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GS Paper: GS1

  • India’s internal migration

    This newscard presents data on India’s internal migration considering the mass exodus which was visible during the lockdowns.

    The displacement of people during the imposition of lockdown has been described as the second-largest since the Partition of the country.

     

    Also read:

    [Burning Issue] Migrant workers amid COVID-19 outbreak

    India’s internal migration

    (1) Number of migrants

    • As of 2020, India has an estimated 600 million migrants. Roughly half of India is living in a place where it wasn’t born.
    • It would be roughly double the size of the fourth-largest nation on the planet — the United States.

    (2) Nature of migration

    • The bulk of the internal migration in India is within one district itself. An estimated 400 million Indians “migrate” within the district they live in.
    • The next 140 million migrate from one district to another but within the same state.
    • And only about 60 million — that is, just 10% of all internal migrants — move from one state to another.

    (3) Type of Migration

    • There are other misconceptions as well. Typically, it is thought that most migration happens when people from rural areas move to urban areas.
    • That is incorrect. The most dominant form of migration is from rural to rural areas.
    • Only about 20% of the total migration (600 million) is from rural to urban areas.
    • In fact, 20% of the total migration is from one urban area to another urban area.
    • As such, urban migration (rural to urban as well as urban to urban) accounts for 40% of the total migration.

    (4) Comparison with other countries

    • India’s proportion of internal migrants (as a percentage of the overall population) is much lower than some of the comparable countries such as Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil.
    • All have much higher urbanisation ratios, which is a proxy for migration level.
    • In other words, as India adopts a strategy of rapid urbanisation, levels of internal migration will increase further.

    Impact of COVID

    The reality of a migrant worker’s existence is much more complicated than those sharply defined numbers.

    Not all migrants were equally affected

    • The worst-hit were a class of migrants that felt under the group “vulnerable circular migrants”.
    • These are people who are “vulnerable” because of their weak position in the job market and “circular” migrants because even though they work in urban settings, they continue to have a foothold in the rural areas.
    • Such migrants work in construction sites or small factories or as rickshaw pullers in the city but when such employment avenues dwindle, they go back to their rural setting.
    • In other words, they are part of the informal economy outside agriculture.

    “Data insufficient”

    • The truth is that even now all the estimates mentioned above are individual estimates.
    • The official data — be it the Census or the National Sample Survey — is more than a decade old.
    • In fact, Census 2011 migration data was made publicly available only in 2019.
  • [pib] Swami Dayanand Saraswati

    Information and Broadcasting Minister paid his tributes to Swami Dayanand Saraswati on his birth anniversary.

    Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883)

    • Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of the Vedic dharma.
    • He was the first to give the call for Swaraj as “India for Indians” in 1876, a call later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
    • Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies.
    • Subsequently, the philosopher and then President, S. Radhakrishnan called him one of the “makers of Modern India”, as did Sri Aurobindo.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which among the following event happened earliest?

    (a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj

    (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan

    (c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath

    (d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first India to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination

    His influence

    • Those who were influenced by and followed him included Madam Cama, Shyamji Krishna Varma, Kishan Singh, Bhagat Singh, VD Savarkar, Bhai Parmanand, Lala Hardayal, Madan Lal Dhingra, Ram Prasad Bismil, MG Ranade, Ashfaq Ullah Khan, , Lala Lajpat Rai etc.

    Philosophy

    • He was ascetic from boyhood and a scholar.
    • He believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas.
    • He advocated the doctrine of Karma and Reincarnation.
    • He emphasized the Vedic ideals of Brahmacharya, including celibacy and devotion to God.

    His contribution

    • Among Dayananda’s contributions were his promoting of the equal rights for women, such as the right to education and reading of Indian scriptures.
    • He wrote his commentary on the Vedas from Vedic Sanskrit in Sanskrit as well as in Hindi.
  • Art in news: Tholpavakkoothu

    A shadow leather puppet in Kerala’s famous temple art Tholpavakkoothu is being animated by a robot in Palakkad.

    Tholpavakkoothu

    • Tholpavakkoothu or shadow puppetry is a temple art form which is prevalent in the Bhagavathy temples (mother Goddess) in Palakkad district and nearby regions in Kerala.
    • Tholppava (Thol means leather, Pava means puppet) are moved with the help of strings, and their shadows are depicted on a screen with the help of a row of oil lamps in the background.
    • The story of Tholpavakkoothu performance is from the Indian epic, Ramayana.
    • In the olden days, it was performed elaborately over a period of forty-one days.
    • The narrative used for the performance is a mixture of prose and poetry called Adalpattu.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements:

    1. It is a song and dance performance.
    2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance.
    3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1, 2 and 3.

