Independence Day (India): Difference between revisions

'''Independence Day''' is celebrated annually on 15 August as a [[Public holidays in India|public holiday in India]] commemorating the nation's [[Indian independence movement|independence from the United Kingdom]] on 15 August 1947, the day when the provisions of the [[Indian Independence Act 1947|Indian Independence Act]], which transferred legislative sovereignty to the [[Indian Constituent Assembly]], came into effect. India retained [[King George VI]] as head of state until it transitioned to a republic, when the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 (celebrated as [[Indian Republic Day]]) and replaced the dominion prefix, [[Dominion of India]], with the enactment of the sovereign law [[Constitution of India]]. India attained independence following the [[Indian independence movement|independence movement]] noted for largely [[nonviolent resistance|non-violent resistance]] and [[civil disobedience]] led by [[Indian National Congress]] under the leadership of [[Mahatma Gandhi]].

Independence coincided with the [[partition of India]], in which [[British Raj|British India]] was divided into the [[Dominion of India|Dominions of India]] and [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]]; the partition was accompanied by violent riots and mass casualties, and the displacement of nearly 15&nbsp;million people due to religious violence. On 15 August 1947, the first [[Prime Minister of India]], [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] raised the [[Flag of India|Indian national flag]] above the [[Lahori Gate (Red Fort)|Lahori Gate]] of the [[Red Fort]] in [[Delhi]]. On each subsequent Independence Day, the incumbent Prime Minister customarily raises the flag and gives an address to the nation.<ref name="theHindu1">PTI (15 August 2013). [http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/manmohan-first-pm-outside-nehrugandhi-clan-to-hoist-flag-for-10th-time/article5025367.ece "Manmohan first PM outside Nehru-Gandhi clan to hoist the flag for 10th time"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221090006/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/manmohan-first-pm-outside-nehrugandhi-clan-to-hoist-flag-for-10th-time/article5025367.ece |date=21 December 2013 }}. ''[[The Hindu]]''. Retrieved 30 August 2013.</ref> The entire event is broadcast by [[Doordarshan]], India's national broadcaster, and usually begins with the [[shehnai]] music of [[Ustad Bismillah Khan]]. Independence Day is observed throughout India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades, and cultural events. It is a national holiday.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/intelligence-warns-of-terror-strike-in-delhi-ahead-of-independence-day/1/456280.html |title=Terror strike feared in Delhi ahead of Independence Day : MM-National, News|work=India Today |date=5 August 2015 |access-date=13 August 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807201201/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/intelligence-warns-of-terror-strike-in-delhi-ahead-of-independence-day/1/456280.html |archive-date=7 August 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/69th-independence-day-security-tightened-red-fort-terror-threat-looms-large-modi-642738 |title=69th Independence Day: Security Tightened at Red Fort as Terror Threat Looms Large on PM Modi |publisher=Ibtimes.co.in |date=28 February 2015 |access-date=13 August 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814052051/http://www.ibtimes.co.in/69th-independence-day-security-tightened-red-fort-terror-threat-looms-large-modi-642738 |archive-date=14 August 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Independence Day of India, 15 August 2020: History, Significance, Facts and Celebration|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/events/independence-day-of-india-15-august-2020-history-significance-facts-and-celebration/articleshow/77541312.cms|access-date=2020-08-15|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

[[Colonial India|European traders]] had established outposts in the [[Indian subcontinent]] by the late 17th century. Through overwhelming military strength, the [[East India Company]] fought and annexed local kingdoms and [[Company rule in India|established themselves]] as the dominant force by the 18th century. Following the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]] of 1857, the [[Government of India Act 1858]] led the [[The Crown|British Crown]] to assume direct control of India. In the decades following, civic society gradually emerged across India, most notably the [[Indian National Congress Party]], formed in 1885.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Sumit|author-link=Sumit Sarkar|title=Modern India, 1885–1947|year=1983|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]]|isbn=978-0-333-90425-1|pages=1–4|url=https://archive.org/details/modernindia1885100sark/page/1}}</ref><ref name="metcalf conc"/>{{rp|123}} The period after [[World War I]] was marked by colonial reforms such as the [[Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms]], but it also witnessed the enactment of the unpopular [[Rowlatt Act]] and calls for self-rule by Indian activists. The discontent of this period crystallized into nationwide non-violent movements of non-cooperation and civil disobedience, led by [[Mahatma Gandhi|Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi]].<ref name="metcalf conc">{{cite book|last1=Metcalf|first1=B.|last2=Metcalf|first2=T. R.|author1-link=Barbara Metcalf|author2-link=Thomas R. Metcalf|date=9 October 2006|title=A Concise History of Modern India|edition=2nd|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]| isbn=978-0-521-68225-1}}</ref>{{rp|167}}

