Freedom, in the words of a young American

Iindependent 75. India will be of on Sunday, led A Tribal President and a Gujarati Prime Minister, who, in his addresses to the nation (which are not far from the words I have written), will give voice to the extraordinary civilizational ethos of our country, which he himself expresses. This is a very special moment in the history of this ancient land, through which we all have the privilege of living.

a rare privilege

My mind changes this week, however, to another very special moment from 75 years ago – the The Moment of India Celebrating “Freedom at Midnight”, I have had the privilege of seeing a remarkable document, a letter dated August 27, 1947, written by Mildred Talbot, a young American woman who had the rare privilege of being present at the independence celebrations of both India and Pakistan. Mildred, the wife of the acclaimed journalist, diplomat and Indophile, Phillips Talbot, died in 2004 at the age of 89. But she agreed that I can share my first-hand impressions of the day with others, and I do it in tribute. On the occasion whose anniversary we all celebrate today.

Mildred’s seven-page, single-space typed letter is a personal recollection of sights, sounds, and encounters, not a political analysis (she left it to her husband, who is covering events for the Chicago Daily News). was). In sending me his “simple, unsophisticated account”, he mentioned that he had reduced his impressions while they were still fresh “to take them out”. [her] system”—only then, she wrote, did sleep become possible again. (It is surprising that, by nationality, a person had no direct emotional stake in the events he witnessed, yet they were so Exciting that the thoughts of what he saw kept him awake for two weeks.)

Karachi to Delhi

I will leave behind his account of the Karachi celebrations – which took place on 13–14 August in front of the eyes of a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in a nearby circle – although some of his derogatory remarks are still worth quoting (“Jinnah, whose The smile muscles seem to be permanently out of order…”). Karachi was still a Hindu-majority city, and large parts of the population could be understood at the time of Partition. The mood in Delhi was more than happy. Talbots arrived at the Constituent Assembly in time after a children’s visit from Pakistan on the afternoon of 14 August. Mildred described Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous “Try with Destiny” speech, recalling the now-forgotten fervor of a delegate who had broken dignity. Taking this opportunity to cheer for the Mahatma, and then tell a story I couldn’t find anywhere else:

“At the time when the clock was ringing” [midnight] There was a harsh interruption in the hour which startled everyone. From the back of the hall a conch shell was played long and loudly. Inadvertently every head turned… it was revealing to be a witness […] relief […] When he saw that it was one of the most respected members of the gathering, a devout Hindu, simply invoking the gods to witness the ceremony… I saw Nehru as he was turning, a smile. were trying to hide. He covered his mouth with his hand. The first harbinger of the Hindutva renaissance, or a simple reaffirmation of an ancient culture?

Mildred described crowd pressure outside the assembly to catch a glimpse of his statue, Nehru, who was forced by the police to “exit through the rear entrance”. (As an American Democrat, she was baffled by the fact that when the crowd got out of hand, it was the VIPs who changed their plans. After three-quarters of a century as an Indian, I know this second Will be the way. Today.)

His letter to the events of the next morning’s Independence Day contains several fascinating vignettes: about Nehru’s horror at seeing the horse fall (he turned his attention only to the ceremony when he saw the horse rise and run again); To the irritation of the US ambassador that US President Harry S. Truman’s congratulatory message was removed when greetings from other leaders were read (it turned out to be false); About Louis Mountbatten’s “sincere pleasure” demeanor, a sharp contrast with his harshness in Karachi (“Here they were at ease and at home among friendly peers … their greetings were clearly heartfelt.” Mildred’s tragic description of the evening’s ceremony, devastated by rain and 500,000 people turned out for the planned event for 25,000, is too long to summarize here, but for one detail: Amidst the chaos, Indira Gandhi “looked unconscious and crippled. Her sari was torn, her hair was falling out, her nails were damaged. And she was one of the dignitaries!”

when the flag was raised

But the highlight of Mildred’s account is the morning of August 15, 1947, when the national flag was hoisted over the council hall: “The two-mile-long parkway approach to the Secretariat was crowded as far as the eye could see.” There were so many birds sitting on the tops of buildings, in the windows, on the sides, in the trees, everywhere. The hoisting of that first flag was the most thrilling experience of the whole celebration… The curious one who saw it was pointing like children; others… looked up and tried to push their way to a vantage point so that they too could see the miracle. For a few minutes the whole crowd was almost at a standstill; then A soft bass tone gradually swelled, perhaps when the flag rose to the top… There was a breathtaking roar of cheer, shouting and excited cry, which others said swung inside the hall and tingled down their spines. While I was agitated by the sheer power and grandeur of the spectacle… the Indians either stood mute, engrossed in their own heavy thoughts, or were shouting almost uncontrollably. It was a grand emotional experience that left most of us with a hoarse voice or a complete inability to speak. ,

These words are not from an Indian nationalist but of a young American woman. Mildred wrote to an American friend two weeks after seeing that first flag hoisting: [i.e. the Indian masses’] The excitement and awe still brings tears to my eyes.” Seventy-five years later, the memories of that first Independence Day have faded in everyone except a small percentage of our population. But the power of that magical moment when India became independent and The hopes that we will arouse from that freedom should never be forgotten.

India at 75 | India, Democracy and the Promised Republic

Today we think of a different India, when those midnight hopes are tried to be transformed into a very different view of this land by growing intolerance and increasingly majoritarianism. And yet, re-reading Mildred’s letter makes August 15 a day for me to remember that original moment and rededicate myself to my promise. This is the promise of an inclusive, pluralistic, democratic and just India – the India that Mahatma Gandhi fought for. As the nation celebrates the sweet nectar of “Amrit Mahotsav”, let us not forget that original vision. It is one that every Indian can still do his part to accomplish.

Shashi Tharoor is the Sahitya Akademi Award winning author of 22 books, most recently ‘Pride, Prejudice and Punditry: The Essential Shashi Tharoor’. He is the third time Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram