New Delhi: India got independence from the British on 15 August 1947. It was the largest colony ruled by the British Empire, and hence India’s independence was a historic moment not only for the country but for the whole world. And this was reflected in the way the foreign press covered the milestone event – the birth of not one but two independent nations.
From The New York Times to The Daily Telegraph (UK), all the world’s major newspapers carried news headlines on their front pages, although the focus was not only on celebrations, but also on the bloodshed from Partition.
Here’s a look at how some of the world’s leading publications and at home reported India’s independence in 1947:
the new York Times
The front page of The New York Times contained a large map of the subcontinent, as it appeared on August 15, 1947. US The daily reported both celebrations for the long-awaited independence for “400,000,000 individuals” as well as their suffering. Division. “Death toll in communal fighting reaches 153”, it noted as the report referred to the words of the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, as a warning of “further trials”.
Washington Post
“India Seizes Sovereignty Amidst Scenes of Wild Joy” – The front page of The Washington Post read on August 15, 1947. The report also mentioned how the “festivals in oriental pomp and splendor” were influenced by “death and terror”. by division.
Daily Telegraph
The famous British daily devoted more than one report on its front page to the independence of India. On the page was a photograph of the Union Jack at the Residency in Lucknow, with the caption how “the flag has never been lowered since the city was recaptured after the siege of 1857”, before calling it “the first and last The bar was lowered”. On the midnight of 14 August, “marking the transfer of power to the Dominion of India (Hindustan)”.
the statesman
Back home, news dailies like The Statesman, Hindustan Times, and others featured big news on the front pages as they brought their editions to an independent India for the first time. The Statesman devoted an entire front page to coverage as the headline shouted in all capitals: “Two Dominions Are Born”. The report said it was “political freedom for a fifth of the human race” as Indians took power in their own country and members of the Constituent Assembly took the oath. It also reported on the gaiety seen on the streets among both Hindus and Muslims and plans for the future.
Hindustan Times
“India Independent, British Rule Ends” – The Hindustan Times reported on August 15, 1947. The front page only contained the report on India’s independence as it described the colorful celebrations. A “new star rises in the east”, as it was noted by the Constituent Assembly.
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