10 Unknown facts about India's Independence
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The 72nd Independence Day of India is around the corner and the nation is all set for celebrations.Some facts related to the struggle for Independence are not yet unearthed but some definitely are. Here are some of the very less known facts about Indian Independence that you must know and that would leave you stunned!
1. During Independence, India didn’t have any National Anthem. Jana Gana Mana’ was written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911 and was officially adopted in 1950.
2. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was not always the first choice for the first Prime Minister. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had the majority of votes but Nehru didn’t want to play second in command to anyone. Mahatma Gandhi had a soft spot for Nehru he requested Sardar Patel to step down. Sardar Patel had immense respect for Gandhi and he withdrew his candidature without wasting any time.
3. August 15 is celebrated as Independence Day in not only India but also in five other countries – Bahrain, North Korea, South Korea, Liechtenstein and Republic of Congo.
4. The date ‘August 15’ was chosen by the Last Viceroy and first Governor General of India Lord Mountbatten as it was the same day in 1945 that Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces at the end of the World War II.
5. On Aug. 15, 1947, the first day of India’s independence, crowds reportedly a million-strong thronged central Delhi. There were many sightings of a rainbow forming in the sky as a salute was fired to the newly-hoisted Indian tricolor. “I had never noticed how closely a rainbow could resemble the new Dominion flag of saffron, white and green,” Lord Mountbatten wrote in his official report of the event to the British government.
6. Even though both Pakistan and India achieved Independence on 14th and 15th of August respectively, it wasn't until the 17th of August that there was an announcement of a border between the two countries. Pakistan got Independence on the 14th and India on the 15th of August because Mountbatten wanted to personally attend both Pakistan's and India's Independence ceremony. This wouldn't have been possible had both the countries gained Independence on the same day.
7. Goa wasn’t a part of India until 1961. After India’s independence, Portugal amended its constitution and declared Goa as a Portuguese state. Indian troops invaded Goa on December 19, 1961 and annexed it to India.
8. Jammu and Kashmir would have been part of Pakistan. Records state that Pakistan sent a group of tribesmen into the state of Jammu and Kashmir to attack and conquer it in 1947. Lord Mountbatten also stated, had Pakistan been a little patient, the state would have eventually gone to them. His quote reads: “By sending its irregular troops into the state, Pakistan spoiled the whole thing.”
9. There were 562 princely states in India at the time of independence. 560 of these states joined India and the remaining two (Junagadh and Hyderabad) were annexed by the military.
10. Gandhi was not a part of Independence Day celebration. He was fasting in protest against Hindu - Muslim riots that were taking place in Bengal.
2. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was not always the first choice for the first Prime Minister. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had the majority of votes but Nehru didn’t want to play second in command to anyone. Mahatma Gandhi had a soft spot for Nehru he requested Sardar Patel to step down. Sardar Patel had immense respect for Gandhi and he withdrew his candidature without wasting any time.
3. August 15 is celebrated as Independence Day in not only India but also in five other countries – Bahrain, North Korea, South Korea, Liechtenstein and Republic of Congo.
6. Even though both Pakistan and India achieved Independence on 14th and 15th of August respectively, it wasn't until the 17th of August that there was an announcement of a border between the two countries. Pakistan got Independence on the 14th and India on the 15th of August because Mountbatten wanted to personally attend both Pakistan's and India's Independence ceremony. This wouldn't have been possible had both the countries gained Independence on the same day.
7. Goa wasn’t a part of India until 1961. After India’s independence, Portugal amended its constitution and declared Goa as a Portuguese state. Indian troops invaded Goa on December 19, 1961 and annexed it to India.
8. Jammu and Kashmir would have been part of Pakistan. Records state that Pakistan sent a group of tribesmen into the state of Jammu and Kashmir to attack and conquer it in 1947. Lord Mountbatten also stated, had Pakistan been a little patient, the state would have eventually gone to them. His quote reads: “By sending its irregular troops into the state, Pakistan spoiled the whole thing.”
9. There were 562 princely states in India at the time of independence. 560 of these states joined India and the remaining two (Junagadh and Hyderabad) were annexed by the military.
10. Gandhi was not a part of Independence Day celebration. He was fasting in protest against Hindu - Muslim riots that were taking place in Bengal.
