Joy And Apathy: Striking Contrast

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 August 1947, Page 7

Joy And Apathy: Striking Contrast

(Recd. 12.45 p.m.) NEW DELHI, August 14. Members of India’s Assembly, who had been waiting tensely for midnight, rose with stirring shouts as the first stroke of the clock signalled the new Dominion’s independence. A crowd of students paraded New Delhi carrying a. dummy coffin, labelled “British Imperialism.” After the procession they burned it.

The sirens of hundreds of mills and factories blending with the whistling of railway engines and blasts from ships, ushered in Bombay India’s independence at midnight. Milling men, women and children completely forgot racial feeling and surged into the floodlit streets, which had been turned into a riot of colour .Huge illuminated tricolours —the new flag of India—were prominent in the decorations. Cheering And Sirens Almost continuous cheering from a million throats rose in a crescendo until it was drowned by the sirens. At New Delhi British rule ended in a great midnight symphony. Roaring guns, temple bells and fireworks reverberated through the teeming cities and villages of the new-born Dominions of India and Pakistan. The last stroke of midnight booming from New Delhi’s “Big Ben” set off the biggest, noisiest and most joyful celebrations ever experienced in the Eastern world.

Parades and street festivities complemented the official 31-gun salutes and flag-raising ceremonies. All the Hindu temples and Moslem mosques remained open for prayer. Apathy In Pakistan A surprising lack of pop.ular enthusiasm marked the elaborate ceremonies in Karachi. There were shouts of “Long live our great leader” when Mr Jinnah arrived at the

EARLDOM FOR THE LAST VICEROY

Constituent Assembly and some cheering when later he and Viscount Mountbatten drove through the streets. Otherwise there was a general air of apathy. Some of the main streets through which the procession passed were half empty. The explanation may be that the inhabitants realise the tremendous problems which overshadow the birth of the new State and which are already making life difficult. Reports state that East Bengal is as apathetic as Karachi.

(Rec. 10.10 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. No. 10 Downing Street announced that an earldom of the United Kingdom has been conferred on Viscount Mountbatten of Burma, the last Viceroy of India. 1 The Prime Minister, Mi’ Attlee, in a message to India and Pakistan sent good wishes and expressed the hope .that India and Pakistan would go forward in tranquility and prosperity and so contribute to the world’s peace and progress. A Karachi message says it is officially announced that Pakistan will exchange High Commissioners with Australia. Britain, Canada, Burma and India. China and Afghanistan have also agreed to exchange representatives with Pakistan.