During the 1930s, the reform was gradually legislated by the British; Congress won victories in the resulting elections.<ref name="metcalf conc"/>{{rp|195–197}} The next decade was beset with political turmoil: [[India in World War II|Indian participation in World War II]], the Congress's final push for non-cooperation, and an upsurge of [[Muslim nationalism]] led by the [[All-India Muslim League]]. The escalating political tension was capped by Independence in 1947. The jubilation was tempered by the [[Partition of India|bloody partition]] of [[colonial India]] into India and Pakistan.<ref name="metcalf conc"/>{{rp|203}}

[[Hasrat Mohani]] was the first person in Indian History who demanded 'Complete Independence' (Azadi-e-Kaamil), at the 1929  session of the Indian National Congress, the ''[[Purna Swaraj]]'' declaration, or "Declaration of the Independence of India" was promulgated,<ref name="Wolpert1999">{{cite book|last=Wolpert|first=Stanley A.|author-link=Stanley Wolpert|title=India|url={{Google books|nHnOERqf-MQC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=20 July 2012|date=12 October 1999|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-22172-7|page=204|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509231648/http://books.google.com/books?id=nHnOERqf-MQC|archive-date=9 May 2013}}</ref> and 26 January was declared as Independence Day in 1930.<ref name="Wolpert1999"/> The Congress called on people to pledge themselves to [[civil disobedience]] and "to carry out the Congress instructions issued from time to time" until India attained complete independence.<ref name="Gandhi2006">{{cite book|title=India's Date with Destiny|chapter=India's Independence Pledge|last=Datta|first=V. N.|editor-last=Gandhi|editor-first=Kishore|year=2006|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=978-81-7764-932-1|pages=34–39|quote=We recognise, however, that the most effective way of getting our freedom is not through violence. We will therefore prepare ourselves by withdrawing, so far as we can, all voluntary association from British Government, and will prepare for civil disobedience, including non-payment of taxes. We are convinced that if we can withdraw our voluntary help and stop payment of taxes without doing violence, even under provocation; the need for his inhuman rule is assured. We therefore hereby solemnly resolve to carry out the Congress instructions issued from time to time to establish Purna Swaraj.}}</ref> Celebration of such an Independence Day was envisioned to stoke nationalistic fervor among Indian citizens, and to force the British government to consider granting independence.<ref name="Guha2008">{{cite book|last=Guha|first=Ramachandra|title=India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy|url={{Google books|2fvd-CaFdqYC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=23 August 2012|date=12 August 2008|publisher=Harper Collins|isbn=978-0-06-095858-9|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231095737/http://books.google.com/books?id=2fvd-CaFdqYC|archive-date=31 December 2013}}</ref>{{rp|19}}

