India’s Independence Day: Interesting Facts, Quiz
India earned its freedom from the British rulers after a prolonged fight of 350 years. It was an upheaval task to achieve. India witnessed and lost many young and veteran leaders who sacrificed their life for the sake of India’s freedom. India emerged as the largest democratic country in the world on 15th August 1947. Independence day has a special significance for the nation. The day that gives the true sense of liberation of a nation. Hence, we, the Indians celebrate Independence Day as a national public holiday across all the states and union territories. India has celebrated the 73rd Independence Day on August 15, 2020. Here we are providing India’s Independence Day: Interesting Facts, Quiz.
India’s Independence Day Facts
- The Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed on 18 July 1947
The Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed at the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was given the Royal Assent on 18 July 1947 and paved the way of the partition of British India and formed independent dominions of India and Pakistan.
- The legislature representatives
The legislature representatives behind the Indian Independence Act 1947 are Indian National Congress, the Muslim League, and the Sikh community. They came together to reach an agreement with Lord Mountbatten. The agreement is known as the 3rd June Plan or Mountbatten Plan.
- The date of India’s Independence Day (15th August) was chosen by Lord Mountbatten
India and Pakistan’s Independence Day was scheduled on the same day. Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of undivided British India. But it was impossible for him to appear in Delhi and Karachi for the independence day ceremonies on the same day. That is why Pakistan got independence on 14th August and India on 15th August.
- 15th August was a lucky date
Later, Lord Mountbatten also revealed that he decided the date 15th August as Indian Independence Day because the day (15th August) is considered lucky for British as Japan surrendered to the allied force on the same date.
- Even after independence, there was no demarcation line between India and Pakistan
The British government had given the responsibility of dividing the Union of India and Pakistan to Sir Cyril John Radcliffe within a time span of 5 weeks. Sounds ridiculous right? Don’t be surprised, some more astonishing facts are that Radcliffe has never been in India or Pakistan before thus had no idea about the geography of the two countries. Sir Cyril John Radcliffe reached India on 8th July 1947. He started his work with the information from two countries on the basis of maps, castes and religions. Radcliffe had commissioned over 4,50,000 km sq of territory with a coverage of 88 million people and finished the challenging task between Aug 9 to Aug 14.
- There are six countries in the world (including India), where 15th August is celebrated as Independence Day
Not only India but also five other countries also celebrate their Independence Day on 15th August every year. These countries are Bahrain, North Korea, South Korea, the Republic of Congo, and Liechtenstein.
- Independence came through the cost of lives of millions
The was estimated that during the partition of India and Pakistan, there were one million people, who lost their lives and millions more became homeless. Almost 20 million people were forced to escape for their lives along the border of Punjab and Bangladesh. There was a ruthless brutality.
- India had no national anthem on its independent day
India adopted ‘Jana Gana Mana‘ written by Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore as country’s national anthem later in the 1950s. The song ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was first sung during the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress on 27th December 1911.
- India became independent without any constitutional head
During independence, India had no constitutional head, in form of a prime minister, president or a government. India adopted the constitution of India on 26th November 1949 and the constitution came into effect on 26th January 1950 and Union of India officially got the official status of the Republic of India.
B R Ambedkar had also denied the formation of Article 370, which granted a special status to the Jammu and Kashmir. But he was obliged to include it due to political pressure.
- Many parts within India were estranged and forcefully incorporated into mainland India long after India achieved independence.
There were 565 princely states or kingdoms during India’s independence. Sardar Vallabhai Patel and other leaders understood the power of integrity and sovereignty and facilitated these kingdoms into mainland India. Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Mysore and Travancore are the names of few powerful kingdoms, which initially denied to be the part of India, wanted to remain as an Independent country.
- The Red Fort is the official place to address the nation on Independence Day
The Red Fort which was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648, is the place where the Prime Minister officially addresses the nation on the occasion of Independence day.
- Mahatma Gandhi was unable to take part in the first Independence Day celebration
Mahatma Gandhi was on a hunger strike to stop the violence in India and Pakistan border due to partition.
- Pingali Venkayya is the man who designed Indian Flag
Pingali Venkayya was an educationist and freedom fighter.
- The Prime Ministers Who could not unveil the Indian National flag at the Red Fort
PM Chandrashekhar and Gulzari Lal Nanda were unfortunate as they did not get the chance to raise the Indian Flag at the Red Fort.
Here we are providing India’s Independence Day quiz or questions and answers.
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