August 15, 1947 is the day engraved in gold in the history of India. It is the day when India attained its freedom from the clutches of a long slavery of over 200 years of the British Rule. It was a long and hard struggle in which many freedom fighters and great men laid their lives for our beloved motherland.
Mahatma Gandhi led the great non-violence movement against which the Britishers had to finally succumb. The country produced great leaders and patriots like pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Subash Chandra Bose, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lala Lajpat Rai, Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru and Chandra Shekhar Azad.
The struggle for Independence was such a moving force that it united all the people belonging to different castes, classes and beliefs into a single nation. Women also came out of their houses and significantly contributed to the freedom struggle. Women like Aruna Asaf Ali, Sarojine Naidu, Vijay Laxmi Pandit, Kamala Nehru, Kasturba Gandhi, and Annie Beasant contributed greatly to the success of our freedom movement.
August 15 is celebrated as the Independence Day every year. On our first Independence Day, pandit Nehru, our first Prime Minister, hoisted the National Flag, the Tricolour at the Red Fort. At midnight when the whole world was sleeping India awoke into a great nation promising peace, prosperity, equality and liberty.
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Since then, Independence Day is traditionally celebrated with fill zeal, fervor and great excitement. Every particle and pollen in the air seems to be charged with the love of the motherland on this particular day. One can see small children carrying small Tri-colours in their hands running with zeal towards their schools early in the morning for flag hoisting ceremonies in the schools. Every vehicle, tempo, auto rickshaw, has a tri-colour flying on a top of it. Songs full of patriotism can be heard at every street corner.
The day is celebrated with great fervor and people pay homage to the thousands of lives laid down by great men and women, they remember the countless sacrifices made and they glorify the great Indian tradition and culture with which we have enriched the world.
The prime minister of India hoists the flag at the Red fort and gives a traditional speech addressing the people of India from its ramparts. All government and private institutions, schools, colleges and universities celebrate this day of great historical importance by hoisting the Tri-colour and distributing sweets and ladoos. People sing the National Anthem and patriotic songs and hear speeches which relate this glorious and long struggle, the sacrifice and great deeds of the people.
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Even the Television Channels and Radio programmes are surcharged with patriotism. Films based on patriotic themes are telecast to let the people and children know about the various incidents of our freedom struggle to inspire love for our motherland. Newspapers too print special editions relating inspirational stories of great men excerpted from great books written by the great men.
Independence Day, thus, is an important day in the life of every Indian. Year after year, it reminds us of the great sacrifice and struggle made by our freedom fighters to free Mother India from foreign rule. It reminds us of the great ideals which were the foundation of the dream of a free India, envisioned and realized by the founding fathers. It also reminds us that our forefathers have done their share of duty. It lies in our hands now how do we shape and form the future of our country. They have done their parts and have done it really well. The country now looks up to us so that we may do our part now.
