The day Hyderabad celebrated two Independence Days on August 15, 1947

On August 15, 1947, the city of Hyderabad observed two different independence days. The calm that prevailed on that day belied the underlying reality of the situation. The Nizam's government maintained a strong hold over the city and attempted to enforce its authority, while in many parts of the dominion, the spirit of freedom was palpable.

As Congress workers were taken away at 3 a.m. from Narayanguda, residents gathered on the streets to hear the developments on the GEC Radio. Hours earlier, Krishnacharya Joshi, Dr G.S. Melkote, and Ramananda Tirtha were seized and sent to the Central Jail in Musheerabad. Despite the crackdown, an exodus of Hindus began, fueled by fears of the Razakar menace spreading across rural areas.

Women went door to door shouting slogans of Bharat and throwing flowers, as if it were a festival. Young boys joined in, shouting jai jai too. The Congress party had decided to hoist the flag wherever party members were present. The Communist Party also participated, raising the flag in Goshapet High School in Dhoolpet. Ramananda Tirtha had called upon people to unfurl the flag wherever they could, declaring that the citizens of Independent Democratic India could not share in the joy of Independence from within the Nizam's dominion.

The flag-hoisting ceremony was part of the 'Join Indian Union' campaign initiated by the Congress. The Nizam's government, however, enforced its will strictly, stripping Indian Union flags from trains passing through the region and enforcing a curfew in Secunderabad until August 20, 1947. At Darussalam, the Razakar leader Kasim Rizvi unfurled the yellow Asafia flag, proclaiming it as the emblem of political power for Muslims.

A 110-gun salute marked the occasion. The atmosphere was one of celebration and unity, with shops decorating in honor of 'Independent Hyderabad Day' near Abids Shop. Meanwhile, at the Ordnance Depot in Secunderabad, both the flags of India and Pakistan were hoisted, with a public meeting addressed by Raja Pratapgirji Bahadur. The Nizam's government had prepared for the day, issuing a ruling stating that no foreign flag could be ceremonially flown, and contravention of this order would result in imprisonment for up to three years or a fine.