Independence Day 2018: Why do we Celebrate Independence Day?
Independence Day, celebrated annually on the 15th day of August, is a commemoration of our struggle against the erstwhile British colonial rule to achieve political self-determination.
New Delhi, Aug 15: Independence Day, celebrated annually on the 15th day of August, is a commemoration of our struggle against the erstwhile British colonial rule to achieve political self-determination. The movement to break free from the shackles of imperial subjugation yielded its ultimate result on August 15, 1947. Here are the reasons why we celebrate the Independence Day:
- To recall the martyrs: In the course of the struggle against the colonialists, innumerable Indian sons were sent to the gallows by the British regime. The prominent among them include Sukhdev Thapar, Krishna Gopal Kanre, Vinayak Narayan Deshpande, Shivaram Rajguru, Ashfaqullah Khan and Bhagat Singh, to name a few.
- To commemorate the freedom movement: Independence Day also provides an opportunity to the younger generation to reflect at the movement built from the scratch by a group of advocates in Mumbai and Kolkata, back in 1885, which took form of a mass struggle and resulted in the independence of India in 1947.
- To value the sacredness of democracy: Independence Day is celebrated not only to glorify and recall the heroes who forced the British to depart from the Indian soil, but to also value the democracy for which hundreds of Indians laid down their lives. In the words of George Santayana, "Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it."
Notably, the celebration of Independence Day should not be misperceived with the Republic Day, as the latter, celebrated on 26th January annually, marks the adoption of the Constitution which makes us a sovereign, secular and socialist republic.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2018 01:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).