India at Birth and its “Tryst with Destiny”:
India became an independent nation on August 15th, 1947. Born on the same night as another country Pakistan, the two countries grew to see vastly divergent outcomes. At midnight, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his momentous “Tryst with Destiny” speech in the constituent assembly.
The speech was momentous in that it commemorated the freedom of every Indian but also outlined broad aims for a democratic and secular India. Nehru’s primary goal, among others, was to create a country devoted to the upliftment of the Indian people. Acknowledging the painful cost of partition, and stressing the need to build a nation worthy of the hundreds of people who had sacrificed their lives he underscored the importance of service. On the 15th of August, Nehru also, for the first time hoisted the tricolor above the Red Fort, setting a precedent that continues to be followed even today.
