On 15th August 1947, Pt. Jawahar Lai Nehru, the first Prime Minister of j India unfurled the National Flag for the first time on the ramparts of Red Fort. Since then this day is being celebrated as our Independence Day throughout the country. It is celebrated as a National Festival. It has been declared a National Holiday. All offices, shops, factories and other business establishments remain closed on this day. The employees and the workers get a paid holiday every year on this day.
Independence Day is celebrated with great fanfare in the capitals of all the States as well as in the Union Territories. But in Delhi, it is celebrated in a special way. On this day, the Prime Minister of India unfurls the National Flag at Red Fort in front of a huge gathering of Indian people and foreign dignitaries. He also delivers a speech in which the progress made by the nation, the problems encountered by the nation and the dangers that lie ahead are highlighted. The people hear this speech with rapt attention.
The preparations for the Independence Day celebrations are made a few days in advance. Pipe railings are fixed on both sides of the road leading to Red Fort. Hundreds of loudspeakers are fixed so that even the people sitting far away from the saluting base of Red Fort can hear the Prime Minister’s speech without any difficulty. Police contingents are posted on duty at Red Fort in large numbers to ensure security of the V.I.P.s, to regulate the traffic and control the rush of the people.
V.I.P.s, foreign dignitaries, diplomatic envoys, ministers and Members of Parliament are seated in a special enclosure constructed near the