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Why did Nehru attend the first Independence Day celebration on 15 August 1947 but Gandhi did not? | News India

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On 15 August, when Jawaharlal Nehru's speech was broadcast on All India Radio, there was an atmosphere of enthusiasm among the 36 crore people of the country. On 14 August, the flag was hoisted in the Central Hall of Parliament and the next day at 8:30 am, the tricolour was also hoisted at India Gate. Nehru formed the government with 14 members of the cabinet.

However, Mahatma Gandhi, who dreamed of getting the country independence through Swadeshi and non-violent movement, could not participate in the first celebration of the independent country. Earlier, as soon as it was announced that the country would get independence on 15 August, Nehru wrote a letter to Gandhi and appealed to him to join the joy of independence. Then Gandhiji wrote a letter saying that I cannot come to a situation when Hindus and Muslims are shedding blood on each other. I will not hesitate to give my life to stop communal riots.

Thus, Gandhi did not attend the 15 August celebrations. He was hundreds of miles away calming down communal riots in the Noakhali region of Bengal. It is believed that Nehru delivered a historic speech called Tryst with Destiny at Viceroy Lodge which Gandhi did not hear.

Why did Nehru attend the first Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 1947 but Gandhi did not? 2 - Image

1.45 crore people were displaced during the partition of India and Pakistan

When the partition line was drawn by Radcliffe on 17 August, a series of cross-border killings began. According to the 1951 displaced population census, a total of 1.45 crore people were displaced, while 7,226,000 Muslims left India and went to Pakistan. 7,249,000 Hindus and Sikhs left Pakistan and came to India.