On 15 August 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the National Flag and address the Indian nation from the ramparts of Red Fort. It is an extraordinary day for India – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, 76th Independence Day. This tradition began in 1947 on India’s independence when first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru unfurled the national flag and addressed the nation from the same venue. Tradition has continued every year.
Why Red Fort? What is the significance of Red Fort towards India’s Independence? Does Red Fort signify Freedom?
History of Red Fort
Construction of Red Fort is attributed to Shah Jehan, the Moghul Emperor in 1638 when he decided to shift capital from Agra to Delhi. It remained a seat of power during the reigns of Shah Jehan and his successor son, Aurangzeb. After Aurangzeb, when decline of Moghul Empire started, Red Fort was witness to plunders, massacres, blood bath and loot. Foreign invaders, internal wars and even murder of a Moghul Emperor deeply hurt the pride of Red Fort. Last Moghul Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II was imprisoned and tried in Red Fort by the British before exile to Rangoon in 1858.
Indian National Army Trials
After World War II, Red Fort was the place chosen for trials of Indian National Army (INA) personnel. Most famously, Court Martials of senior INA officers Major General Shah Nawaz Khan, Colonel Gurubaksh Singh Dhillon and Colonel Prem Sahgal witnessed mass protests from Indian public which ultimately led British government to forbid British Broadcasting Corporation from broadcasting these stories. There are reports of executions of INA soldiers during the trials in Red Fort.
Independence Day Celebrations in 1947
Given above history, one wonders why Red Fort was chosen and continues to be the venue for the most important national celebration of India. It can be accepted that initial hundred years of Red Fort were glorious, however in the later period, Red Fort witnessed sharp decline in glory. Imprisonment and exile of last Moghul Emperor was the worst humiliation. Trials and execution of INA officers/personnel further hurt the pride of a wounded palace and nation.
It can also be argued that since the glory of the nation was lost from Red Fort, it must be restored from same place. However it also must be noted that India is now a very different country. Last few centuries of instability, colonial rule and humiliation have highlighted the importance of Freedom and Liberty, which Indians would like to preserve and draw lessons.
Does Red Fort Symbolise Freedom and Liberty?
While selecting a place for First Independence Day celebrations of India, forefathers should have considered a place which symbolised Freedom and Liberty. Does Red Fort symbolise Freedom and Liberty?
Shah Jahan’s rule from Red Fort was short lived. It was Aurangzeb who ruled from Red Fort for almost half a century. During his rule, while the Fort had glory, it will be difficult to make a comment on Freedom and Liberty. After Aurangzeb, Moghul Empire started to decline. Foreign invasions, Internal wars and the British era brought misery and apathy for the common man.
On 15 August 1947, a new India emerged with completely changed systems and values. It was about Freedom and Liberty.
So why Red Fort for our Independence Day Celebrations?
An Iconic Monument to Depict Freedom and Liberty
Writing one of his finest poetry in Gitanjali which gave Asia the first Nobel prize, Rabindra Nath Tagore gave a vision of independent India. He wrote,’ Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high……..in that Heaven of Freedom, my father, let my Country awake.
Tagore did not live to see an independent India, but his vision of India will inspire generations of Indians.
Is India a Heaven of Freedom, as envisioned by Tagore? The response would be mixed. However, there should not be any doubt that Indians deeply value Freedom.
Will Tagore be happy to know that Independence Day Celebrations are held at Red Fort? Or will Tagore be happier that India built an iconic monument to symbolise Freedom and Liberty which inspires not only Indians but the world at large?
India needs a new iconic monument to symbolise Freedom and Liberty. As the largest democracy in the world, India’s Independence Day celebrations must be the vision of Tagore – The Heaven of Freedom.
Red Fort should go into pages of history.