Independence Day in Pakistan falls on August 14th and is the most important date in the life of the country. It celebrates the day in 1947 when Pakistan was proclaimed an independent state, a separate nation out of British India. The choice of this specific date as the one to be celebrated lies in the occurrences of the partition of the British India and transfer of power. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 provided that there would be the creation of two separate dominions of India and Pakistan.
Both countries were set to have their power transferred officially on the 15 th of August 1947. Nevertheless, the logistical issues of the partition and the wish of Pakistan to have its own independent celebration, the initial expression of power transfer ceremony in Karachi was on August the 14th, 1947. This was deemed possible to permit Lord Mountbatten who was the final viceroy in British India to preside over the ceremony in Karachi on the 14 and afterward fly to Delhi to preside over the independence ceremony of India on the 15. This was a critical incident that brought the notion of the day of national celebrations only to be remembered in Pakistan on the 14 th of August.
The Partition and the ‘Two-Nation’ Theory
The festivities on the 14th of August are as a result of the division of the British India that represented the climax of the Two-Nation Theory. This was the leadership-supported theory that assumed that the Muslims and the Hindus are two distinct nations with distinct cultures, religions, and social practices that could never share a state peacefully.
During the early years of the 20th century, the campaign of a separate Muslim nation flourished, which resulted in the formation of the All-India Muslim League. The need of Pakistan was a political fact and lead to the formation of independent state so as to safeguard the interests and identity of Muslims in the subcontinent. The date thereby also represents not only a liberation out of British domination but also the successful achievement of this intense ideological dream.
Symbolism and National Identity
To the people of Pakistan, August 14th is a symbolic reinforcement of their individual nationalism and history. The day is characterized by patriotic zeal as the country is filled with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events some of which are celebrated both nationally and locally. There is a clear prominent display of the national flag with its green and white design signaling the Islam faith and the minorities that are found in the country respectively.
One is the date, which reminds the country of the sacrifices made by millions of people during the partition, the mass migrations, and the communal violence, which followed this event. Celebrating independence on the 14 th, Pakistan takes a stand and breaks the chain of reality and time that it shared with its very neighbor. It is both a commemorative and a contemplative day and one that one refreshes the vows about which the nation is established.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
