Lesser known facts about Independence

People often won’t recognise the value of freedom unless they lose it! So Independence day is not just a celebration, but also stands as a reminder of the struggle we have mad t achieve it. On such occasion let’s gather some lesser known facts regarding our days of Independence...

First Independence Day - 1930

Since the 18th century, many movements and agitations were run to achieve freedom from the British rule. Most of us are even aware of the Sepoy Mutiny that took place in 1857. But the call for complete sovereignty was on rise by 1920’s. The congress had to join the call and demand for `Purna Swaraj’ in 1929 at a session in Lahore. It even had announced that from there on, January 26th would be celebrated as an Independence Day. Till 1947, January 26th was indeed observed as Independence Day to invoke pride among the Indians.

Why was August 15 chosen?

England was fed up with the rebellions in India and exhausted from the Second World War. It has no other way than to grant Independence for India. So it has sent Lord Mountbatten to wrap up the issue. Though everything was resolved by the July of 1947, Mountbatten has chosen to wait till August 15. The reason! It was the second anniversary of Japan's surrender to Allied Forces in World War II. (Britain was a part of those Allied Forces)

565 states!

There were around 565 princely states in India at the time of Independence. They were ruled by various rulers. Each ruler acted as if his kingdom is unique and independent from the neighbouring territories. Bringing all such Princely states under the control of Indian Government was a Hercules task. The first Deputy Prime Minister of India- Sardar Vallaabhai Patel achieved such task. Through pampering and threatening... Patel saw that states were dissolved into one single nation. That is the reason why his birthday is being celebrated as Ekta Diwas!

Operation Polo

It was a code name given to the military operation on Hyderabad! As the princely states began to join the Indian nation one by one... a few states dreamt of being independent forever. Hyderabad was one such state. Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad by that time has not only resisted joining the nation but also started a private militia named Razakars. After the failure of diplomatic process, Indian government has led its military over Hyderabad on 13th September 1948. After five days of military action, Nizam had to accept his defeat and join the nation and that was 18th September.

Controversy of National Anthem

Everyone is aware of `Jana Gana Mana’ to be our national anthem. It was written a long ago in 1911 and was sung at the Congress session of Calcutta on 27th December 1911. Many critics began to blame that the words "Bharat Bhagya vidhata" and "Adhinayaka Jayahe" were used to praise the then visiting ruler of England - Geroge V. But Tagore has categorically denied this again and again. He once said- `That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George’. On 24th January 1950, Jana Gana Mana was adopted as the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly.
 

- Nirjara.