The Congress observed 26 January as Independence Day between 1930 and 1946.<ref name="Vohra2001">{{cite book|last=Vohra|first=Ranbir|title=The Making of India: a Historical Survey|url={{Google books|IDKoyGjFo44C|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=20 July 2012|year=2001|publisher=M. E. Sharpe|isbn=978-0-7656-0711-9|page=148|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111195943/http://books.google.com/books?id=IDKoyGjFo44C|archive-date=11 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="telegraph 26 jan">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120126/jsp/nation/story_15055256.jsp|title=Why January 26: the History of the Day|last=Ramaseshan|first=Radhika|date=26 January 2012|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120111841/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120126/jsp/nation/story_15055256.jsp|archive-date=20 January 2013}}</ref> The celebration was marked by meetings where the attendants took the "pledge of independence".<ref name="Guha2008"/>{{rp|19–20}} Jawaharlal Nehru described in his autobiography that such meetings were peaceful, solemn, and "without any speeches or exhortation".<ref name="Nehru1989">{{cite book|last=Nehru|first=Jawaharlal|title=Jawaharlal Nehru, An Autobiography: With Musings on Recent Events in India|url={{Google books|NFKgAAAAMAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=26 August 2012|year=1989|publisher=Bodley Head|isbn=978-0-370-31313-9|page=209|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232328/http://books.google.com/books?id=NFKgAAAAMAAJ|archive-date=26 June 2014}}</ref> Gandhi envisaged that besides the meetings, the day would be spent " ... in doing some constructive work, whether it is spinning, or service of 'untouchables,' or reunion of Hindus and Mussalmans, or prohibition work, or even all these together".<ref name="(Mahatma)1970">{{cite book|first=(Mahatma)|last=Gandhi|title=Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi|url={{Google books|1sEmAQAAMAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=26 August 2012|volume=42|year=1970|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India|pages=398–400|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232329/http://books.google.com/books?id=1sEmAQAAMAAJ|archive-date=26 June 2014}}</ref> Following actual independence in 1947, the [[Constitution of India]] came into effect on and from 26 January 1950; since then 26 January is celebrated as [[Republic Day (India)|Republic Day]].

In 1946, the Labour government in Britain, its exchequer exhausted by the recently concluded [[World War II]], realized that it had neither the mandate at home, the international support nor the reliability of [[British Indian Army|native forces]] for continuing to maintain control in an increasingly restless India.<ref name="metcalf conc"/>{{rp|203}}<ref name=Hyam106>{{cite book|last=Hyam|first=Ronald|title=Britain's Declining Empire: The Road to Decolonisation, 1918–1968| year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-68555-9|page=106|quote=By the end of 1945, he and the Commander-in-chief, [[General Auckinleck]] were advising that there was a real threat in 1946 of large-scale anti-British disorder amounting to even a well-organized rising aiming to expel the British by paralysing the administration. <br /> ...it was clear to Attlee that everything depended on the spirit and reliability of the Indian Army: "Provided that they do their duty, armed insurrection in India would not be an insoluble problem. If, however, the Indian Army was to go the other way, the picture would be very different. <br> ...Thus, [[Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell|Wavell]] concluded, if the army and the police "failed" Britain would be forced to go. In theory, it might be possible to revive and reinvigorate the services, and rule for another fifteen to twenty years, but: It is a fallacy to suppose that the solution lies in trying to maintain the status quo. We have no longer the resources, nor the necessary prestige or confidence in ourselves.}}</ref><ref name="Brown 330">{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Judith Margaret|author-link=Judith M. Brown|title=Modern India: the Origins of an Asian Democracy|year=1994|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-873112-2|page=330|quote=India had always been a minority interest in British public life; no great body of public opinion now emerged to argue that war-weary and impoverished Britain should send troops and money to hold it against its will in an empire of doubtful value. By late 1946 both Prime Minister and [[Secretary of State for India]] recognized that neither international opinion nor their voters would stand for any reassertion of the ''raj'', even if there had been the men, money, and administrative machinery with which to do so}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Sumit|author-link=Sumit Sarkar|title=Modern India, 1885–1947|year=1983|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]]|isbn=978-0-333-90425-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/modernindia1885100sark/page/418 418]|quote=With a war-weary army and people and a ravaged economy, Britain would have had to retreat; the Labour victory only quickened the process somewhat.|url=https://archive.org/details/modernindia1885100sark/page/418}}</ref> On 20 February 1947, Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced that the British government would grant full self-governance to British India by June 1948 at the latest.<ref name="Romein1962">{{cite book|last=Romein|first=Jan|author-link=Jan Romein|title=The Asian Century: a History of Modern Nationalism in Asia|url={{Google books|OXaIQZMevjcC|page=PA357|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=24 July 2012|year=1962|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|page=357|asin=B000PVLKY4|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224411/http://books.google.com/books?id=OXaIQZMevjcC&pg=PA357|archive-date=26 June 2014}}</ref>

