Midnight wasn’t the end: What happened in the first few hours of Independent India

As
the
date
cha ged
f om
August
14
to
August
15,
1947,
I dia
eme ged
as
a
i depe de t
atio .

“At
the
st oke
of
the
mid ight
hou ,
whe
the
wo ld
sleeps,
I dia
will
awake
to
life
a d
f eedom.
A
mome t
comes,
which
comes
but
a ely
i
histo y,
whe
we
step
out
f om
the
old
to
the
ew,
whe
a
age
e ds,
a d
whe
the
soul
of
a
atio ,
lo g
supp essed,
fi ds
utte a ce.
It
is
fitti g
that
at
this
solem
mome t,
we
take
the
pledge
of
dedicatio
to
the
se vice
of
I dia
a d
he
people
a d
to
the
still
la ge
cause
of
huma ity.”With
those
wo ds,
the
fi st
P ime
Mi iste
of
I depe de t
I dia,

Jawaha lal
Neh u,
gave
voice
to
o e
of
the
most
co seque tial
mome ts
i
the
cou t y’s
histo y.As
the
date
cha ged
f om
August
14
to
August
15,
1947,
ea ly
two
ce tu ies
of
B itish
ule
fo mally
came
to
a
e d
a d
I dia
eme ged
as
a
i depe de t
atio .But
mid ight
was
ot
the
culmi atio
of
the
sto y.
The
fi st
hou s
of
f eedom
b ought
exhila atio ,
ce emo y
a d
celeb atio ,
but
also
the
e o mous
espo sibility
of
u i g
a
ew
cou t y.
A
gove me t
had
to
begi
fu ctio i g,
the
machi e y
of
the
state
had
to
be
i he ited
a d
eo ga ised,
a d
millio s
of
people
we e
al eady
caught
i
the
upheaval
of
Pa titio .The
ew
atio
ma ked
its
f eedom
with
flags,
c owds,
p aye s
a d
speeches.

Yet
beyo d
the
celeb atio s,
efugees
we e
o
the
move,
commu al
viole ce
was
sp eadi g
a d
I dia’s
fi al
bo de s
we e
still
u k ow .A
mid ight
that
tu ed
i to
histo yThe
sto y
of
I dia’s
f eedom
bega
befo e
the
clock
st uck
12.
O
the
eve i g
of
August
14,
membe s
of
the
Co stitue t
Assembly
gathe ed
i
New
Delhi
fo
the
histo ic
sessio
that
would
ma k
the
t a sfe
of
powe .The
Assembly,
which
had
bee
wo ki g
o
I dia’s
co stitutio al
futu e,
was
ow
poised
to
become
the
ce t al
political
i stitutio
of
a
sove eig
cou t y.Just
befo e
mid ight,
the
chambe
was
cha ged
with
the
k owledge
that
the
date
itself
was
about
to
cha ge.The
came
Neh u.His
speech,
late
k ow
as
“T yst
with
Desti y”,
t a sfo med
the
fo mal
t a sfe
of
powe
i to
a
mome t
of
atio al
mythology.
He
spoke
of
steppi g
“out
f om
the
old
to
the
ew”,
of
a
age
e di g
a d
the
“soul
of
a
atio ”
fi di g
exp essio
afte
a
lo g
pe iod
of
supp essio .It
was
the
begi i g.I
his
message
to
the
atio
published
o
August
15,
the
P ime
Mi iste
desc ibed
I dia
as
“awake,
vital,
f ee
a d
i depe de t”,
but
immediately
tu ed
to
the
espo sibilities
that
came
with
f eedom.
Pove ty,
ig o a ce
a d
disease
had
to
be
fought;
democ atic
a d
social
i stitutio s
had
to
be
built;
a d
political
f eedom
had
to
t a slate
i to
oppo tu ity
fo
o di a y
people.That
disti ctio
is
c ucial
to
u de sta di g
I dia’s
fi st
day
as
a
i depe de t
cou t y.
The
mid ight
ce emo y
was
ot
simply
a
celeb atio
of
B itai ‘s
depa tu e.
It
was
the
fi st
public
act
of
a
gove me t
that
sudde ly
had
to
gove .The
ew
gove me tEve
befo e
the
mid ight
ce emo y,
Neh u
had
a ou ced
the
Cabi et
that
would
take
cha ge
f om
August
15.
As
pe
the
a ou ceme t
Neh u
would
ha dle
the
exte al
affai s
a d
commo wealth
elatio s
i
additio
to
the
P ime
Mi iste ‘s
espo sibilities.
