Six decades after the horrors of partition of the subcontinent led to the birth of two independent nations, a resurgent India is set to observe a significant milestone in its "tryst with destiny" - a democratically vibrant nation with a secular fabric, a robust economy that is a magnet to the world and a rising power set to dominate global politics in the coming decades.

On the midnight of Aug 14, 1947, the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru made a soul-stirring speech when he spoke about the rare moment when "soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance". 

The confidence of that soul will be in ample evidence Wednesday when India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh carries on that tradition to address the nation from the ramparts of the magnificent 17th century Red Fort whose history is in many ways intertwined with the vicissitudes of empires and the destinies of personalities who have the shaped the birth of a modern nation.

And as every state capital, every district headquarter of this continent-size nation echoes the Indian capital in that celebration of freedom, it will be another bold assertion of confidence in India's destiny, even while the people pause for a moment and remember the legion of freedom fighters who made it possible.

In the evening, a special event in the hallowed central hall of parliament will strengthen that reminder, as sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his musician sons Amaan and Ayaan play two favourite hymns of the man that Indians call the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi - "Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye" and "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram".

What does Aug 15 mean to the psyche of a nation, which gained its independence from the British after a largely non-violent struggle but amid the trauma and bloodshed of a painful partition?

Well-known poet Javed Akhtar will tell the world though his poem "Pandra August". Actor, activist and former MP Shabana Azmi will recite the English translation to an audience that will include India's first woman President Pratibha Patil, new Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, all MPs and some special guests.

They will get to watch a documentary clip on Nehru's epochal "Tryst With Destiny" speech, after renowned vocalist Pandit Jasraj sings "Aadhi Raat Mein Suraj" (the sun at midnight) to remind them of freedom at midnight and the national song "Vande Mataram".

While the powers that be mark the day with events that are more than mere tokenism on the occasion, it is also a special holiday for the ordinary citizen across the nation, when the tricolour will be flown from many rooftops and be unfurled at most neighbourhoods.

It will be a morning for the youth to display their talents at myriad local dos, all on the themes of freedom, power and confidence. It will be an afternoon when kites soar into the sky in another modern tradition to symbolise freedom. It will be an evening when people go to watch special shows, like the percussion festival being held by an amateur group in Bangalore or like the Jan Utsav being organised by the Delhi government at the Talkatora Stadium.

As India has grown over 60 years, so have security fears and terror threats. As secessionists and militants continue their tactics of terror, the celebrations Wednesday have to be accompanied by very strict security arrangements everywhere.

As the prime minister delivers his address from behind bullet-proof glass, security men will not only be all around him on the ground, but also above him in helicopters.

In Assam, the army, the paramilitary forces and the police have already moved against the terrorists in a major operation that started Monday night. In Srinagar, summer capital of the troubled Jammu and Kashmir state, there are snipers on every rooftop surrounding the stadium where the national flag will be unfurled by Governor S.K. Sinha.

But after decades of living with terror, most Indians have learnt to take the security arrangements in their stride, and get on with life.

On this major milestone in the life of independent India, that is exactly what the citizen will reassert - a confidence in India's forward march, leaving all the irritants far behind.   

August 14, 2007

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The 60 Days to August 15, 1947 by Joydeep Gupta
When India Wears its Badge of Patriotism With Pride by Anil Sharma
With Glimmer in Their Eyes, They Tell Tales of Valour by Shyam Pandharipande
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A Historic Congress Session and Nagpur's Freedom Struggle by Shyam Pandharipande
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A Midnight's Child Wishes Empowerment for Rural Women by Prashant K. Nanda
Revolutionary Who Kept Death at Bay till August 15, 1947 by R.K. Parashar
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At Wagah Border, A Sea Change in 60 Years by Jaideep Sarin 
India is a Model for Universal Brotherhood, says Maulana Parekh by Shyam Pandharipande
Indian Science Conquers New Frontiers 
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Six Decades of Dynamic Filmmaking in India by Prithwish Ganguly 
An Asian City Rises, But Old Charms Fade by Fakir Balaji and V.S. Karnic
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60 Years of India-Britain Ties: Onwards and Upwards by Prasun Sonwalkar 
60 Years After Partition, 'Home' Still Beckons by Azera Rahman
Shimla - More Than Just Raj Nostalgia by Baldev S. Chauhan 
In 60 Years, Bhagat Singh's Village is Modern and Completely NRI by Jaideep Sarin
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Where August 15 Only Ignites Fear, Sorrow by Syed Zarir Hussain 
Another Special Birthday for Miss Independence by Shyam Pandharipande 
When Kashmiri Peasants Got the Land They Tilled by F. Ahmed 
Painful Memories for Erstwhile Hyderabad State by Mohammed Shafeeq 
Fighting for a Better India - Six Decades and Counting by Jatindra Dash 

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