Why do some parts of West Bengal celebrate Independence Day on 18th August?

While India celebrates Independence Day on 15th August, the inhabitants of certain parts of West Bengal also commemorate 18th August due to an entirely different reason. The Indian national flag was hoisted on 18th August 1947 in parts of the Nadia and Malda districts due to a dispute over the boundaries, which led to certain areas becoming a part of East Pakistan in the first few days of partition.

How Independence Day became an 18th August observance

The partition of British India in 1947 led to the formation of India and Pakistan. The Boundary Commission was responsible for determining the border lines. The line was drawn by the British lawyer, Cyril Radcliffe.

As per the local people, some areas in Nadia district were first put in East Pakistan, which is now known as Bangladesh. These areas consisted of areas that had a predominantly Hindu population. This arrangement left the people uncertain about which nation they belonged to and what their future held for them.

The locals vehemently opposed this move. The leaders, powerful families, and people from Nadia were against the idea that their regions would be part of East Pakistan. Eventually, this protest reached Lord Mountbatten, who was the last British Viceroy in India.

The boundary was then corrected. Mountbatten ordered Radcliffe to correct the disputed boundary, and the corrected map was made public that night, 17 August 1947. The correction accepted these areas as Indian territory. Before the change, the flag of Pakistan had been hoisted in certain places. Following the new demarcation, Pakistan's flag was taken down. The Indian Tricolour was hoisted on August 18, which made the date a memorable one for the area.

To the inhabitants of these regions, Independence Day falling on 18th August marks the time when their territorial identity was finally established in favour of India. It also reminds them of the period of ambiguity and protest that followed Partition. Since 1991, the inhabitants of these regions have been celebrating 18th August as their own Independence Day.

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