HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

INDEPENDENCE DAY• The day when India woke up to freedom back in 1947 was a day of

great celebration. A country got rid of her foreign yoke and became a sovereign nation, she celebrated her sovereignty on this day - the triumph of numerous martyred souls. It was a day of fulfillment, it was the day of a new beginning, a birth of a nation. On the stroke of midnight, a country came into life again as the British handed over the governance of India to the Indian leaders. The long and difficult struggle had borne fruit at last, though the happiness was marred by the fact that the country was divided into India and Pakistan and the violent communal riots had left the countries permanently scarred.

That was the price that India paid for her dearly bought freedom. The British government declared the country independent and left for their own shores. On the 15th of August, 1947, India became completely independent. It was on this historic date that Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime Minister of India, unfurled the Indian tricolor on the ramparts the magnificent Red Fort, symbolically marking the end of the British colonial rule.

Jawaharlal Nehru Speech on Indian Independence Day, 1947

• Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance .... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again."

The Fifteenth of August 1947 (written for All India Radio by Sri Aurobindo)

• August 15th, 1947 is the birthday of free India. It marks for her the end of an old era, the beginning of a new age. But we can also make it by our life and acts as a free nation an important date in a new age opening for the whole world, for the political, social, cultural and spiritual future of humanity.

• August 15th is my own birthday and it is naturally gratifying to me that it should have assumed this vast significance. I take this coincidence, not as a fortuitous accident, but as the sanction and seal of the Divine Force that guides my steps on the work with which I began life, the beginning of its full fruition. Indeed, on this day I can watch almost all the world movements which I hoped to see fulfilled in my lifetime, though then they looked like impracticable dreams arriving at fruition or on their way to achievement. In all these movements free India may well play a large part and take a leading position.

The Fifteenth of August 1947 (written for All India Radio by Sri Aurobindo)

• The first of these dreams was a revolutionary movement which would create a free and united India. India today is free but she has not achieved unity. At one moment it almost seemed as if in the very act of liberation she would fall back into the chaos of separate States which preceded the British conquest. But fortunately it now seems probable that this danger will be averted and a large and powerful, though not yet a complete union will be established. Also, the wisely drastic policy of the Constituent Assembly has made it probable that the problem of the depressed classes will be solved without schism or fissure. But the old communal division into Hindus and Muslims seems now to have hardened into a permanent political division of the country. It is to be hoped that this settled fact will not be accepted as settled for ever or as anything more than a temporary expedient. For if it lasts, India may be seriously weakened, even crippled: civil strife may remain always possible, possible even a new invasion and foreign conquest. India's internal development and prosperity may be impeded, her position among the nations weakened, her destiny impaired or even frustrated. This must not be; the partition must go. Let us hope that that may come about naturally, by an increasing recognition of the necessity not only of peace and concord but of common action, by the practice of common action and the creation of means for that purpose. In this way unity may finally come about under whatever form &emdash; the exact form may have a pragmatic but not a fundamental importance. But by whatever means, in whatever way, the division must go; unity must and will be achieved, for it is necessary for the greatness of India's future.

The Fifteenth of August 1947 (written for All India Radio by Sri Aurobindo)

• Another dream was for the resurgence and liberation of the peoples of Asia and her return to her great role in the progress of human civilization. Asia has arisen, large parts are now quite free or are at this moment being liberated: its other still subject or partly subject parts are moving through whatever struggles towards freedom. Only a little has to be done and that will be done today or tomorrow. There India has her part to play and has begun to play it with an energy and ability which already indicate the measure of her possibilities and the place she can take in the council of the nations.

• The third dream was a world union forming the outer basis of a fairer, brighter and nobler life for all mankind. That unification of the human world is under way; there is an imperfect initiation organized but struggling against tremendous difficulties. But the momentum is there and it must inevitably increase and conquer. Here too India has begun to play a prominent part and, if she can develop that larger statesmanship which is not limited by the present facts and immediate possibilities but looks into the future and brings it nearer, her presence may make all the difference between a slow and timid and a bold and swift development. A catastrophe may intervene and interrupt or destroy what is being done, but even then the final result is sure. For unification is a necessity of Nature, an inevitable movement. Its necessity for the nations is also clear, for without it the freedom of the small nations may be at any moment in peril and the life even of the large and powerful nations insecure. The unification is therefore to the interests of all, and only human imbecility and stupid selfishness can prevent it; but these cannot stand for ever against the necessity of Nature and the Divine Will.

The Fifteenth of August 1947 (written for All India Radio by Sri Aurobindo)

• But an outward basis is not enough; there must grow up an international spirit and outlook, international forms and institutions must appear, perhaps such developments as dual or multilateral citizenship, willed interchange or voluntary fusion of cultures. Nationalism will have fulfilled itself and lost its militancy and would no longer find these things incompatible with self preservation and the integrality of its outlook. A new spirit of oneness will take hold of the human race.

