From The Tribune archives: ‘India wakes to life & freedom’
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 14
‘INDIA WAKES TO LIFE & FREEDOM’ was the headline of the lead story on the front page on August 15, 1947, in The Tribune.
Other stories that appeared were ‘Birth Of Pakistan An Event In History, ‘GOODWILL AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HINDUSTAN’ apart from others.
Following is a reproduced version of the lead story from that day.
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‘INDIA WAKES TO LIFE & FREEDOM’
Nation takes pledge of dedication to service of motherland
Historic Session Of Consembly
NEW DELHI, Aug. 14.—Great enthusiasm and scenes which could hardly be forgotten were witnessed tonight when the Constituent Assembly held its midnight session for the assumption of power.
Members attended in full strength. The hall was brilliantly flood-lit and the empty panels of the portraits on the walls were covered with bright national flags. Few of the members wore European costume and all were in Dhoti and Kurta or Achkans.
While the members exchanged cordial compliments, great crowds streamed to the vicinity of the Council Hall where arrangements had been made for them to hear the speeches of the leaders carried by loud speakers.
There were traffic jam in Parliament Street and other main roads leading to the Council long before the House met at 11 P.M.
At 11 the President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, dressed in white Khadi, took the chair. There was hushed silence and members took their seats.
Above on the Galleries, visitors were crowded while on either side of the President sat the members of the Diplomatic Corps with their wives and members of the Government, who will be sworn-in tomorrow morning.
The lobbies of the House were crammed with distinguished visitors and while a battery of cameramen moved about; flashlights played. The House was filmed and at 11-55 P.M. Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani and Mrs. Nandita Kripalani sang the Bande Matram. The House and visitors stood to attention.
An image of page 1 of The Tribune dated August 15, 1947, carrying the news of India’s Independence and related news stories can be seen below. For a larger image of the page,
