Independence Day: How Foreign And Indian Newspapers Covered India’s Freedom From British In 1947

From The New York Times in US to The Daily Telegraph in UK, besides local dailies back home, all major newspapers of the world gave prominence to India’s Independence on their front pages

The celebration of Independence Day. Photo: Getty

New Delhi: India got Independence from the British on August 15, 1947. It was the largest colony being ruled by the British empire, and hence India’s freedom was a historic moment not only for the nation but for the entire world. And this was reflected in the way the foreign press covered the milestone event — the birth of not one but two free nations.   

From The New York Times to The Daily Telegraph (UK), all major newspapers of the world gave prominence to the news on their front pages, though the focus was not on the celebrations alone, but also the bloodshed that came from the Partition.

Here is a look at how some of the major publications in the world and at home reported India’s Independence in 1947:

The New York Times

The front page of The New York Times had a large map of the subcontinent, as it appeared then, on August 15, 1947. The US daily reported both the celebrations for the long-awaited freedom for “400,000,000 persons” and also the pain of Partition. “Death Toll In Communal Fighting Reaches 153”, it noted as the report mentioned first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s words warning of “trials ahead”. 

The Washington Post

“India Achieves Sovereignty Amid Scenes Of Wild Rejoicing” — the front-page headline of The Washington Post read on August 15, 1947. The report also mentioned how the “celebrations in oriental pomp and splendor” were marred by “death and terror” unleashed by the Partition. 

The Daily Telegraph

The famous British daily devoted more than one report on its front page to India’s Independence. The page had a photograph of the Union Jack at the Residency of Lucknow as the caption noted how the flag “had never been lowered since recapturing of the town after the siege of 1857”, before it was “hauled down for the first and last time at midnight” on August 14, “marking the transference of power to the Dominion of India (Hindustan)”.

The Statesman

Back home, news dailies such as The Statesman, Hindustan Times, and others splashed the big news on the front pages as they came out with their editions in a free India for the first time. The Statesman dedicated the entire front page to the coverage as the headline screamed in all capitals: “TWO DOMINIONS ARE BORN”. The reportage noted that it was a “Political Freedom For One-Fifth Of Human Race” as Indians assumed power in their own country and Constituent Assembly members took the oath. It also reported on the jubilation seen on the streets among both Hindus and Muslims and the plans for the future.

The Hindustan Times

“INDIA INDEPENDENT, BRITISH RULE ENDS” — The Hindustan Times reported on August 15, 1947. The front page only had reports on India’s freedom as it described the colourful celebrations. A “New Star Rises In The East”, it noted as the Constituent Assembly took over.