    (b) 1 and 3 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1 only

    Setup of the art

    • Tholppavas are made of the skin of deer and the puppet forms are made by making small holes in the leather that is then attached vertically to a bamboo stick.
    • Accompanying instruments include Ezhupara, Chenda and Maddalam.
    • The artists have to undergo several years of rigorous training to master this art form.
    • The puppetry is staged on a special structure in temple premises called Koothumadam.
  • Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Uttarakhand

    A massive glacier burst at Chamoli in Uttarakhand yet again bringing back our focus to the dangers of climate change.

    A wake-up call!

    Uttarakhand is often at the heart of various Himalayan disasters such as flash floods, cloud bursts, avalanches and earthquakes.

    The Chamoli incident signifies the dawn of ugly faces of climate disaster for which the mankind is clueless. At last, someone has to be blamed, isn’t it?

    What is the news?

    • Experts are uncertain about what caused the massive glacier burst at Chamoli in Uttarakhand.
    • It is unclear whether there was an avalanche in the area recently or whether the lake breach was the result of construction, anthropological activities, climate change etc.

    What is GLOF?

    • A GLOF is a type of outburst flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails.
    • An event similar to a GLOF, where a body of water contained by a glacier melts or overflows the glacier, is called a jökulhlaup.
    • The dam can consist of glacier ice or a terminal moraine.
    • Failure can happen due to various factors such as:
    1. Erosion, a buildup of water pressure
    2. Avalanche of rock or heavy snow
    3. Earthquake or volcanic eruptions under the ice or
    4. Displacement of water in a glacial lake when a large portion of an adjacent glacier collapses into it

    Possible causes for Chamoli

    Avalanche

    • An avalanche is falling masses of snow and ice which gathers pace as it comes down the slope.
    • But an avalanche is unlikely to result in the rise of water of that magnitude what Chamoli witnessed.

    Cloudburst

    • What happened in Uttarakhand in 2013 was a multi-day cloudburst.
    • It is a sudden, very heavy rainfall accompanies by a thunderstorm. But it generally happens in monsoon.
    • In fact, the season in which such a disaster was witnessed has surprised experts as there is no immediate trigger that can be pointed to as the reason why water level rose to that level washing away two hydro projects.

    Why always Uttarakhand?

    • Human activities profoundly affect the earth’s climate and mountains are a sensitive indicator of that effect.
    • The mountain ecosystem is easily disrupted by variations in climate owing to their altitude, slope and orientation to the sun.
    • As the earth heats up, mountains glaciers melt at unprecedented rates.
    • Several scientists believe that the change occurring in the mountain ecosystems may provide an early glimpse of what could come to pass in a lowland environment.

    Conclusion

    • The current policy of the government of pursuing hydro-power projects indiscriminately cannot be ignored.
    • The entire State of Uttarakhand is categorised as falling in Zone-IV and V of the earthquake risk map of India.
    • The potential of the cumulative effect of multiple such projects has turned out to be more environmentally damaging than sustainable.
  • [pib] Monpa Handmade Paper of Tawang

    PC: East Mojo

    The sale of the 1000-years old heritage Monpa handmade paper or “Mon Shugu” is quickly catching pace after a special mention by PM in his Mann ki Baat.

    Monpa Handmade Paper

    • Monpa paper is made from the bark of tree Shugu Sheng grown locally in Tawang and is identified by its distinctive translucent fibrous texture.
    • The paper is weightless but its natural fibres add great tensile strength to this paper making it apt for various artworks.
    • It has been used for writing Buddhist scriptures, manuscripts and for making prayer flags.
    • Writing on this paper is also known to be tamper-proof.

    Note: This paper is yet to be awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

    Revitalized by KVIC

    • Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which revived this ancient art at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on 25th December 2020.
    • It has made Monpa Handmade paper available online through its e-portal.
    • The revival of this art assumes significance as Monpa Handmade paper was once produced in every household in Tawang and the paper was exported to many countries like Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar and Japan among others.
    • However, with the new technologies coming in, the handmade paper industry almost disappeared in the last 100 years.
  • Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) to revive urban water bodies

    The urban water supply mission under the Jal Jeevan Mission announced in the Budget would include rejuvenation of water bodies as well as 20% of supply from reused water.