• Another dream, the spiritual gift of India to the world has already begun. India's spirituality is entering Europe and America in an ever increasing measure. That movement will grow, amid the disasters of the time more and more eyes are turning towards her with hope and there is even an increasing resort not only to her teachings, but to her psychic and spiritual practice.

The Fifteenth of August 1947 (written for All India Radio by Sri Aurobindo)

• The final dream was a step in evolution which would raise man to a higher and larger consciousness and begin the solution of the problems which have perplexed and vexed him since he first began to think and to dream of individual perfection and a perfect society. This is still a personal hope and an idea, an ideal which has begun to take hold both in India and in the West on forward looking minds. The difficulties in the way are more formidable than in any other field of endeavor, but difficulties were made to be overcome and if the Supreme Will is there, they will be overcome. Here too, if this evolution is to take place, since it must proceed through a growth of the spirit and the inner consciousness, the initiative can come from India and, although the scope must be universal, the central movement may be hers.

• Such is the content which I put into this date of India's liberation; whether or how far this hope will be justified depends upon the new and free India.

Defining Moments of Independent India

Constitution, Republic And First Election

The Constitution of India lays down the framework on which Indian polity is run. Passed by the Constituent Assembly of India on November 26, 1949, it came into effect on January 26, 1950, the day on which India became a Republic. Said to be the longest written constitution among all independent nations of the world, the Constitution of India contains 395 articles and 12 schedules, as well as numerous amendments. In 1952, India passed its first test of democracy with the Congress Party of India, led by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, winning an outright victory in the country's first general election. (AP)

White Revolution

The first phase of the historic 'white revolution' made India the world leader in milk production, while the second phase was poised to transform the country into a global giant in the production of dairy products. Even as the market for traditional dairy products in India exceeds $10 billion, surveys point to a potentially growing overseas demand. The mainstay of the market outside India will initially be the roughly 20 million strong Indian Diaspora but an appetite for Indian mithais has been noticed among foreigners as well. (AP)

Green Revolution

• The world's worst recorded food disaster happened in 1943 in British-ruled India. Known as the Bengal Famine, an estimated four million people died of hunger that year alone in eastern India (that included today's Bangladesh). The initial theory put forward to 'explain' that catastrophe was that there as an acute shortfall in food production in the area. It was therefore natural that food security was a paramount item on free India's agenda. This awareness led, on one hand, to the Green Revolution in India and, on the other, legislative measures to ensure that businessmen would never again be able to hoard food for reasons of profit. Between 1947 and 1967, efforts at achieving food self-sufficiency were not entirely successful. Efforts until 1967 largely concentrated on expanding the farming areas. However, the term "Green Revolution" is applied to the period from 1967 to 1978.

Pokhran Tests

• The Smiling Buddha was the first nuclear test explosion by India on May 18, 1974 at Pokhran. It was also the first confirmed nuclear test by a nation outside the permanent five members of the Security Council. Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, by India at Pokhran. It was conducted when the NDA government was in power with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. These nuclear tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states.

 

Satellite Launch Vehicle

• On July 18, 1980, at 8.3 am India's SLV-3 (Satellite Launch Vehicle), painted white and grey, rose from its launch-pad at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It put a 38.5-kg satellite, Rohini, in orbit. The Project Director of that mission was A P J Abdul Kalam. That "fantastic success," as Vasant Gowariker, then the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, described it made India became a member of an exclusive club of nations that could launch satellites. For India, the successful launch of the SLV-3 proved to be the foundation on which its space programme would stand.

• The launch of the SLV-3 also gave ISRO the project management capabilities required for more ambitious projects. ISRO went on to build the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

Economic liberalization

• Initiated in 1991 by late Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and his finance minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the economic liberalisation was in response to a balance-of-payments crisis, and to do away with the Licence Raj (investment, industrial and import licensing). It ended many public monopolies, allowing automatic approval of foreign direct investment in many sectors. Irrespective of who is ruling at the Centre, the overall direction of liberalisation has remained the same, since then, although no party has yet tried to take on powerful lobbies such as the trade unions and farmers, or contentious issues such as reforming labour laws and reducing agricultural subsidies.

 

Telecom liberalization

• Telecom liberalization began in 1981 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed contracts with Alcatel CIT of France to merge with the state owned Telecom Company (ITI). However, the policy was let down because of opposition from leaders of the opposite political party. After her assassination, under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi, the Department of Telecommunications, VSNL and MTNL were set up. Many technological developments took place in this regime but still foreign players were not allowed to participate in the telecommunications business. It was during this period that the P V Narasimha Rao introduced the national telecommunications policy in 1994 which brought changes in ownership, service and regulation of telecommunications infrastructure. They were also successful in establishing joint ventures between state owned telecom companies and international players. But still complete ownership of facilities was restricted only to the government owned organizations. Foreign firms were eligible to 49 per cent of the total stake. The multi-nationals were just involved in technology transfer, and not policy making.

