What is the mood in the streets of India on August 14, 1947? If you expected cheering crowds and processions of jubilation on the eve of Independence, here’s the sobering truth: not everyone is celebrating. For some princely states, accession to the Indian Union is not a natural choice. Punjab, Sind and Bengal, cloven by Partition, witness scenes of horrific violence and the displacement of millions. The birth of our nation, as the facts reveal, is not without its share of labour pangs. 

In the season finale of The India Project with Josy Joseph, we observe the awakening of India as an unstoppable idea whose time has come. With memorable sound-bites from the leaders of a newly free nation, we end Season 1 on a note of nostalgic introspection.

Thank you for joining us on the journey so far. 

Credits:

Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi and Velu Shankar 

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Confluence Media for the letters in this episode:

Letter from CP Ramaswami Iyer replying to Indore’s invitation to be the Prime minister performed by Narayan Krishnaswamy

Letter from Mir Osman Ali, Nizam of Hyderabad, performed by Ranvijay Pratap Singh

Letter from Hamidullah Khan, Nawab of Bhopal, to Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, performed by Kafeel Jafri

Audio excerpts:

YouTube | MyGov India: Sucheta Kripalani, Indian freedom fighter and later first woman chief minister of an Indian state, leads the singing of Saare Jahan Se Achcha

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: First President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad’s Constituent Assembly speech on Aug 14, 1947

YouTube | Akashvani AIR: Bande Mataram :The Song that Became a Mantra

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 — First House Adjournment by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in Constituent Assembly

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: The Moment of Freedom at midnight on August 15, 1947

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 — Hansa Mehta’s Constituent Assembly Speech on August 15, 1947

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 — Jawaharlal Nehru takes oath as Prime Minister of India

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 — Lord Mountbatten takes oath as Governor General of India

YouTube | Films Division: India Wins Freedom

YouTube | PIB India: Mahatma Gandhi’s Discourse on Ahimsa

YouTube | Prasar Bharati Archives: 1947 — Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s Constituent Assembly Speech | Hindi

YouTube | MyGov India: President Dr Rajendra Prasad administers the pledge to members of the Constituent Assembly, August 15, 1947