
of 1930. Bose disagreed with the ideals of non-violence promoted by Gandhi,
instead of believing that only armed revolt could oust the British from India.
The founder of the Forward Bloc, he escaped the eyes of the British to
ultimately reach Germany during the second world war. He raised the Indian
National Army (INA) and with Japanese help, was able to free a portion of
Indian territory from the British in Manipur, but was ultimately defeated due
to Japanese surrender to the British. Although he is believed to have died in a
plane crash in 1945, his death remains shrouded in mystery to date.
v Born: 23 January 1897, Cuttack
v Famously Known as Netaji
v Died: 18 August 1945, Taipei, Taiwan
v Education: Scottish Church College
(1918), Presidency University
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai
Patel was born on 31st October 1875. A senior leader of the Indian National
Congress, he had an immense contribution to the Indian freedom struggle as one
of the most influential and strong-minded Indian freedom fighters. He was the
brain and mind behind the integration of India into a united country. He was
one of the most influential leaders of Gujarat, who organized peasant movements
against the British based on Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence. One of the first
congress leaders to have accepted the British plan of partition for India, he
is remembered for his role in integrating the princely states into the dominion
of India. His efforts led to the integration of around 562 princely states.
After independence, he served as the first home minister and deputy prime
minister of India.
v Born: 31 October 1875, Nadia
v Died: 15 December 1950, Mumbai
v Full name: Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel
v Famously Known As Sardar, Iron Man Of India
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14th November 1889. He was the single child of
Motilal Nehru and Swarup Rani Nehru. Nehru was one of the most renowned
barristers and was known for his intellectual capabilities which soon made him
one of the greatest politicians India had ever seen. Nehru, under the approval
of Gandhi, his mentor, rose to become one of the most dominant figures in
Indian politics from the 1930s onwards. Nehru, after much deliberations, accepted
the partition proposal for India in 1947 and took oath as the First Prime
Minister of India after attaining independence. His birthday on 14 November is
widely celebrated in India as Children’s Day.
v Born: 14 November 1889, Prayagraj
v Died: 27 May 1964, New Delhi
v Spouse: Kamala Nehru (m. 1916–1936)
v Parents: Motilal Nehru
v Famously Known As: Chacha Nehru, Pandit
Nehru
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur
Shastri was born on 2nd October 1904 in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He was
conferred with the title of Shastri which in English is termed as Scholar. At
the age of only sixteen, he left his studies to join the non-cooperation
movement at the call of Gandhi. Later, he graduated with a first-class degree
from Kashi Vidyapeeth, a national institution of higher education inaugurated
by Gandhi. He was one of the most proactive Indian freedom fighters who
participated in various movements such as the Quit India movement, Civil
Disobedience movement and other satyagrahas led by Mahatma Gandhi. Lal Bahadur
Shastri was incarcerated by the British for considerable periods during his
lifetime. Post attaining independence, he first became the home minister and
later was made the Prime Minister of India in the year 1964.
v Born: 2 October 1904, Mughalsarai
v Died: 11 January 1966, Tashkent,
Uzbekistan
v Party: Indian National Congress
v Famously Known As: Man of Peace
Bhagat Singh
Born in
1907, Bhagat Singh was among the extreme revolutionary Indian freedom fighters.
He was a largely controversial, though respected figure in the freedom struggle
of India. This revolutionary hero was born in a Sikh family in the undivided
state of Punjab and carried the legacy of his family and clinched to his
patriotism till his death. He was involved in a plot in 1928 to assassinate
James Scott, a British police superintendent to exact revenge for the death of
Lala Lajpat Rai. The plot failed when they mistakenly killed another young
police officer and Singh fled to Lahore to escape from punishment. The
following year, he, along with his associates hurled a bomb at the Central
Legislative Assembly in Delhi in protest against the implementation of the
Defence of India Act and surrendered to the police. This great Indian freedom
fighter was sentenced to death by hanging by the British, and executed at the
age of only 23.
v Born: 28 September 1907, Banga, Pakistan
v Died: 23 March 1931, Lahore Central
Jail, Lahore, Pakistan
v Education: National College, Lahore, National College of Arts,
Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System
v Famously Known As: Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Dadabhai Naoroji
Born on 4th
September 1825, was a Mathematics and Natural Philosophy professor. He was
educated at the Elphinstone College in Bombay. He turned towards politics later
in life and became very active in the field. Dadabhai Naoroji gained popularity
for his famous opinion on the economic consequences of British rule in India.
