Explained: Independence day on August 18; West Bengal villages celebrate I-day on 3rd Day

As the entire nation celebrates Independence Day on August 15, some villages of West Bengal mark the occasion three days later, on August 18. Since 1998, Shibnibas among other areas in Bengal’s Nadia district and North 24 Parganas’ Bongaon town celebrate Independence day on August 18. 

Cyril Radcliffe's map

India regained its freedom on August 15, 1947, which was declared by Viceroy Mountbatten on August 12, 1947. But, a map demonstrating the partition of India and Pakistan made by the British official Cyril Radcliffe left several areas of districts like Malda and Nadia in East Pakistan, or Bangladesh. As most of the regions were Hindu majority settlements, Radcliffe’s map led to widespread protests. 

Anjan Sukul, a Shibnibas resident and a historian said, "Nadia at that time was made up of five ‘mahakumas’ or sub-divisions- Ranaghat, Krishnanagar, Meherpur, Chuadanaga, and Kushtia, out of which the last three are now part of Bangladesh. Most of these places largely comprise of Hindu population and the families took to large scale protest as they feared displacement and loss of property and even threat of life, given the volatile political and communal situation at that time". 

A new Indian map

Political leaders like Syama Prasad Mukherjee and members of the royal family in Nadia took the matter to Mountbatten who later ordered an immediate redrawing of the map including the missed out Hindu-majority districts into the Indian side.  

Sukul said, "Three days later, on the night of August 17, the newly redrawn map reached the district which had included the Hindu-majority areas in India and the Muslim-majority districts in East Pakistan. The Pakistan flag was brought down and the Indian flag was hoisted there a day later on August 18". 

Sukul who is determined to celebrate this day, said, “I learned of it from my grandfather, the revolutionary Pramatha Nath Sukul that we got truly independent on August 18. But I began thinking if we did get our freedom on that, why do we not have the right to celebrate it on that day too?"

In his book Distant Neighbours: A Tale of the Subcontinent, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar had mentioned Cyril Radcliffe's take on a map that resulted in violent protests. Radcliffe had said, “I was so rushed that I had not time to go into the details. Even accurate district maps were not there and what material there was also inadequate. What could I do in one and a half months?”

PM Narasimha Rao accepts Sukul's request 

In 1991, Anjan Sukul with the proof of the event mentioned in the book named Nadiar Swadhinata met the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and got permission to celebrate Independence on August 18 too. His request was earlier turned down by the West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu.  

Sukul said, "I photocopied the dog-eared 367-page book and took it to the PM who finally gave his nod to allow celebrations on August 18 after much back and forth". 

Image: PTI