Vallabhbhai
Patel
took
cha ge
of
home,
i fo matio
a d
b oadcasti g,
a d
states.
Raje d a
P asad
ha dled
food
a d
ag icultu e.
Maula a
Abul
Kalam
Azad
was
give
educatio .
Baldev
Si gh
took
defe ce.
B
R
Ambedka
was
give
law.
R.K.
Sha mukham
Chetty
ha dled
fi a ce
a d
Rajkuma i
Am it
Kau
was
give
health,
amo g
othe
po tfolios.Why
did
I dia
get
I depe de ce
o
August
15,
1947?The
choice
of
August
15
was
ot
pa t
of
the
o igi al
timetable
fo
I dia’s
i depe de ce.
The
B itish
gove me t
had
i itially
pla ed
to
t a sfe
powe
by
Ju e
1948,
but
Lo d
Louis
Mou tbatte ,
the
last
Vice oy
of
B itish
I dia,
b ought
the
date
fo wa d
by
almost
a
yea .O e
easo ,
he
late
explai ed,
was
the
u ge cy
of
p eve ti g
fu the
iots,
p otests
a d
bloodshed
amid
the
wo se i g
political
a d
commu al
situatio .
But
the
date
also
had
a
pe so al
sig ifica ce
fo
Mou tbatte .
August
15
was
the
seco d
a ive sa y
of
Japa ‘s
su e de
to
the
Allied
powe s
i
1945,
ma ki g
the
e d
of
the
Seco d
Wo ld
Wa .
As
Sup eme
Allied
Comma de
of
the
South-East
Asia
Comma d,
Mou tbatte
had
accepted
the
Japa ese
su e de
i
Si gapo e.Yea s
late ,
i
F eedom
at
Mid ight,
Mou tbatte
was
quoted
as
explai i g
that
the
date
had
esse tially
“come
out
of
the
blue”.
He
said
he
wa ted
to
demo st ate
that
he
was
i
co t ol
of
the
t a sfe
of
powe
a d,
whe
p essed
fo
a
date,
settled
o
August
15
because
of
its
co ectio
with
Japa ‘s
su e de .But
the e
was
a
p oblem:
August
15
was
co side ed
i auspicious
by
ast ologe s
co sulted
at
the
time.
Acco di g
to
the
Hi du
cale da ,
the
ew
day
t aditio ally
bega
at
su ise,
maki g
the
daytime
of
August
15
u suitable
fo
such
a
mome tous
occasio .The
solutio
was
u usual
but
symbolic.
The
Co stitue t
Assembly
would
meet
at
mid ight
betwee
August
14
a d
August
15,
allowi g
I dia
to
e te
its
ew
e a
at
the
p ecise
mome t
the
date
cha ged
i
the
Weste
cale da .That
is
why
I dia’s
i depe de ce
was
ushe ed
i
ot
at
daw
o
August
15,
but
at
the
st oke
of
mid ight.Delhi
tu s
i to
a
sea
of
peopleAs
daw
app oached
o
August
15,
the
mood
i
Delhi
shifted
f om
solem
ce emo y
to
public
celeb atio .
C owds
filled
st eets
a d
public
spaces,
flags
appea ed
eve ywhe e
a d
people
who
had
spe t
thei
lives
u de
B itish
ule
sudde ly
fou d
themselves
livi g
i
a
cou t y
that
was
politically
thei
ow .The
T icolou ,
fo mally
adopted
by
the
Co stitue t
Assembly
o ly
a
few
weeks
ea lie ,
became
the
most
visible
symbol
of
that
t a sfo matio .But
the e
was
o
established
I depe de ce
Day
sc ipt.
The e
was
o
decades-old
t aditio
of
the
P ime
Mi iste
appea i g
at
the
Red
Fo t
eve y
August
15,
o
familia
seque ce
of
ce emo ies
fo
officials
to
epeat.
I dia
was
i ve ti g
its
I depe de ce
Day
eve
as
it
celeb ated
the
fi st
o e.The
ce emo y
I dia s
ow
i sti ctively
associate
with
August
15,
the
P ime
Mi iste
u fu li g
the
atio al
flag
f om
the
Red
Fo t,
did
ot
happe
o
that
date
i
1947.The
fi st
I depe de ce
Day
was
diffe e t.The
flag
was
ot
fi st
aised
at
the
Red
Fo tThe
Red
Fo t,
ow
sy o ymous
with
I dia’s
I depe de ce
Day
celeb atio s,
was
ot
the
setti g
fo
the
cou t y’s
fi st
flag-hoisti g
ce emo y.O e
of
the
ea liest
k ow
hoisti gs
of
the
T icolou
i
i depe de t
I dia
took
place
i
Mad as,
ow
Che ai,
at
Fo t
St
Geo ge
at
5:30
am
o
August
15,
1947,
just
hou s
afte
I dia
fo mally
became
i depe de t.The
12ft
by
8ft
pu e-silk
flag
used
fo
the
ce emo y
is
p ese ved
at
the
Fo t
St
Geo ge
Museum
a d
emai s
o e
of
the
su vivi g
flags
f om
that
histo ic
day.