The new [[Viceroy of India|viceroy]], [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Mountbatten]], advanced the date for the transfer of power, believing the continuous contention between the Congress and the [[Muslim League (Opposition)|Muslim League]] might lead to a collapse of the interim government.<ref name="ReadFisher1999">{{cite book|last1=Read|first1=Anthony|last2=Fisher|first2=David|title=The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence|url={{Google books|q9ebuSG64dkC|page=PA459|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=4 August 2012|date=1 July 1999|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-31898-2|pages=459–60|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921063252/http://books.google.com/books?id=q9ebuSG64dkC&pg=PA459|archive-date=21 September 2013}}</ref> He chose the second anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, 15 August, as the date of power transfer.<ref name="ReadFisher1999"/> The British government announced on 3 June 1947 that it had accepted the idea of partitioning British India into two states;<ref name="Romein1962"/> the successor governments would be given [[dominion]] status and would have an implicit right to secede from the British Commonwealth. The [[Indian Independence Act 1947]] (10 & 11 Geo 6 c. 30) of the Parliament of the United Kingdom partitioned [[British India]] into the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan (including what is now [[Bangladesh]]) with effect from 15 August 1947, and granted complete legislative authority upon the respective [[Constituent Assembly|constituent assemblies]] of the new countries.<ref name="the act">{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/30|title=Indian Independence Act 1947|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]], [[Her Majesty's Government (term)|Her Majesty's Government]]|access-date=17 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630080036/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/30|archive-date=30 June 2012}}</ref> The Act received royal assent on 18 July 1947.

Millions of Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu refugees trekked the [[Radcliffe Line|newly drawn borders]] in the months surrounding independence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Keay |first1=John |title= India: A History |year=2000 |publisher= Grove Press |isbn=9780802137975 |page=508 |quote=East to west and west to east perhaps ten million fled for their lives in the greatest exodus in recorded history.}}</ref> In [[Punjab region|Punjab]], where the borders divided the [[Sikh]] regions into halves, massive bloodshed followed; in [[Bengal]] and [[Bihar]], where Mahatma Gandhi's presence assuaged communal tempers, the violence was mitigated. In all, between 250,000 and 1,000,000 people on both sides of the new borders died in the violence.<ref name="DEROUENHEO">{{cite book|last1=DeRouen|first1=Karl|last2=Heo|first2=Uk|title=Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II|url={{Google books|nrN077AEgzMC|page=PA414|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=24 July 2012|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|isbn=978-1-85109-919-1|pages=408–414|date=28 March 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224414/http://books.google.com/books?id=nrN077AEgzMC&pg=PA414|archive-date=26 June 2014}}</ref> While the entire nation was celebrating the Independence Day, Gandhi stayed in [[Calcutta]] in an attempt to stem the carnage.<ref name="miracle">{{cite web|url=http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/amiracleincalcutta/|title=A miracle in Calcutta|last=Alexander|first=Horace|author-link=Horace Alexander|work=[[Prospect (magazine)|Prospect]]|date=1 August 2007|access-date=27 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509064628/http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/amiracleincalcutta/|archive-date=9 May 2013}}</ref> On 14 August 1947, the [[Independence Day (Pakistan)|Independence Day of Pakistan]], the new Dominion of Pakistan came into being; [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]] was sworn in as its first [[Governor-General of Pakistan|Governor General]] in [[Karachi]].[[File:A_still_of_Red_Fort,_during_the_62nd_Independence_Day_celebrations,_in_Delhi_on_August_15,_2008.jpg|220x124px|thumb|right|alt=Tiranga|75 years of independence.]]

