India, Aug. 15 -- India celebrates Independence Day every year on August 15 to commemorate its freedom from British rule in 1947. However, the date was not originally intended to be India's Independence Day. The British government had initially planned to transfer power by June 30, 1948, but the rapidly deteriorating political and communal situation led to the timeline being brought forward by nearly 10 months.

When Lord Louis Mountbatten arrived in India as the last Viceroy in March 1947, he was tasked with overseeing the transfer of power. Britain had set June 1948 as the deadline. However, Mountbatten soon concluded that waiting that long could further worsen the political crisis and communal violence across the country.

Why Was Indi...