    Access to safe drinking water has been a grave problem for India, especially in rural areas where lack of usable water has resulted in decades-old sanitation and health problems.

    Jal Jeevan Mission

    • Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India.
    • The mission’s goal is to provide to all households in rural India safe and adequate water through individual household tap connections by 2024.
    • The Har Ghar Nal Se Jal programme was announced by FM in Budget 2019-20 speech.
    • This programme forms a crucial part of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
    • The programme aims to implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation, and rainwater harvesting.

    Urban component of the mission

    • The mission is meant to create a people’s movement for water, making it everyone’s priority.
    • There are an estimated gap of 2.68 crore urban household tap connections that the Mission would seek to bridge in all 4,378 statutory towns.
    • The Mission would also aim to bridge the gap of 2.64 crore sewer connections in the 500 cities under the existing Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
    • The mission would include rejuvenation of water bodies to boost the sustainable freshwater supply and the creation of green spaces.
  • [pib] Centenary of ‘Chauri Chaura’ Incident

    PM will inaugurate the centenary Celebrations at Chauri Chaura at Gorakhpur Dist. Uttar Pradesh.

    ‘Chauri Chaura’ Incident

    • The incident took place on 4 February 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province.
    • A large group of protesters participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement clashed with police who opened fire.
    • In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants.
    • The incident led to the death of three civilians and 22 policemen.
    • Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the non-co-operation movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the

    (a) Agitation against the Partition of Bengal

    (b) Home Rule Movement

    (c) Non-Cooperation Movement

    (d) Visit of the Simon Commission to India

    Background

    • In the early 1920s, Indians, led by Mahatma Gandhi, were engaged in a nationwide non-cooperation movement.
    • Using non-violent methods of civil disobedience known as Satyagraha, protests were organised by the INC to challenge oppressive regulations such as the Rowlatt Act.

    Course of the incident

    • Two days before the incident, on 2 February 1922, volunteers participating in the Non-cooperation Movement led by a retired Army soldier named Bhagwan Ahir.
    • The protest was planned against high food prices and liquor sale in the marketplace.
    • Several of the leaders were arrested and put in the lock-up at the Chauri Chaura police station.
    • In response to this, a protest against the police was called on 4 February, to be held at the local marketplace.
    • Infuriated by the gunfire into their ranks, the crowd set the chowki ablaze, killing all of the Indian policemen and other staff trapped inside.

    Aftermath

    • Appalled at the outrage, Gandhi went on a five-day fast as penance for what he perceived as his culpability in the bloodshed.
    • In reflection, Gandhi felt that he had acted too hastily in encouraging people to revolt against the British Raj without sufficiently emphasizing the importance of non-violence.
    • On 12 February 1922, the Indian National Congress halted the Non-co-operation Movement on the national level as a direct result of the Chauri Chaura tragedy.
  • Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020

    A panel of doctors to decide on the termination of pregnancy beyond 24 weeks as proposed in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020, is “unfeasible” as 82% of these posts are lying vacant in the country, finds a new study.

    Q. What are the differing opinions with regards to the Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020? Discuss.

    About the MTP Amendment Bill

    The MTP Bill was passed in Lok Sabha in March 2020 and is likely to be brought before Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session. Its salient features included:

    • Proposing requirement for the opinion of one provider for termination of pregnancy, up to 20 weeks of gestation and introducing the requirement of the opinion of two providers for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation.
    • Enhancing the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women which will be defined in the amendments to the MTP Rules and would include ‘vulnerable women including survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women (like differently-abled women, Minors) etc.
    • Upper gestation limit not to apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by Medical Board. The composition, functions and other details of Medical Board to be prescribed subsequently in Rules under the Act.
    • Anonymity of the person: Name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed except to a person authorised in any law for the time being in force.

    Benefits sought with the bill

    • It is seen as a step towards the safety and well-being of the women and many women will be benefitted by this.
    • Recently several petitions were received by the Courts seeking permission for aborting pregnancies at a gestational age beyond the present permissible limit on grounds of foetal abnormalities or pregnancies due to sexual violence faced by women.
    • The proposed increase in gestational age will ensure dignity, autonomy, confidentiality and justice for women who need to terminate the pregnancy.