The Dominion of India became an independent country as official ceremonies took place in New Delhi. Nehru assumed office as the [[List of Prime Ministers of India|first prime minister]], and the viceroy, [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Mountbatten]], continued as its first [[Governor-General of India|governor general]].<ref name="Guha2007">{{cite book|last=Guha|first=Rama Chandra|title=India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy|year=2007|publisher=Macmillan|location=London|isbn=978-0-230-01654-5}}</ref>{{rp|6}} Gandhi's name was invoked by crowds celebrating the occasion; Gandhi himself, however, took no part in the official events. Instead, he marked the day with a 24-hour fast, during which he spoke to a crowd in Calcutta, encouraging peace between Hindus and Muslims.<ref name="Guha2007" />{{rp|10}}

  |quote  = 08.30&nbsp;am. Swearing in of governor general and ministers at<br /> Government House<br />09.40&nbsp;am. Procession of ministers to Constituent Assembly<br />09.50&nbsp;am. State drive to Constituent Assembly<br />09.55&nbsp;am. Royal salute to governor general<br />10.30&nbsp;am. Hoisting of the national flag at Constituent Assembly<br />10.35&nbsp;am. State drive to Government House<br />06.00&nbsp;pm. Flag ceremony at India Gate<br />07.00&nbsp;pm. Illuminations<br />07.45&nbsp;pm. Fireworks display<br />08.45&nbsp;pm. Official dinner at Government House<br />10.15&nbsp;pm. Reception at Government office.

Independence Day, one of the three [[Public holidays in India#National holidays|National holidays]] in India (the other two being the [[Republic Day (India)|Republic Day]] on 26 January and [[Gandhi Jayanti|Mahatma Gandhi's birthday]] on 2 October), is observed in all Indian states and union territories. On the eve of Independence Day, the [[President of India]] delivers the "Address to the Nation". On 15 August, the Prime Minister hoists the [[Flag of India|Indian flag]] on the ramparts of the historical site of [[Red Fort]] in Delhi.<ref name="theHindu1" /> In his speech, the Prime Minister highlights the past year's achievements, raises important issues, and calls for further development. He pays tribute to the leaders of the [[Indian independence movement]]. The Indian national anthem, "[[Jana Gana Mana]]", is sung. The speech is followed by a [[march past]] of divisions of the [[Indian Armed Forces]] and [[Paramilitary forces of India|paramilitary forces]]. Parades and pageants showcase scenes from the independence struggle and India's diverse cultural traditions. Similar events take place in state capitals where the [[Chief Minister (India)|Chief Ministers]] of individual states unfurl the national flag, followed by parades and pageants.<ref name="states desc outlook">{{cite web |url= http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=772093 |title= India Celebrates Its 66th Independence Day |work= [[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] |date= 15 August 2012 |access-date= 20 August 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120820102252/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=772093 |archive-date= 20 August 2012 |df= dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="states desc mandc">{{cite news|url=http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/news/article_1343371.php/Barring_northeast_peaceful_I-Day_celebrations_across_India%0A_State_Roundup_combining_different_series_|title=Barring Northeast, Peaceful I-Day Celebrations across India (State Roundup, Combining Different Series)|date=15 August 2007|access-date=21 July 2012|publisher=[[Monsters and Critics]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129044441/http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/news/article_1343371.php/Barring_northeast_peaceful_I-Day_celebrations_across_India%0A_State_Roundup_combining_different_series_|archive-date=29 January 2013}}</ref> Until 1973, the Governor of the State hoisted the National Flag at the State capital. In February 1974, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, [[M. Karunanidhi]] took up the issue with then Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]] that the Chief Ministers, like the Prime Minister, should be allowed to hoist the national flag on Independence Day. Since 1974, Chief Ministers of the respective states have been allowed to hoist the national flag on Independence Day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Karunanidhi-had-a-role-in-Chief-Ministers-hoisting-flag/article16535126.ece|title=Karunanidhi had a role in Chief Ministers hoisting flag|date=16 August 2009|work=The Hindu|access-date=29 July 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/independence-day-2018-m-karunanidhi-death-m-karunanidhi-responsible-for-chief-ministers-unfurling-tr-1900942|title=Karunanidhi Responsible For Chief Ministers Unfurling National Flag|work=NDTV.com|access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref>

