This is what the front page of The Hindustan Times (Delhi Edition) looked like on August 15, 1947. [Click the image to enlarge]
Things to not note:
Newspaper banner has the by line, 'largest Circulation in Northern, North-Western and Central India'
Head line, simple, 'India Independent: British Rule Ends'
Only three ads and two of them carry public message.
Ad on top left corner, 'Help the Refugees Ahuja Swadeshi Stores Chandni Chowk, Delhi.'
Ad on top right corner carries an ad for Quality Publicity Service Office Opp. British Motor Car Co. Connaught Place, New Delhi. Designers and Printers.
Somewhere on the page you will find a line, 'It was the greatest hour for Delhi.'
Cover Photograph: India's Big Three - Earl Mountbatten(new of his Earldom at the bottom), Governor-General of India, Pandit Nehru, Prime Minister, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, president of the Constituent Assembly.
Bottom left carries a homage to the Father of the Nation - Mahatma Gandhi.
Middle of the page carries a small Holiday Notice. So no August 16, 1947 issue of the paper.
The Pledge for constituent assembly ends with "the promotion of world peace and welfare of mankind."
The Pledge: "At this solemn moment when the people of India, through suffering and sacrifice have secured freedom, I,.......a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, do dedicate myself in all humility to the service of India and her people to the end that this ancient land attain her rightful and honoured place in the world and make her full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind."
A message from C.K.Sen & Co, Ltd. Jabakusum House, Calcutta, ends with the line "India is soon to occupy a foremost place in the comity of nations."
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This front page was re-published by Hindustan Times on August 15, 1997, in the 50th year of Independent India. It was part of special Golden Jubilee celebration issue. I was young, impressionable, thought too much about the country and wanted world peace. So I saved this page.
I feel the photograph is very precious. Thank you so much..
Thanks you for the appreciation. Think i will post something special this year too.
Hi...
How can we get the high resolution image of this. WANT TO MAKE A POSTER and put it on my wall.
This image is 1187px × 1600px and it's the best i could manage as i had to scan the page in four parts and then join them back together.
thx. friend....u really rock..very precious document....Thx. again..pls tell how to enlarge it..i want to take a print out.
It is really very very precious for every INDIAN...Tnx
Dear Sir,I want to buy original print of news paper.I will pay.Please contact 09370107894.Thanks
Hello Freind,
I wonder with the below question ----
India got freedom on August 15 Midnight....then it must be published in August 16th Newspaper..and i believe we didnt have sophiticated paper printer that prints the news within 5-6 hrs....Correct me if i am wrong
David,
Press is usually off on 15th so that means no newspaper on 16th. It used to happen back then just as it happens now. And I think usually for any major event space is left for last minute updates that go directly to the press. Just as it happens now. So yes the page posted here is very much the page from 15th august.
is there any other paper of 15th aug 1947?
30 January 1948 (aged 78) is when Mahatma gandhi died, how on Earth can they give homeage to a man still alive and i think in culcutta , on 15 th august 1947
Fantastic and a v precious doc.
Just a quick thought here...MG ji died in 1948 and the left bottom of the paper says "Homage"...until unless homage is used for some other meaning, for all general conversations, it means "demise/death"...
May be I am missing something?
Thanks.