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India woke up free on August 15, 1947, but its first Independence Day looked very different from the ceremony the country knows today.
Hindustan Times newspaper on the morning of August 15, 1947. (HT)
The transition began on the night of August 14 inside Constitution Hall in New Delhi. Members opened the session with the singing of Vande Mataram — the song is set to return to the Red Fort this August 15, for the first time since Independence. Assembly President Dr Rajendra Prasad spoke first, honouring those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.
As midnight approached, Jawaharlal Nehru rose to speak. “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” In his now-famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech, Nehru celebrated the moment but also reminded the Assembly that freedom came with responsibilities. The new country still had to confront poverty, ignorance, disease and inequality.
Check out the Hindustan Times newspaper from the eventful morning 80 years ago:
By the time people picked up their newspapers on August 15, the headline was no longer about a country waiting for freedom. India was independent. The front page of Hindustan Times that morning read: “Journey’s end – Beginning of another.” The paper carried photographs of Lord Mountbatten, Nehru, Rajendra Prasad and others, along with reports on the historic events unfolding in Delhi.
Independence activist Hansa Mehta then presented the national flag on behalf of the women of India. The flag had been adopted by the Constituent Assembly only weeks earlier.
That morning, Delhi was full of people. A contemporary account published in Fauji Akhbar, India’s first army newspaper, described crowds breaking through police cordons around the Constituent Assembly. People gathered around Jawaharlal Nehru and Lord Mountbatten, cheering and waving flags.
The planned arrangements could not contain the crowds. For people on the streets, British rule had finally ended.
The Red Fort tradition came later
The Independence Day ceremony Indians know today did not exist in 1947. Nehru did not hoist the national flag at the Red Fort on August 15 that year.
He raised it there for the first time on August 16 and addressed the gathering. The ceremony later became the template for the annual Red Fort tradition. On August 15 itself, Nehru was occupied with the swearing-in of the new government and other official events.
Freedom came with Partition
India’s freedom came as British India was divided into India and Pakistan. Communal violence had already spread across parts of Punjab and Bengal, forcing millions to leave their homes.
Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs crossed the new borders as families were separated and communities were torn apart. Data says around 2-20 lakh people died due to violence during the Partition.
While Delhi celebrated independence, Mahatma Gandhi spent the day in Calcutta, working towards peace.
He stayed at Hyderi Manzil in Beliaghata, where he fasted, prayed and met people who came to see him, as per Gandhi Heritage Portal. He had arrived there to help bring Hindus and Muslims together and worked with former Bengal premier Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy to restore peace.
Calcutta remained largely peaceful on August 15, with Hindus and Muslims joining the celebrations. The episode later became known as the “Miracle of Calcutta.”
PM Modi’s Red Fort address
Over the decades, the Red Fort has become the centre of India’s Independence Day. Prime Ministers of the country have used the annual address to look back at India’s journey while setting out their priorities for the future.
In recent years, PM Modi’s speeches have focused heavily on Viksit Bharat 2047, self-reliance, reforms, technology, youth and national security. His 2025 address lasted 103 minutes, his longest Independence Day speech so far.
This year, India will celebrate its 80th Independence Day. PM Modi will unfurl the national flag and address the nation from the Red Fort. Security has been tightened ahead of Independence Day with a multi-layered anti-terror plan, multiple screening points, mock drills and advance coordination among security agencies.
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