Flag-hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs take place in governmental and non-governmental institutions throughout the country.<ref name="Gupta2006">{{cite book|last1=Gupta|first1=K. R.|last2=Gupta|first2=Amita|title=Concise Encyclopaedia of India|url={{Google books|9dNOT9iYxcMC|page=PA1002|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=20 July 2012|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Atlantic Publishers|isbn=978-81-269-0639-0|page=1002|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224418/http://books.google.com/books?id=9dNOT9iYxcMC&pg=PA1002|archive-date=26 June 2014}}</ref> Schools and colleges conduct flag hoisting ceremonies and various cultural events. Governmental and non-governmental institutions decorate their premises with paper, balloon decorations with hangings of freedom fighter portraits on their walls, and major government buildings are often adorned with strings of lights.<ref name="gov site">{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=46|title=Independence Day Celebration|publisher=Government of India|access-date=17 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215222051/http://india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=46|archive-date=15 December 2011}}</ref> In Delhi and some other cities, kite flying adds to the occasion.<ref name="gove site 2">{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=66|title=Independence Day|publisher=Government of India|access-date=18 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406162702/http://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/spotlight_archive.php?id=66|archive-date=6 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/indians-still-battling-it-out-on-independence-day|title=Indians Still Battling it out on Independence Day|last=Bhattacharya|first=Suryatapa|date=15 August 2011|access-date=20 July 2012|newspaper=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122092542/http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/indians-still-battling-it-out-on-independence-day|archive-date=22 November 2012}}</ref> National flags of different sizes are used abundantly to symbolize allegiance to the country.<ref name="dna pride">{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_when-india-wears-its-badge-of-patriotism-with-pride_1115730|title=When India Wears its Badge of Patriotism with Pride|date=15 August 2007|access-date=22 July 2012|newspaper=[[Daily News and Analysis|DNA]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101013808/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_when-india-wears-its-badge-of-patriotism-with-pride_1115730|archive-date=1 November 2012}}</ref> Citizens adorn their clothing, wristbands, cars, household accessories with replicas of the tri-colour.<ref name="dna pride"/> Over a period of time, the celebration has changed emphasis from nationalism to a broader celebration of all things India.<ref name="DNA pop"/><ref name="toi cool">{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-08-14/india/27859884_1_desh-bhakti-american-independence-day-patriotism|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511025139/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-08-14/india/27859884_1_desh-bhakti-american-independence-day-patriotism|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=It's Cool to Be Patriotic: GenNow|last1=Dutta Sachdeva|first1=Sujata|last2=Mathur|first2=Neha|date=14 August 2005|access-date=25 July 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

The [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian diaspora]] celebrates Independence Day around the world with parades and pageants, particularly in regions with higher concentrations of Indian immigrants.<ref name="the hindu diaspora">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article573903.ece|title=Indian-Americans Celebrate Independence Day|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=16 August 2010|access-date=18 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802190835/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article573903.ece|archive-date=2 August 2011}}</ref> In some locations, such as New York and other US cities, 15 August has become "India Day" among the diaspora and the local populace. Pageants celebrate "India Day" either on 15 August or an adjoining weekend day.<ref name="India day parade">{{cite web|url=http://www.nritoday.net/community-news/428-cover-story-indias-independence-day-celebrations-across-the-united-states|title=India's Independence Day Celebrations across the United States—Showcasing India's Cultural Diversity and Growing Economic Growth|year=2008|last=Ghosh|first=Ajay|publisher=NRI Today|access-date=20 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729041552/http://www.nritoday.net/community-news/428-cover-story-indias-independence-day-celebrations-across-the-united-states|archive-date=29 July 2012}}</ref>