His opinion was unfavourable and he felt that the British rule would leave and
cause irreparable damage to the Indian economy. In the years 1886, 1893 and
1906, Dadabhai Naoroji had the privilege of presiding over the annual sessions
of the Indian National Congress. This later led to the nationalist movement in
India. His popular writings include the article named Poverty and Un-British
Rule in India (1901). In this article, he was of the strong belief and
opinion that India was taxed at a very high rate and all of India’s wealth was
being drained to England.
v Born: 4 September 1825, Navsari
v Died: 30 June 1917, Mumbai
v Organizations founded: Indian National
Congress, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, National Congress, London Indian
Society
v Famously Known As: ’Grand Old Man of India’
and ‘Unofficial Ambassador of India’
Tantia Tope
Tantia Tope
was one of the famous revolutionaries of the Rebellion of 1857. Born in 1814,
he led his soldiers to fight against the dominance of British rule. He made
General Windham leave Kanpur and helped Rani Lakhsmi Bai reinstating Gwalior.
v Born: 1814, Yeola
v Died: 18 April 1859, Shivpuri
v Full name: Ramachandra Pandurang Tope
Bipin Chandra Pal
Bipin
Chandra Pal was a revolutionary born in 1858 during the Biggest revolution
against the British Army. He was a significant part of the Indian National
Congress and encouraged the abandonment of foreign goods. He formed a trio with
Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak to be known as Lal-Bal-Pal where they
executed several revolutionary activities.
v Born: 7 November 1858, Habiganj
District, Bangladesh
v Died: 20 May 1932, Kolkata
v Education: St. Paul’s Cathedral Mission
College, Presidency University
v Famously Known As: Father of
Revolutionary Thoughts
Lala Lajpat Rai
Famously known as Punjab Kesari, he was one of the extremist members of the Indian National Congress. He formed a trio with Bipin Chandra Pal and Bal Gangadhar Tilak to be known as Lal-Bal-Pal where they executed several revolutionary activities. He led the Punjab Protest against the Jallianwala Incident and Non-Cooperation Movement. He fought against the Simon Commission Protest and lost his life because of a lathi charge by the Britishers.
v Born: 28 January 1865, Dhudike
v Died: 17 November 1928, Lahore,
Pakistan
v Famously Known As: Punjab Kesari
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a remarkable freedom fighter born in
1856. Famously known for his quote, ‘Swaraj is my Birthright. He published
several rebellious newspapers and built schools to defy British Rule. He was
the third member of the Lal-Bal-Pal along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin
Chandra Pal.
v Born: 23 July 1856, Chikhali
v Died: 1 August 1920, Mumbai
v Famously Known As Lokmanya Tilak
Ashfaqulla Khan
Born on 22nd October 1900, in the district of Shahjahanpur,
Uttar Pradesh, Ashfaqulla Khan grew up with the non-cooperation movement going
on at the forefront, led by Mahatma Gandhi. Just when he was a young gentleman,
Ashfaqulla Khan became acquainted with Ram Prasad Bismil. He was one of the
main conspirators in the Chauri Chaura incident, which took place in Gorakhpur.