INDIA THROUGH 65 YEARS • India marks 65 years of independence on August 15, celebrating the end of

British colonial rule in 1947. Following is a chronology of major events during the last six decades.

Aug 15, 1947: India wins independence from Britain after being divided into two separate nations, India and Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru is appointed the first Prime Minister.

Oct 27, 1947: India and Pakistan go to war in the region of Kashmir.

Jan 30, 1948: Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, is assassinated.

Jan 26, 1950: India becomes a Republic as the Constitution comes into effect.

1952: India holds its first general elections.

1953: Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state created on language basis

INDIA THROUGH 65 YEARS• 1954: Nehru takes the lead to form Non-Alligned Movement group. 1962:

India and China fight a brief border war.

1964: Jawaharlal Nehru dies after a five-month illness.

Sept 1965: India and Pakistan fight war over Kashmir, which ends after a UN call for ceasefire.

Jan 1966: Nehru`s daughter, Indira Gandhi, becomes Prime Minister.

1967: Green Revolution begins to change India’s status from an impoverished to a grain rich country.

July 19, 1969: Indira Gandhi nationalises 14 banks, abolishes Privy Purses, the govt grant to rulers of erstwhile princely states.

Dec 1971: India and Pakistan fight another major war over East Pakistan which ends after 90,000 Pakistani troops surrender and leads to the creation of Bangladesh.

INDIA THROUGH 65 YEARS• May 18, 1974: India conducts underground nuclear test christened

‘Buddha Smiles’

April 19, 1975: India’s first satellite Aryabhata is launched.

June 26, 1975: Indira Gandhi declares a state of emergency, in which the press is censored and 100,000 people are jailed.

1977: First non-Congress party government sweeps to power following Indira Gandhi`s defeat in general elections.

Jan 1980: Indira Gandhi wins back power, becomes PM.

1982: Asian Games held for the second time in India. Colour TV debuts.

1983: Team India lifts the cricket World Cup.

INDIA THROUGH 65 YEARS• April 1984: Rakesh Sharma, an IAF pilot, becomes the first Indian to go to space.

Oct 31, 1984: Indira Gandhi is assassinated by Sikh bodyguards, her son Rajiv takes over as Prime Minister. Riots break out and thousands of people are killed.

Dec 1984: Deadly gas leaks from a pesticide plant owned by US-based Union Carbide Corp. in Bhopal, killing about 6,500 people in the world`s worst industrial disaster.

June 23, 1985: Babbar Khalsa terrorists blow up an Air-India flight from Toronto to New Delhi. All passengers perish.

July 1987: Rajiv Gandhi signs an accord with Sri Lanka that begins the Army’s misadventure in the troubled island.

1988: Rajiv Gandhi lowers voting age from 21 years to 18.

February 1988: India’s first indigenously developed ballistic missile is test fired.

INDIA THROUGH 65 YEARS• Oct 1989: Proxy war launched against India in Kashmir by Pakistan.

August 1990: Mandal Commission’s recommendations to introduce 27% reservation for OBCs in government services and PSUs are accepted. Protests break out.

May 21, 1991: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election campaign.

1991: Congress party wins general elections and government launches sweeping economic reforms and dismantles decades of socialist control under Finance Minister Manmohan Singh.

1992: Satyajit Ray awarded Oscar for Lifetime Achievement.

Dec 6, 1992: Babri mosque at Ayodhya is pulled down.

March 12, 1993: A series of bomb blasts, planted by the underworld, hit Mumbai, killing 257 people.

INDIA THROUGH 65 YEARS• 1994: Sushmita Sen becomes first Indian woman to be awarded Miss Universe,

Aishwarya Rai is Miss World.

1998: Amartya Sen wins Nobel in economics.

1998: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Atal Behari Vajpayee forms a coalition government.

May 1998: India conducts nuclear tests, Islamabad retaliates with its own tests.

May 1999: India launches offensive against Pakistan-backed infiltrators around Kargil in Kashmir.

Dec 2001: Gunmen attack Parliament. New Delhi blames Pakistan-based militants, snaps transport and diplomatic links with Islamabad and the rivals come close to war.

Feb/March 2002: Fire on train kills 59 Hindu activists in Gujarat. About 2,500 people, mostly Muslims, are killed in retaliatory riots.

INDIA THROUGH 64 YEARS• Feb 2003: Kalpana Chawla becomes first Indian woman in space. Her

space shuttle Columbia is destroyed on entering earth’s atmosphere.

Nov 2003: Pakistan announces ceasefire in Kashmir and India reciprocates.

May 2004: BJP loses power to Congress. Manmohan Singh becomes Prime Minister.

2005: India and USA sign historic pact that promises India entry into the elite nuclear club.

2007:Tata wins bid to acquire Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus, the largest acquisition by an Indian company.

July 25, 2007: Pratibha Patil becomes India’s first woman President.