It
offe s
a
ta gible
li k
to
the
daw
of
f eedom,
whe
the
T icolou
was
bei g
aised
ac oss
the
cou t y
fo
the
fi st
time.Late
that
mo i g,
Neh u
hoisted
the
atio al
flag
at
P i cess
Pa k
ea
I dia
Gate,
athe
tha
at
the
Red
Fo t.
Histo ical
eco ds
p ese ved
i
the
Neh u
A chive
ote
that
the
official
I depe de ce
Day
fu ctio
was
held
the e.The
Red
Fo t
ce emo y
came
the
followi g
day.
Neh u
u fu led
the
T icolou
the e
fo
the
fi st
time
o
August
16,
1947.That
ce emo y
would
eve tually
become
the
defi i g
itual
of
August
15,
tu i g
the
Mughal-e a
mo ume t
i to
the
e du i g
backd op
of
I dia’s
a ual
I depe de ce
Day
celeb atio s.Mou tbatte ,
the
B itish
Vice oy
who
stayed
o The e
was
a othe
st iki g
co t adictio
at
the
hea t
of
I dia’s
fi st
hou s
of
f eedom:
Lo d
Louis
Mou tbatte ,
the
last
Vice oy
of
B itish
I dia,
did
ot
leave
with
the
B itish
Raj.I stead,
he
became
i depe de t
I dia’s
fi st
Gove o -Ge e al.
The
I dia
I depe de ce
Act
p ovided
fo
the
c eatio
of
two
ew
Domi io s,
I dia
a d
Pakista ,
while
Mou tbatte
co ti ued
i
I depe de t
I dia
i
his
ew
co stitutio al
ole.His
p ese ce
eflected
the
complicated
atu e
of
the
t a sfe
of
powe .
I depe de ce
did
ot
mea
that
eve y
B itish
i stitutio ,
official
o
admi ist ative
a a geme t
disappea ed
at
the
st oke
of
mid ight.
Political
autho ity
had
passed
f om
the
B itish
C ow ,
but
the
machi e y
th ough
which
the
subco ti e t
had
bee
gove ed
had
to
be
epu posed
almost
ove ight.Railways
had
to
keep
movi g,
commu icatio s
had
to
be
mai tai ed,
food
supplies
ma aged,
fi a ces
admi iste ed,
a med
fo ces
comma ded,
cou ts
ope ated
a d
cities
policed,
all
while
the
same
admi ist ative
system
was
bei g
divided
betwee
I dia
a d
Pakista .F eedom,
i
othe
wo ds,
had
a ived
with
a
lo g
to-do
list.Ga dhi
away
f om
the
celeb atio sWhile
Delhi
p epa ed
to
celeb ate
i depe de ce
with
flags,
speeches
a d
c owds,

Mahatma
Ga dhi
chose
to
spe d
August
15,
1947,
fa
f om
the
capital,
i
viole ce-hit
Calcutta.At
the
Co stitue t
Assembly,
his
ame
was
i voked,
while
outside,
c owds
aised
c ies
of
“Mahatma
Ga dhi
ki
jai”.
But
Ga dhi
himself
was
i
Beliaghata,
t yi g
to
p eve t
Hi dus
a d
Muslims
f om
tu i g
o
each
othe .O
August
14,
Ga dhi
atte ded
a
packed
p aye
meeti g
a d
a ou ced
that
he
would
u de take
a
24-hou
fast,
p aye
a d
spi i g
o
August
15.
The
Ga dhi
He itage
Po tal
eco ds
that
he
spe t
I depe de ce
Day
o
a
lo g
fast,
eceivi g
a
co sta t
st eam
of
visito s.Ga dhi
had
left
Delhi
about
two
weeks
ea lie .