He was a strong advocate of independence and wanted the British to leave India
at any cost. Ashfaqulla Khan was a popular freedom fighter, known for his true
friendship with Bismil, was sentenced to death for the Kakori train robbery. It
was popularly known as the Kakori Conspiracy of 1925.
v Born: 22 October 1900, Shahjahanpur
v Died: 19 December 1927, Faizabad
v Organization: Hindustan Socialist
Republican Association
v Famously Known As:Ashfaq Ulla Khan
Nana Sahib
Balajirao Bhat, commonly known as Nana Sahib, was born in
Bithoor (Kanpur District), Uttar Pradesh in May 1824. He was the eighth Peshwa
of India’s Maratha Empire. After Shivaji’s reign, he was one of the most
powerful kings and one of the most courageous Indian independence warriors in
history. Balaji Bajirao was another name for him. When Chattrapati Shahu died
in 1749, he left the Maratha Empire to the Peshwas. He did not have an heir to
his realm; therefore, he nominated the valiant Peshwas as his heir. Nana Sahib,
as king of the Maratha Empire, made significant contributions to the
development of Pune. During his rule, Poona was transformed from a small
village to a metropolis. He redesigned the city by constructing new districts, temples, and bridges.
Having said that, Sahib was a key contributor to the 1857 revolt, leading a
group of enthusiastic rebels. He overran the British soldiers in Kanpur and
endangered the British camp by murdering the survivors. However, after
defeating Nana Saheb and his men, the British were able to retake Kanpur.
v Born: 19 May 1824, Bithoor
v Full name: Dhondu Pant
v Died: 1859, Naimisha Forest
v Disappeared: July 1857 in Cawnpore (now
Kanpur), British India
v Famously known as Nana Sahib
Sukhdev
Sukhdev,
who was born in 1907, was a brave revolutionary and a key member of the
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Without a doubt, he was one of the
most revered figures of the Indian freedom struggle. He collaborated closely
with his colleagues Bhagat Singh and Shivram Rajguru. He was accused of being
involved in the assassination of British officer John Saunders. Unfortunately,
at the age of 24, he was caught and hanged with Bhagat Singh and Shivaram
Rajguru on March 23, 1931, in Punjab’s Hussainwala (now in Pakistan).
v Born: 15 May 1907, Ludhiana
v Died: 23 March 1931, Lahore, Pakistan
v Education: National College of Arts,
National College, Lahore
v Member of: Hindustan Socialist
Republican Association (HSRA
Kunwar Singh
Kunwar
Singh was born in April 1777 to the Maharaja and Maharani of Jagdispur (now in
Bhojpur District, Bihar) to the Maharaja and Maharani of Jagdispur. His name is
often lost amid the other more renowned names of the Revolt. Nonetheless, his
contribution to the First War of Independence was enormous. Kunwar Singh led
the uprising in Bihar. On July 25, 1857, he gained command of the sepoys
stationed at Danapur at the age of nearly 80. Kunwar Singh took over Azamgarh
in March 1858. (Now in UP). He then went home and commanded a successful fight
near Jagdispur on July 23rd. The British, headed by Captain le Grand, were
beaten in this fight despite Kunwar Singh being the fact that Kunwar Singh was
severely hurt.
v Born: November 1777, Jagdishpur
v Died: 26 April 1858, Jagdishpur
v Full name: Babu Veer Kunwar Singh
v Famously Known as Veer Kunwar Singh
Mangal Pandey
Mangal
Pandey, a well-known Indian freedom fighter, is usually recognized as the
forerunner of the 1857 revolt against the British, which is regarded as India’s
first battle of independence. As a soldier in the East India Company’s army’s
34th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment, he led the sepoy mutiny, which
eventually led to the 1857 uprising. When a new Enfield rifle was launched in
India in the mid-1850s, his biggest dispute with the business began. The rifle’s cartridges were rumored to be
lubricated with animal fat, specifically cow and pig fat. As a result of the
cartridges’ use, the Indian troops rebelled against the corporation
since it violated their religious beliefs. Pandey and his fellow sepoys rose up
in revolt against the British commanders on March 29, 1857, and even attempted
to kill them. He was arrested and sentenced to death on April 18. However,
anticipating a sepoy uprising, British officials executed him 10 days
prematurely on April 8.
