15th August Celebrations

Summary

This one-page Swatantra Party letter, dated August 7, 1972, instructs party units on how to observe the 25th anniversary of Indian independence. It declines to share the government’s celebratory enthusiasm because famine, floods, hunger, homelessness, widening inequality, and the misuse of freedom for personal and party aggrandisement provide, in the writer’s view, no grounds for rejoicing. The letter nevertheless directs units to hoist the flag and hold public meetings framed around these criticisms.

The proposed party pledge combines economic and constitutional commitments: policies benefiting the poor and needy; a return from the path of Marx to that of Gandhi; defence of “Farm, Freedom and Family”; loyalty to the Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly; and restoration of Fundamental Rights allegedly removed by a “power-hungry government.” The General Secretary advises members not to attend official gala functions, but instead to demonstrate outside them with placards demanding a better life, and requests reports on how local units observed Independence Day.

Key points

• The letter asks Swatantra Party units to mark Independence Day while rejecting uncritical participation in official Silver Jubilee celebrations.
• Famine, floods, hunger, homelessness, inequality, and government economic policy are presented as reasons for political discontent.
• Public speeches are instructed to acknowledge that freedom has been misused by those in authority for personal and party gain.
• The proposed pledge calls for policies benefiting the poor and needy and for a political return from Marx to Gandhi.
• The pledge also affirms the defence of “Farm, Freedom and Family,” constitutional loyalty, and restoration of Fundamental Rights.
• Party members are advised to demonstrate outside official gala functions with placards demanding a better life.