On Independence Day and Republic Day, patriotic songs in [[Eighth Schedule to the Constitution|regional languages]] are broadcast on television and radio channels.<ref name="Nayar2006">{{cite book|last=Nayar|first=Pramod K.|title=Reading Culture: Theory, Praxis, Politics|url={{Google books|8FiPb3JCmy0C|page=PA57|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=22 July 2012|date=14 June 2006|publisher=SAGE|isbn=978-0-7619-3474-5|page=57|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921063404/http://books.google.com/books?id=8FiPb3JCmy0C&pg=PA57|archive-date=21 September 2013}}</ref> They are also played alongside flag-hoisting ceremonies.<ref name="Nayar2006"/> Patriotic films are broadcast.<ref name="Gupta2006"/> Over the decades, according to ''[[The Times of India]]'', the number of such films broadcast has decreased as channels report that audiences are oversaturated with patriotic films.<ref name="toi patr film">{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-26/news-interviews/27771292_1_patriotic-films-masala-films-channels-show|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511035649/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-26/news-interviews/27771292_1_patriotic-films-masala-films-channels-show|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=Patriotic Films, Anyone?|last1=Pant|first1=Nikhila|last2=Pasricha|first2=Pallavi|date=26 January 2008|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=21 July 2012}}</ref> The population belonging to [[Generation Y]] often combine nationalism with [[popular culture]] during the celebrations. This mixture is exemplified by outfits and savories dyed with the tricolor and garments that represent India's various cultural traditions.<ref name="DNA pop">{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_independence-day-for-gennext-its-cool-to-flaunt-patriotism_1576086|title=Independence Day: For GenNext, It's Cool to Flaunt Patriotism|last=Ansari|first=Shabana|newspaper=DNA|date=15 August 2011|access-date=20 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101013836/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_independence-day-for-gennext-its-cool-to-flaunt-patriotism_1576086|archive-date=1 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Vohra|first=Meera|title=Fashion fervour gets tri-coloured!|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-14/trends/33199927_1_national-colours-independence-day-indian-flag|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613085146/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-14/trends/33199927_1_national-colours-independence-day-indian-flag|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 June 2013|access-date=15 August 2012|date=14 August 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|author2=Shashank Tripathi}}</ref> Shops often offer Independence Day sales promotions.<ref name="toi commerce">{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-13/people/28280639_1_weekend-getaways-independence-day-discounts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511030034/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-13/people/28280639_1_weekend-getaways-independence-day-discounts|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=Pop Patriotism—Is Our ''Azaadi'' on Sale?|last=Sharma|first=Kalpana|date=13 August 2010|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=29 July 2012}}</ref><ref name="et retail">{{cite news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-08-14/news/27623445_1_retail-chains-indian-retailers-double-sales|title=Retail Majors Flag Off I-Day Offers to Push Sales|last1= Basu|first1=Sreeradha D|last2= Mukherjee|first2=Writankar|newspaper= [[The Economic Times]]|date=14 August 2010|access-date=29 July 2012}}</ref> Some news reports have decried the commercialism.<ref name="toi commerce"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/old/ie/daily/19970816/22850113.html|title=The Business of Patriotism|last=Chatterjee|first=Sudeshna|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|date=16 August 1997|access-date=29 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514232306/http://www.financialexpress.com/old/ie/daily/19970816/22850113.html|archive-date=14 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="et commercial">{{cite news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2007-09-18/news/27667084_1_patriotism-national-colours-cricket| title=Commercial Patriotism Rides New Wave of Optimism|last=Sinha|first=Partha|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=18 September 2007|access-date=22 July 2012}}</ref> [[Indian Postal Service]] publishes commemorative stamps depicting independence movement leaders, nationalistic themes and defence-related themes on 15 August.<ref name="indiapost">{{cite web|url=http://indiapost.gov.in/Pdf/Indian_Postage_Stamp_Catalogue_1947-2011.pdf|title=Indian Postage Stamps Catalogue 1947–2011|work=India Post|access-date=28 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117224026/http://indiapost.gov.in/Pdf/Indian_Postage_Stamp_Catalogue_1947-2011.pdf|archive-date=17 January 2013}}</ref>

