Why was 15th August chosen as India's Independence Day?
Because it was the day of Japan’s surrender to the Allies in the Second World War, two years ago in 1945.
Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, had been given a mandate by the British parliament to transfer the power by June 30, 1948. But he instead chose to advance the date by almost a year to avoid bloodshed and riots. Accordingly, the Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British House of Commons on 4th July 1947 and passed within a fortnight. Now all Mountbatten had to do was to choose a date as early as possible.
Out of the blue, he chose 15th August as it would have double value for him. On the same day in 1945, Japan had surrendered to the Allies. And the person to accept this surrender in Singapore was Mountbatten himself, who was Supreme Allied Commander South-East Asia at the time.
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