    Flaws in the bill

    • The Bill allows abortion after 24 weeks only in cases where a Medical Board diagnoses substantial foetal abnormalities.
    • This implies that for a case requiring abortion due to rape, that exceeds 24-weeks, the only recourse remains through a Writ Petition.
    • The Bill does not specify the categories of women who may terminate pregnancies between 20-24 weeks and leaves it to be prescribed through Rules.
    • The Act (and the Bill) require an abortion to be performed only by doctors with specialization in gynaecology or obstetrics.
    • As there is a 75% shortage of such doctors in community health centres in rural areas, pregnant women may continue to find it difficult to access facilities for safe abortions.

    Key Issues and Analysis

    • There are differing opinions with regard to allowing abortions. One opinion is that terminating a pregnancy is the choice of the pregnant woman and a part of her reproductive rights.
    • The other is that the state has an obligation to protect life, and hence should provide for the protection of the foetus.
    • Across the world, countries set varying conditions and time limits for allowing abortions, based on foetal health, and risk to the pregnant woman.
    • Several Writ Petitions have been filed by women seeking permission to abort pregnancies beyond 20-weeks due to foetal abnormalities or rape.
  • Who are the Bargis?

    As the Assembly elections in West Bengal draw closer, the ‘insider-outsider’ theme has grown to become one of the topics of political debate. Bengali politicians have been terming outsider campaigners as ‘bargis’.

    Bargis: Etymology of the term

    • The term ‘Bargi’is of special significance in Bengal’s history.
    • It is a reference to the several Maratha invasions of West Bengal between 1741 and 1751, which resulted in looting, plundering and massacres of what was then Mughal territory.
    • The happenings of this specific period have affected Bengal’s consciousness so much that they have an established presence in Bengali folklore and literature.
    • Today this term is used as a casual reference to troublesome outsider forces.

    Who were the bargis?

    • Simply speaking, the word bargi referred to cavalrymen in Maratha and Mughal armies.
    • The word comes from the Persian “bargir”, literally meaning “burden taker”, notes historian Surendra Nath Sen in his 1928 work The Military System Of The Marathas.
    • But in the Mughal and Maratha armies, the term signified a soldier who rode a horse furnished by his employer.
    • In the Maratha cavalry, any able-bodied person could enlist as a bargir, unless he had the means to buy a horse and military outfit.
    • Both the bargirs and silhedars were under the overall control of the Sarnobat (Persian for “Sar-i-Naubat”, or Commander in Chief).

    Why did the Marathas raid Bengal?

    • Maratha incursions into the Mughal province of Bengal (which included the regions of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa) between 1741 and 1751 came at a time of intense political uncertainty of then Mughal India.
    • At the Maratha capital in Satara, Chhatrapati Shahu was trying in vain to resolve the differences between his two top power centres– the Peshwa dynasty of Pune and Raghoji I Bhonsale of Nagpur.
    • As the Mughal Empire was crumbling by the 18th century, the two Maratha chieftains were scrambling to secure taxation rights in its far-flung regions, and violently disagreed over their spheres of influence.
    • In Bengal – a Mughal Subah (subdivision) during this era– Nawab Subahdar Sarfaraz Khan had been overthrown by his deputy Alivardi Khan.

    Try this PYQ:

    What was the immediate cause for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade and fight the Third Battle of Panipat:

    (a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore

    (b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg khan invited him to invade Punjab

    (c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujrat Aurangabad, Sialkot and Pasrur)

    (d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab upto borders of Delhi to his kingdom

    Stir within the Maratha empire

    • After Khan’s inauguration, the provincial governor of Orissa, Zafar Khan Rustam Jung, more commonly known as Murshid Quli II, rebelled against the usurper.
    • The revolt failed, and Jung enlisted Raghoji’s help to oust Khan.
    • Raghoji was also motivated by internal politics within the Maratha camp, fearful as he was of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, also known as of Nana Saheb who trying to establish his claim over Bengal first at this time of political disturbance in the province.

    Maratha invasions of Bengal

    • The Marathas first entered the Mughal province in August 1741, when Raghoji’s infantry troops accompanied Mirza Baqar Ali, the son-in-law of Jung, to conquer Orissa.
    • In 1743, the Bengal province faced the wrath of two Maratha armies – both, as it happened, at loggerheads with each other.
    • The Peshwa forces proceeded further, committing all sorts of atrocities on the way in a land which they had ostensibly come to protect.
    • Raghoji’s armies were also doing the same, but at least he had openly arrived as an invader.

