New Delhi: Roads lined with tricolour flags, faces painted in orange, green and white, and students practising parades — it’s that time of the year when the feeling of patriotism and pride fills the hearts of all Indians.
With India about to celebrate its 77th Independence Day, the national capital is bustling with activities and preparations to celebrate India’s freedom from the Britishers. Like every year, the Prime Minister will address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
It has been a tradition for every prime minister to address the nation from the Red Fort, or Lal Qila, on 15 August. This started with the first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who delivered his speech from the Mughal-era monument in 1947.
“We have gathered here on a historic occasion at this ancient fort to win back what was ours. This flag does not symbolize the triumph of individuals or the Congress but the triumph of the whole country. The free flag of India is the symbol of freedom and democracy not only for India but for the whole world. India, Asia and the world must rejoice on this great day,” he had said.
Interestingly, the tricolour was unfurled by Nehru at Princess Park near India Gate on 15 August, 1947, said Gaurav Gadgil, a history professor from Mumbai’s K.J. Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce. It was then again hoisted at the Red Fort the next day, he added.
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PM’s speech & celebrations
After arrival at the historic venue, the prime minister inspects the guard of honour. The Independence Day celebrations then start with the PM hoisting the national flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort, which is followed by a 21-gun salute and the singing of the national anthem.
This is followed by the PM’s annual speech, which is eagerly awaited every year. Known as ‘Address to the Nation’, the speech highlights the country’s achievements in the past year, focussing on the progress made as a nation.
In the speech, the PM addresses some of the key issues and visions for the coming year and pays homage to the martyrs of the Indian freedom struggle.
This year, over 1,800 invitations were sent to special guests from different walks of life. The special guests include 250 people from the Farmer Producer Organisation scheme, 50 participants each from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, 50 primary school teachers, 50 nurses and as many fishermen.
There will also be 400 sarpanches from over 660 villages along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
Others invited include 50 construction workers of the Central Vista Project, 50 each Khadi workers, those involved in construction of border roads, making of Amrit Sarovar and Har Ghar Jal Yojana have also been invited in addition to 75 couples from each state and Union Territory.
The invitations to these people have been rolled out as a part of the celebrations in line with the government’s Jan Bhagidari programme. Over 17,000 e-invitations were sent through an official portal put up for the event.
Apart from the invited guest list, the function will also be attended by various ministers from different parties, and top officers of Army, Navy and Air Force.
Selfie points dedicated to various government schemes and initiatives have been installed at the National War Memorial, India Gate, Vijay Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station, Pragati Maidan, Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid Metro Station, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Delhi Gate Metro Station, ITO Metro Gate, Naubat Khana, and Sheesh Ganj Gurdwara.
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Significance of Red Fort
Named after its massive red sandstone walls, the Red Fort was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to serve as a fort-palace for his capital Shahjahanabad. The fort is regarded as the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, which reached unprecedented heights under Shah Jahan’s reign. Its layout and architectural style later on influenced various structures and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra, and beyond.
The 17th century monument lies close to an older fort, the Salimgarh, which was erected by Islam Shah Suri in 1546. The private rooms are made up of a series of pavilions linked by a continuous water channel known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The palace was designed after Islamic precedents, yet each pavilion exhibits architectural aspects typical of Mughal architecture, indicating a combination of Persian, Timurid, and Hindu traditions.
In modern Indian history, the Red Fort, also known as Qila-i-Mubarak (the Fortunate Citadel), Qila-i-Shahjahanabad (Fort of Shahjahanabad), or Qila-i-Mualla (the Exalted Fort), remains one of the most iconic representations of anti-colonial resistance and India’s Independence Day celebrations.
The monument is linked with the uprising in 1857 — the Sepoy Mutiny. Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor who was then the occupant of the Red Fort, became a figurehead of the anti-colonial rebellion.
But the uprising was eventually crushed, and Bahadur Shah was brought back to the Red Fort from where he had escaped during the siege of Delhi by the British forces. His trials took place in Diwan-i-Khas following which he was exiled to Rangoon (now Yangon) in October 1858.
The British officials destroyed more than two-thirds of the Red Fort’s inner structures. Furthermore, it was converted as quarters for British garrisons. The famous Diwan-i-Aam was converted into a hospital while the Diwan-i-Khas was allocated to military troops.
While the palaces’ decorative artwork, precious stones, and jewelry were stolen, the harem courts, the gardens to the west of Rang Mahal, the royal store rooms, among others were destroyed. British structures such as army barracks, hospitals, bungalows, office buildings, sheds, and godowns were built in the former Mughal stronghold.
In 1911, King George V and Queen Mary made a public appearance at the Red Fort. Many such steps were taken by the British to establish the Red Fort as a symbol of imperial rule.
These attempts met a fitting response from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who gave the immortal slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ in 1943 to stir up his soldiers of the Indian National Army (INA) in Singapore.
“How many of us will individually survive this war for freedom, I do not know. But I do know this, that we shall ultimately win and our task will not end until our surviving heroes hold the victory-parade on another graveyard of the British Empire — the Lal Kila or Red Fort of ancient Delhi,” Bose said.
The INA failed to achieve its goal, and many of its soldiers and officers were captured and tried for treason. Trials began at the Red Fort in 1945, but it ended up galvanising the entire country.
As Nehru raised the national flag over the Red Fort on 16 August 1947, it cemented the monument’s significance as a symbol of sacrifices made during the freedom struggle and the victory of India over Britain.
In 2007, the Red Fort was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is currently managed by the Archeological Survey of India, which is responsible for conservation of cultural and historical monuments in the country.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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