Independence Day 2023: As India is gearing up to celebrate its 77th Independence Day on 15th August 2023, the nation is filled with enthusiasm and deep filled emotions.
The day serves as a powerful reminder of the nation’s liberation from the autocratic and gruesome British colonial rule after nearly 2 centuries of continuous struggle and determination.
As the tradition has been for years, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India has announced the theme of this year’s Independence Day. The theme for Independence Day 2023 is “Nation First, Always First”, which will be reflected in all the programs and events held throughout the day on 15 August 2023.
Although the call for independence can be traced back to the beginning of colonial rule, the formal procedure of attaining independence began on 4 July 1947, with the introduction of the Indian independence bill in the British House of Colonials. The Colonial government enacted the Indian independence act on July 18, 1947. The independence act was the culmination of long-held discussions and struggles carried on by Indian nationals for around 2 centuries.
Colonial rule began with the establishment of power by the British East India Company which came as early as the 17th century and gradually exerted control over the various important regions of the subcontinent. By the middle of the 19th century (1858), the British crown held control over the Indian subcontinent that the East India Company had captured, causing widespread exploitation suppression, and inequality.
The hardships faced by the people of the Indian subcontinent resulted in massive discontent towards the British crown and frequent struggles against the rule. The first major resistance against colonial rule was the sepoy mutiny of 1857, popularly regarded as the first war of Indian independence. Although the war was suppressed by the colonial powers, it ignited a sense of unity among the Indians and popular discontent against the Raj. Several mass agitations and struggles across the subcontinent followed in the upcoming years of which some were of great importance that eventually led to the glorious victory of the Indian freedom fighters.
The Non-Cooperation movement was one such mass agitation under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. In the 1920s, Mahatma Gandhi urged the nationals to resist the British authorities in a non-violent manner, aiming to challenge British economic and administrative control. The movement gathered support from all sections of the society including students, lawyers, women, businessmen, peasants, plantation workers, and civil servants among others.
The Lahore Session of Congress in 1929-30 passed one of the most ambitious resolutions of the colonial period. The historical resolution of Purna Swaraj was moved in this session and the first Independence Day in India was observed on 26 January 1930.
The Civil Disobedience Movement of the 1930s was another nail in the coffin of the British Raj. Initiated by Mahatma Gandhi, the movement appealed to the Indians to disobey unjust laws and taxes imposed by the colonial government. This was one of those movements that brought international attention to India’s struggle against colonial power.
Quit India Movement was one of the turning moments in the Indian history. With this movement in 1942, the Britishers were asked to immediately leave India. In many parts of the subcontinent, self-governments were established after this movement.
Although they were met with serious repression from the colonial power. The last nail in the coffin of the British Raj was the Mountbatten Plan, which was proposed by the colonial power after it realized that it could no longer sustain its hold over the Indian subcontinent.
Indian Independence was not merely an effort by one single party or a few groups of influential aristocrats, in fact, it was the culmination of long-drawn struggles and discontent towards the Raj. The independence of our country owes its allegiance to the blood and sweat of those peasants, workers, students, professionals, sepoys and rulers who fought against the colonial power.
Not all freedom fighters can be named but those who lead and influenced millions of nationals must surely be named such as Bhagat Singh, Rani Laxmibai, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Vijay Laxmi Pandit and many more.
15 August, every year is observed as a national holiday across the lengths and breadths of India to commemorate the sacrifice and pay homage to all the freedom fighters of the country. This day serves as a special reminder to all the nationals of the significant sacrifices made by the freedom fighters to liberate India from the exploitative British colonial rule.
15 August 1947 marked the end of nearly 2 centuries of colonial rule and the dawn of a new and free India. The day signifies the power of self-determination and the triumphant victory of the concept of unity in diversity in India.
This day also signifies the importance of democracy and nation-building with years of sacrifice and continuous struggle to defenestrate the Raj.
The Prime Minister of India hoists the national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi on the morning of Independence Day, which is followed by a speech and address to the nation. The day is then followed by numerous cultural events, parades, flag-hoisting ceremonies, and patriotic songs being sung across the country.
The day serves as a remembrance of the journey of Indian Independence from the gruesome subjugation to the Britishers and the ongoing efforts by the nation as a whole to uphold the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
