Why August 15 was chosen as India’s Independence Day, and why Pakistan celebrates a day before

The countries of India and Pakistan, born out of the same British Indian empire, have distinct Independence Days. India commemorates its freedom on August 15, while Pakistan celebrates a day earlier, on August 14. Despite sharing a common origin, this difference raises questions about the reasoning behind their respective dates and the historical context that led to them.

When Lord Louis Mountbatten assumed the role of the last Viceroy of India in March 1947, Britain had granted him until June 1948 to transfer power. However, Mountbatten quickly recognized that the process could not wait that long. The political climate was rapidly deteriorating, with the Congress and Muslim League struggling to cooperate, the demand for Pakistan gaining momentum, and communal violence threatening various parts of the nation.

As a result, Mountbatten decided to expedite the power transfer to August 1947. In his book, "Mountbatten and the Partition of India, Volume 2," Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins recount Mountbatten's thought process, stating, "I had an absolute...belief that if I could announce an early date, I could hope to hold on to that.

If I'd said, vaguely, 'We won't do it until June 1948,' which I could have done, the thing would have disintegrated. There wouldn't have been any hope."

Mountbatten chose August 15 for India's Independence Day as it marked the anniversary of the Japanese surrender in Singapore, a significant victory for Britain during World War II. He decided on the date despite not fully considering the consequences of the hasty partition on the two new dominions. The Indian Independence Act, passed by the British House of Commons on July 4, 1947, specified August 15, 1947, as the date for creating the two new Dominions of India and Pakistan.

On the day of India's Independence, Mountbatten delivered a speech in the Constituent Assembly, defending his accelerated timeline. He acknowledged that the decision had been made quickly, driven by the deteriorating situation in the country. Mountbatten maintained that hastening the process was in the best interest of all parties, as once the division was accepted, it was best to carry it out swiftly.