Independence and partition inspired [[Artistic depictions of the partition of India|literary and other artistic creations]].<ref name="Cleary2002">{{cite book|last=Cleary|first=Joseph N.|title=Literature, Partition and the Nation-State: Culture and Conflict in Ireland, Israel and Palestine|url={{Google books|omFqtDGADfYC|page=104|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|date=3 January 2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-65732-7|page=104|quote=The partition of India figures in a good deal of imaginative writing...|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530040329/http://books.google.com/books?id=omFqtDGADfYC|archive-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> Such creations mostly describe the human cost of partition, limiting the holiday to a small part of their narrative.<ref name="Natarajan1996">{{cite book|last=Bhatia|first=Nandi|editor-last=Natarajan|editor-first=Nalini|title=Handbook of Twentieth-Century Literatures of India|url={{Google books|1lTnv6o-d_oC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|year=1996|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-313-28778-7|chapter=Twentieth Century Hindi Literature|pages=146–147|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530024816/http://books.google.com/books?id=1lTnv6o-d_oC|archive-date=30 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="Roy2011">{{cite book|last=Roy|first=Rituparna|title=South Asian Partition Fiction in English: From Khushwant Singh to Amitav Ghosh|url={{Google books|HCQfRFr6iMgC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|date=15 July 2011|publisher=[[Amsterdam University Press]]|isbn=978-90-8964-245-5|pages=24–29|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602022816/http://books.google.com/books?id=HCQfRFr6iMgC|archive-date=2 June 2013}}</ref> [[Salman Rushdie]]'s novel ''[[Midnight's Children]]'' (1980), which won the [[Booker Prize]] and the [[The Best of the Booker|Booker of Bookers]], wove its narrative around children born at midnight of 14–15 August 1947 with magical abilities.<ref name="Roy2011"/> ''[[Freedom at Midnight]]'' (1975) is a non-fiction work by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre that chronicled the events surrounding the first Independence Day celebrations in 1947. Few films centre on the moment of independence,<ref name="Bhatia2008">{{cite book|last=Mandal|first=Somdatta|editor1-last=Bhatia|editor1-first=Nandi|editor2-last=Roy|editor2-first=Anjali Gera|title=Partitioned Lives: Narratives of Home, Displacement, and Resettlement|url={{Google books|YWB0GmmoOSMC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1416-4|pages=66–69|chapter=Constructing Post-partition Bengali Cultural Identity through Films|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530042051/http://books.google.com/books?id=YWB0GmmoOSMC|archive-date=30 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="hindi guide">{{Cite journal | last1 = Dwyer | first1 = R. |url=https://www.amu.ac.in/emp/studym/99993703.pdf | title = Bollywood's India: Hindi Cinema as a Guide to Modern India | doi = 10.1080/03068374.2010.508231 | journal = Asian Affairs | volume = 41 | issue = 3 | pages = 381–398 | year = 2010 | s2cid = 70892666 }}</ref><ref name="Sarkar2009">{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Bhaskar|title=Mourning the Nation: Indian Cinema in the Wake of Partition|url={{Google books|wghFNlpM3PIC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|access-date=27 July 2012|date=29 April 2009|publisher=[[Duke University Press]]|isbn=978-0-8223-4411-7|page=121|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530043825/http://books.google.com/books?id=wghFNlpM3PIC|archive-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> instead highlighting the circumstances of partition and its aftermath.<ref name="Bhatia2008"/><ref name="vishwanath 2009">{{cite journal|last1= Vishwanath|first1= Gita|last2= Malik|first2= Salma|year= 2009|title= Revisiting 1947 through Popular Cinema: a Comparative Study of India and Pakistan|journal= [[Economic and Political Weekly]]|volume= XLIV|issue= 36|pages= 61–69|url= http://www.careerlauncher.com/lstcontent/plansuppliments/attachments/40/62/REVISITING%201947%20THROUGH%20popular%20cinema.pdf|access-date= 27 July 2012|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053940/http://www.careerlauncher.com/lstcontent/plansuppliments/attachments/40/62/REVISITING%201947%20THROUGH%20popular%20cinema.pdf|archive-date= 21 September 2013|df= dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="ritwik journal">{{cite journal |last1=Raychaudhuri |first1=Anindya |year= 2009|title=Resisting the Resistible: Re-writing Myths of Partition in the Works of Ritwik Ghatak |journal=Social Semiotics |volume=19 |issue= 4|pages= 469–481 |doi=10.1080/10350330903361158|s2cid=143332374 }}{{subscription required}}</ref> On the Internet, Google has been commemorating Independence Day of India since 2003 with a special [[Google Doodle|doodle]] on its Indian homepage.<ref name="doodle ibn 2012">{{cite web|title=Google doodles Independence Day India|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/google-doodles-independence-day-india/282430-11.html|publisher=CNN-IBN|access-date=15 August 2012|date=15 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817221156/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/google-doodles-independence-day-india/282430-11.html|archive-date=17 August 2012}}</ref>