Independence Day 2024: India is all set to celebrate its 78th Independence Day on Thursday (August 15), and what better time to take a look at such instances which are less known to the citizens but make us feel proud. India won its freedom with immense sacrifices by people from all across the country. Uncountable people died at the hands of the Britishers, many were given capital punishments including Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru who continue to inspire the people of the country.
The independence struggle is filled with numerous heroic stories of the freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the country selflessly. However, there are some details which might have skipped your attention till date.
Here are some of the lesser known facts:
- Mahatma Gandhi, revered as the 'Father of the Nation' and a central figure in India's fight for freedom, was unable to participate in the first Independence Day celebrations. He was not in New Delhi to take part in the festivities.
- Lord Mountbatten, the final Viceroy and India's first Governor-General, selected August 15 as the date to declare the nation’s independence. Although the British Parliament had authorized him to transfer power to the Indian people by June 1948, he decided to move the date forward to August 15, 1947. This decision was made to prevent further violence and unrest, according to reports.
- It is believed that astrology played a role in determining the timing of India’s independence. Hardeoji and Suryanarain Vyas of Ujjain advised Babu Rajendra Prasad, who would later become India’s first President, that August 15, 1947, was considered inauspicious according to astrological calculations. Upon learning that the British would only allow India to select a specific hour on that date, Hardeo strongly recommended that the declaration be made at midnight.
- The Indian national flag was first thought of by Pingali Venkayya in 1921. He put forth the idea to Mahatma Gandhi when the latter visited Vijayawada.
- The Indian Tricolour, which then consisted of red, yellow and green colours, was first hoisted on August 7, 1906 at Parsee Bagan Square in Kolkata.
- Rabindranath Tagore had originally composed 'Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata’ which was adopted as the National Anthem of India as ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
- India shares its Independence Day with various other countries including North Korea, Congo, Liechtenstein, South Korea and Bahrain.
- The India League was a prominent organisation which advocated for independence of India in England. It had over 1,400 people as its members.
- The idea for the establishment of the Indian National Congress was put forth by a Scottish civil servant AO Hume.
- ‘Vande Mataram’, the National Song, was first introduced as part of the Bengali novel, Anandmath by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
- Dadabhai Naoroji who was an activist for the independence movement was the first Indian member in the UK’s House of Commons.
- Sucheta Kripalani, a famous freedom fighter was India’s first female chief minister who led the government in Uttar Pradesh from 1963 to 1967.
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