India’s Independence: Beyond August 15, 1947 The Truth We Must Remember
Introduction Every year on August 15 , the streets of India come alive with the spirit of patriotism. The tricolour flutters proudly from rooftops, schoolchildren march in parades, patriotic songs fill the air, and speeches speak of our nation’s glory. It is a day of pride, remembrance, and celebration. But it is also a day that invites us to ask some difficult questions that go beyond the surface of festivities. Was our freedom earned solely through the non-violent path of Mahatma Gandhi, or was it equally shaped by the blood, courage, and sacrifice of revolutionaries, soldiers, and ordinary citizens who took up arms or resisted in other ways? When the clock struck midnight on August 15, 1947 , did India truly become a fully independent nation, or was it merely a transfer of power from one ruling elite to another under the umbrella of Dominion Status ? And what about the countless sacrifices made during and after independence, the lives lost in the Partition riots, the struggle...