A very rare, Eastman coloured mini-documentary footage covering the events of 1947 leading to Indian Independence and partition of one country into two namely India and Pakistan. 15th August 1947, India becomes an independent nation.
The video depicts how the decision of India’s partition was made. The narrator describes how the British left India at once, after it was declared independence. The video also includes Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous ‘tryst with destiny’ speech.
Migration from India to East Pakistan and vice versa resulted in the slaughter of millions of people. In the video, you can see the great migration of people which took place between these two countries. Many Hindus and Muslims were forced to migrate and over one million people were killed during this period.
The video also describes how the British felt when they left India, saying that it was like a empty ghost house to them.
Indian Independence 1947 - A rare, Eastman Colour Video Documentary
INDIAN INDEPENDENCE AND PARTITION
Nationalism grew after WWI -British began limiting Indian rights, they took away freedom of the press and banned public gatherings.
Indians rebelled by some 10,000 unarmed men meeting at Amritsar. British ordered an open fire and 379 men, women and children killed, which led to increased distrust of the British and a call for independence.
The Indian National Congress, or the Congress Party, was India’s national political party. Most members were Hindus. In competition with the Congress Party was the Muslim League, founded in 1906 to protect Muslim interests.
The leader of the Muslim League was Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Jinnah stated, “The only thing the Muslim has in common with the Hindu is his slavery to the British.”
Mohandas Gandhi was a leading Indian nationalist after the Amritsar Massacre (Indian National Congress). Educated in England, a pacifist person opposed to using war and other violence to settle disputes.
Gandhi a Hindu lawyer , developed ideas of non-violent resistance to end injustices -satyagraha - “truth force or soul force” .
Gandhi also preached civil disobedience -the refusal to obey unjust laws.
Gandhi’s followers call him Mahatma or “great soul”. He demanded better treatment for untouchables (Harijans / Children of God).
Under Gandhi the Indian National Congress began a policy of non-violent resistance to British rule. Millions of Indians joined the movement for independence, staging demonstrations, marches and hunger strikes. Gandhi called on Indians to stop buying (boycott-form of protest) British made goods such as cloth and manufactured goods. Gandhi spun his own cloth. He did for ½ hr everyday -homespun clothes rest of life.
1930 Gandhi used nonviolent resistance (satyagraha) to protest the tax on salt
Indians were forbidden to make salt, could only buy heavily taxed British salt
Need salt to replace what’s lost in heat Gandhi led thousands of followers on a 200 mile march to the sea, where they made salt from sea water. He and 50,000 Indians were arrested, British use gun and clubs increased world support for the Indians, even people in Britain began to question whether or not they should keep India.
In 1935, the British granted India limited self-government could make local laws British keep finances, defense, etc. this was not enough. World War II started, 4 years later-the INC said that unless India receives independence, it would not aid the British war effort. Britain refused independence and arrested 20,000 members of the Congress Party. War ended in 1945. Indian movement was strong and people in Britain opposed keeping overseas colonies-freedom comes for India in 1947.
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#independenceday #india #gingerlinemedia #august15