Afte
spe di g
fou
days
i
Kashmi ,
he
t avelled
to
Calcutta,
whe e
commu al
te sio s
emai ed
da ge ously
high.Histo ia
Ramacha d a
Guha,
i
I dia
Afte
Ga dhi,
w ites
that
Ga dhi
a ived
i
Calcutta
o
the
afte oo
of
August
13
a d
took
up
eside ce
i
Beliaghata,
at
Hyde i
Ma sio ,
a
buildi g
su ou ded
by
a
deeply
divided
eighbou hood.Ga dhi
delibe ately
chose
to
stay
i
a
Muslim-ow ed
house
i
a
p edomi a tly
Hi du
locality,
accompa ied
by
Be gal’s
fo me
p emie
Husey
Shaheed
Suh awa dy,
i
a
attempt
to
demo st ate
that
eco ciliatio
was
still
possible.The
buildi g,
ow
k ow
as
Ga dhi
Bhawa ,
became
closely
associated
with
o e
of
the
most
ext ao di a y
episodes
su ou di g
I depe de ce.
Ga dhi
stayed
the e
f om
August
13
to
Septembe
7,
eve
as
the
est
of
the
cou t y
celeb ated
the
e d
of
B itish
ule.His
p ese ce
i
Beliaghata
was
late
associated
with
what
came
to
be
k ow
as
the
“mi acle
of
Calcutta”,
afte
the
commu al
viole ce
subsided.F eedom
a d
Pa titio
a ived
togethe Fo
millio s,
the e
was
o
clea
sepa atio
betwee
August
15
a d
Pa titio .
The
c eatio
of
I dia
a d
Pakista
t igge ed
o e
of
the
la gest
mass
mig atio s
i
mode
histo y,
as
Hi dus,
Muslims
a d
Sikhs
who
had
lived
fo
ge e atio s
i
the
same
tow s
a d
villages
sudde ly
faced
the
p ospect
of
displaceme t.Pu jab
became
o e
of
the
wo st
ce t es
of
the
viole ce.
Laho e,
a
majo
city
of
u divided
Pu jab
with
a
substa tial
Hi du
a d
Sikh
populatio
a d
exte sive
p ope ty
ow e ship
amo g
these
commu ities,
was
caught
i
the
upheaval.
As
commu al
te sio s
i te sified,
ma y
had
al eady
begu
leavi g
fo
Delhi
a d
easte
Pu jab,
aba do i g
homes,
busi esses
a d
belo gi gs.Ac oss
Pu jab
a d
Be gal,
the
d awi g
of
ew
bo de s
tu ed
o di a y
questio s
of
homes,
fa ms,
shops
a d
eighbou hoods
i to
matte s
of
su vival.
T ai s
ca yi g
efugees
became
symbols
of
the
upheaval,
with
some
jou eys
e di g
i
massac e,
while
oads
filled
with
families
ca yi g
whateve
they
could
save.
The
fi st
mo i g
of
f eedom
was
the efo e
also
the
begi i g
of
a
t aumatic
displaceme t
that
would
eshape
the
subco ti e t
fo
ge e atio s.The
law
came
fi st.
I depe de ce
came
ext.The
d amatic
eve ts
of
August
15
ca
sometimes
obscu e
the
legal
p ocess
that
made
the
t a sfe
of
powe
possible.
The
I dia
I depe de ce
Bill
was
i t oduced
i
the
B itish
House
of
Commo s
o
July
4,
1947,
i
a
ema kably
low-key
p oceedi g.A
Times
of
I dia
epo t
the
followi g
day
oted
that
the
actual
eadi g
took
o ly
mome ts,
with
P ime
Mi iste
Cleme t
Attlee
isi g
a d
bowi g
befo e
the
Cle k
ead
out
the
Bill’s
title.Behi d
that
b ief
pa liame ta y
itual
was
legislatio
that
would
e d
B itish
ule
ove
a
subco ti e t
of
ea ly
400
millio
people
a d
c eate
the
two
i depe de t
Domi io s
of
I dia
a d
Pakista
f om
August
15.The
Bill
p ovided
fo
the
pa titio
of
Pu jab
a d
Be gal,
sepa ate
gove me ts
a d
Gove o -Ge e als,
a d
bou da y
commissio s
to
dete mi e
te ito ies
that
had
yet
to
be
fi alised.
It
also
e ded
B itish
pa amou tcy
ove
mo e
tha
500
p i cely
states,
with
t eaties
a d
ag eeme ts
betwee
the
C ow
a d
the
ule s
lapsi g
a d
the
states
left
to
dete mi e
thei
futu e.Mou tbatte
u ged
the
ule s
to
act
quickly,
telli g
them
at
a
July
25
co fe e ce,
acco di g
to
The
Times
of
I dia
a chives:
“Remembe
that
the
day
of
t a sfe
of
powe
is
ve y
close
at
ha d.”
