Notes RESOURCE AND DEVELOPMENT

  interesting facts about India's Independence Day on August 15:

1. **The Timing of Independence:** India's Independence was declared at midnight on August 15, 1947. The timing was chosen by astrologers who believed that midnight was an auspicious time, ensuring a favorable start to the nation's future.

2. **Mountbatten’s Role:** Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, chose August 15 as the date for India's independence because it was the same day that Japan had surrendered to the Allied Forces in 1945, marking the end of World War II. Mountbatten saw this date as significant and symbolic.

3. **First Flag Hoisting:** The first Indian national flag was hoisted on August 15, 1947, by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi. Since then, the Prime Minister of India hoists the national flag at the Red Fort on every Independence Day.

4. **Independence Day Broadcast:** On August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech, which was broadcast on All India Radio. This speech marked the moment when India officially became an independent nation, and it remains one of the most iconic speeches in Indian history.

5. **Partition:** While August 15, 1947, marked India's independence, it also saw the partition of the country into two nations—India and Pakistan. This led to one of the largest migrations in human history, as millions of people moved across the newly drawn borders.