v Born: 19 July 1827, Nagwa
v Died: 8 April 1857, Barrackpore
v Occupation: Sepoy (soldier)
v Cause of death: Execution by hanging
v Known for: Indian independence fighter
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Vinayak
Damodar Savarkar was born in 1883 and spent the rest of his life as a dedicated
activist and Indian revolutionary. He established the Abhinav Bharat Society
and the Free India Society. Swatantryaveer Savarkar was his given name. As a
writer, he also penned a piece named ‘The Indian War of Independence,’
which provided wonderful information about the 1857 Indian revolt.
v Born: 28 May 1883, Bhagur
v Died: 26 February 1966, Mumbai
v Party: Hindu Mahasabha
v Education: City Law School (1909),
Fergusson College (1902–1905), Wilson College, Mumbai, Mumbai University
C. Rajagopalachari
C
Rajagopalachari, born in 1878, was a lawyer by profession before joining the
Indian National Congress in 1906 and rising through the ranks to become a
recognizedCongress legislator. Rajagopalachari was a towering figure in
contemporary Indian politics. He was a member of the Indian National Congress
during the pre-independence era and a staunch supporter of Mahatma Gandhi. He
was a fervent devotee of He also actively engaged in Lajpat Rai’s
Non-Cooperation Movement.
v Born: 10 December 1878, Thorapalli
v Died: 25 December 1972, Chennai
v Education: Presidency college, Bangalore
central University (1894), Bangalore University
v Famously known as CR, Mango of
Krishnagiri, Rajaji
v Awards: Bharat Ratna
Ram Prasad Bismil
“Desh
hit paida huye hai
Desh
par marr jayenge
Marte
marte desh ko
zinda
magar kar jayenge”
Ram Prasad
Bismil was one of the most notable Indian revolutionaries who fought British
colonialism and made it possible for the nation to breathe the air of freedom
after eons of struggle against the imperial forces, with a desire for freedom
and revolutionary spirit reverberating in every inch of his body and poetry.
Bismil, who was born in 1897, was a respected member of the Hindustan
Republican Association alongside Sukhdev. He was also a participant in the
infamous Kakori train heist, for which the British government condemned him to
death.
v Born: 11 June 1897, Shahjahanpur
v Died: 19 December 1927, Gorakhpur Jail,
Gorakhpur
v Cause of death: Execution by hanging
v Organization:
Hindustan Socialist Republican
Chandra Shekhar Azad
Chandra
Shekhar Azad, born in 1906, was a close companion of Bhagat Singh in the
independence movement. He was also a member of the Hindustan Republican
Association and the bravest and daring Indian freedom fighters against the
British authorities. After murdering several opponents during a battle with
British forces, he shot himself with his
Colt pistol.
He promised he’d never be caught alive by the British.
v Born: 23 July 1906, Bhavra
v Died: 27 February 1931, Chandrashekhar Azad
Park
v Full name: Chandrashekhar Tiwari
v Education: Mahatma Gandhi Kashi
Vidyapith
Rani Lakshmi Bai
The Queen
of Jhansi was born in the year 1828. She was one of the fiercest members of the
Revolution of 1857. She inspired many women across the country to fight for the
freedom of India and to date inspires several women to fight for their rights.
She defended her palace with her new-born child in the year 1858 which was
invaded by the British Forces.
v Born: 19 November 1828, Varanasi
v Died: 18 June 1858, Gwalior
v Full name: Manikarnika Tambe
v Famously Known As: Manu
Begum Hazrat Mahal
A woman of
many roles – a mother, a queen and most importantly, a symbol of resistance.
Born to a family with a very weak economic background, her maiden name was
Muhammadi Begum. Sold at a very young age to the royal harem as an attendant,
Begum Hazrat Mahal got a proper training in etiquettes. She was given the new
name of ‘Mahak Pari’ in the Pari Khana and later became one of the wives under
a contract of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. one of her biggest contributions to the
freedom struggle was uniting Hindus and Muslims to come together as one force
to fight the British. She proved her mettle as a leader. She even played an
important role in encouraging and motivating women to step out of their homes
and join the struggle for independence. She believed that women could do
anything in the world, fight any battle and come out as winners.
v Born: 1820, Faizabad
v Died: 7 April 1879, Kathmandu, Nepal
v Famously Known As: Begum of Awadh
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