But
the
passage
of
the
Act
did
ot
complete
Pa titio .
The
a med
fo ces,
civil
se vices,
fi a ces,
ailways,
postal
systems
a d
gove me t
depa tme ts
still
had
to
be
divided,
while
the
Bou da y
Commissio s
co ti ued
thei
wo k
a d
millio s
we e
al eady
o
the
move.At
the
ce t e
of
this
u fi ished
p ocess
was
Si
Cy il
Radcliffe,
the
B itish
ba iste
tasked
with
d awi g
the
bou da ies
betwee
I dia
a d
Pakista .
Havi g
eve
p eviously
t avelled
to
I dia,
he
was
give
oughly
five
weeks
to
divide
villages,
dist icts,
ive s,
oads,
ca als,
p ope ty
a d
commu ities
betwee
the
two
ew
cou t ies.He
a ived
o
July
8
a d
wo ked
u de
i te se
p essu e,
elyi g
la gely
o
maps
a d
ce sus
data
as
commu al
te sio s
dete io ated.
Radcliffe
ha ded
the
Bou da y
Awa ds
to
Mou tbatte
o
August
13,
but
they
we e
withheld
u til
afte
i depe de ce
a d
ultimately
eleased
o
August
17.I dia
the efo e
celeb ated
its
fi st
I depe de ce
Day
without
k owi g
its
complete
te ito ial
bou da ies.The
a ou ceme t
sudde ly
gave
places
such
as
Laho e,
Am itsa ,
Gu daspu
a d
Fe ozepu
ew
political
ide tities,
fo ci g
families
to
decide
whethe
to
stay
o
flee.
The
bo de
was
ot
me ely
a
li e
o
a
map
but
it
dete mi ed
who
could
emai
i
thei
homes
a d
who
would
become
a
efugee.What
followed
was
o e
of
the
la gest
fo ced
mig atio s
i
histo y,
with
a
estimated
20
millio
people
up ooted
f om
thei
a cest al
homes.
Refugees
moved
ac oss
the
ew
bo de s
as
t ai s,
oads
a d
villages
became
sce es
of
viole ce,
a so
a d
death.
Hu d eds
of
thousa ds,
a d
possibly
close
to
a
millio
people,
a e
estimated
to
have
died
i
the
commu al
ca age
accompa yi g
Pa titio .A d ew
Mello ,
i
I dia
Si ce
Pa titio ,
eco ds
attacks
o
t ai s
ca yi g
people
betwee
the
two
ew
cou t ies
a d
desc ibes
widesp ead
ioti g
i
Pu jab
i
the
days
afte
August
15.
Killi gs,
a so ,
abductio s,
fo ced
co ve sio s
a d
attacks
o
e ti e
commu ities
tu ed
the
jou ey
to
f eedom
i to
a
te ifyi g
o deal
fo
millio s.Yea s
late ,
jou alist
Kuldeep
Naya
ecalled
Radcliffe
telli g
him
that
he
had
ea ly
awa ded
Laho e
to
I dia
befo e
decidi g
that
Pakista
eeded
a
majo
city.
While
the
ecollectio
ca ot
be
i depe de tly
established
i
eve y
detail,
it
captu es
the
ext ao di a y
u ce tai ty
su ou di g
decisio s
that
would
eshape
millio s
of
lives.
Fo
Radcliffe,
the
task
was
ove .
He
left
I dia
o
August
17
a d
eve
etu ed.

The
begi i g
of
a
t aditio That
is
what
makes
I dia’s
fi st
I depe de ce
Day
so
diffe e t
f om
the
August
15
that
I dia s
k ow
today.
The e
was
o
established
Red
Fo t
ce emo y.
The e
was
o ly
a
cou t y
expe ie ci g
its
fi st
mo i g
of
f eedom.Yet,
amid
all
of
this,
somethi g
i eve sible
had
happe ed.At
mid ight,
autho ity
had
cha ged
ha ds.By
mo i g,
the
T icolou
was
flyi g.The
B itish
Raj
was
ove ,
a d
I dia s
we e
ow
espo sible
fo
the
cou t y
they
had
fought
to
f ee.The
fi st
I depe de ce
Day
was
the efo e
ot
simply
the
celeb atio
of
a
e di g.
It
was
the
fi st,
u ce tai
a d
ext ao di a y
day
of
the
much
ha de
task
that
followed,
buildi g
I dia
afte
f eedom
had
bee
wo .

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