Demystifier : ED Original where the content is written in such a way that it is knowledgeable and easy to comprehend at the same time.
On 14th of August in 1947, our neighbours celebrated their first independence day.
The separate states of India and Pakistan were created at midnight on August 15, 1947. Yet, while India celebrates 15th August as its independence day, Pakistan celebrates it a day before India.
Wondering why is it so? (Oh god, no. Calm down, Pakistan wasn’t trying to steal India’s thunder! Or were they?)
Facts Behind the Day
One of the reasons include, the British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten who had chosen August 15th to commemorate the surrender of Japan to the Allies Power marking the end of World War II in 1945. He sought to transfer power to Pakistan on August 14 so that he could be present in New Delhi to observe India’s maiden independence day celebrations on the 15th.
And according to one other story, the 27th day of Ramadan, an auspicious date of the Islamic lunar calendar, coincided with 14th of August that year. Hence, the Pakistanis decided to celebrate their Independence Day a day before the actual date in the years that followed.
Plot twist
Legally, according to the Indian Independence Act, 1947, 15th August is the day when two independent dominions India and Pakistan came into being. So in terms of law, 15th August of 1947 should be Pakistan’s Independence Day as well. It was on the 15th of August, 1947 that Pakistan appeared on the world map.
To justify 14th August as the Independence Day of Pakistan, it is said because of the speedy passage of the Indian Independence Act through the British Parliament, Pakistan was declared a separate nation at 11:57 p.m. on 14 August 1947. And at 12:02 a.m., just after midnight, on 15 August 1947, India became a sovereign and democratic nation.
But then again, there is no concrete proof of the timings. So, basically it’s like a mother who gave birth to twins at midnight and one of them celebrating his/her birthday a day before the other one based on the speculations of the mother because no one actually took care of the exact time. Lol.
The Indian Independence Act of 1947 clearly said: “As from the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-seven, two independent Dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan.”
Even Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared August 15 as the birthday of the independent and sovereign state of Pakistan.
In fact, the first postage stamps of Pakistan, released in July 1948 also had 15 August, 1947 as the Independence Day.
WHOOPSSS, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAKISTAN, IN ADVANCE!
PS : Secretly, our neighbours love us, you know ‘IHateYouLikeILoveYou’ kinda love. So, they took the higher road and chose 14th August so that both the nations don’t have to fight over GOOGLE DOODLE on 15th of August in the years to come.
RESPECT, BIG BROTHER!
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