    Ousting the ‘local’ invaders

    • Finally, in 1751, after remaining encamped in western Bengal for a significant amount of time, the Marathas reached an agreement with Alivardi Khan.
    • The Nawab promised an annual tribute of 12 lakh rupees and the cession of Orissa to the Marathas. In return, the Bhonsales gave word to not return to Bengal.

    Damage caused

    • Ten years of Maratha invasions had crippled Bengal’s economy.
    • The Dutch believed that 400,000 people had been killed. Losses of weavers, silk winders and those who cultivated mulberry were particularly high.
    • Historian P J Marshall noted that people were so distressed that they would take flight even on imaginary alarms, and wander around.
  • Symbolic significance of the Red Fort and Delhi

    Newsfeeds on Republic Day were dominated by scenes of protests on the ramparts of the Red Fort.

    Mob stormed and vandalized the national flag and the mast of Red Fort in guise of peaceful farmers protest! What did this act signify?

     

    To unravel some of these strands of meaning, one must go back in history, to a time centuries before the Red Fort was even constructed.

    The History of Capital

    • Before the 13th century, Delhi — or ‘Dilli’ — was, politically speaking, a moderately significant town.
    • It was for long the capital of the modestly sized kingdom of the Rajput Tomar dynasty.
    • By the mid 12th century it was conquered by the Rajput Chauhans who, however, ruled from Ajmer.
    • It was the conquest by Ghurid Turks in the late 12th century that put Delhi on the map as a centre of power.
    • As the capital of the Sultanate, Delhi gradually developed an aura of power — in the popular imagination, it came to be associated with a dominant power in the subcontinent.
    • Babur, having defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat in 1526, headed for Delhi, which he described as “the capital of all Hindustan”, even though the Lodis had ruled from Agra for the previous two decades.

    Sultanate period

    • There was another important feature of the Delhi of these two centuries.
    • From the 13th century, the capital had been located at a number of different sites – Mehrauli, Kilugarhi, Siri, Tughlaqabad, Jahanpanah, Firozabad, and Dinpanah.
    • Now it came to be settled permanently in Shahjahanabad, with the emperor’s seat being in the Red Fort.

    Seat of the Mughal power

    • During the first century or so of Mughal rule, Agra was the capital for longer than Delhi.
    • Still, the Mughals continued to be seen as rulers of Delhi.
    • A Sanskrit inscription from 1607 refers to Akbar as “Dillishvara”, the lord of Delhi, though he had ruled from Delhi for a very short time.
    • In a Persian inscription dated 1621 on the Salimgarh Bridge adjoining the Red Fort, Jahangir, who never reigned from Delhi, was described as “Shahanshah e Dehli”, the emperor of Delhi.

    Construction of Red Fort

    • It was only in the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-58) that the Mughal connection to Delhi was given concrete form, with the founding of the city of Shahjahanabad and the inauguration of its palace citadel, the Red Fort, in 1648.
    • From that date to the end of Mughal rule in 1857, Delhi would be the formal capital of the Mughal Empire.

    Fading centre

    • The significance of Delhi and the Red Fort was thrown into sharp relief by political developments in the 18th century, once the Mughal Empire started on the long road to decline.
    • Erstwhile Mughal provinces such as Bengal, Awadh, and Hyderabad broke away, and new forces like the Sikhs and the Marathas arose.
    • Not only did the Mughal territories shrink, but the Mughal emperor also became increasingly ineffectual even within them.

    A takeover by the East India Company

    • The control over the emperor and of Delhi was, therefore, a prize worth fighting for.
    • Safdar Jang, the Nawab of Awadh, fought a civil war in an attempt to keep his position as PM of the Mughal emperor.
    • The Sikhs had their ambitions and came up to the walls of the city in 1783 before retreating.
    • The Marathas met with greater success the following year when Mahadji Sindhia became the power behind the throne.
    • Finally, the East India Company defeated the Maratha forces in 1803 and went on to control Delhi and the emperor for the next 54 years.

    Shifting of capital

    • Delhi was officially announced as the capital of British Raj by the then-Emperor George V, on December 12, 1911.
    • The capital was shifted from Calcutta as Delhi was the financial and political seat of many earlier empires and was located closer to the geographical centre of India.
    • The rising nationalist movement in Calcutta was also responsible for the shift.

    Symbolic importance then

    • In the popular imagination, the legitimate rule was associated with the Mughal emperor to the extent that when the country broke out in revolt in 1857, the mutinous soldiers made their way to Delhi, seeking his leadership.
    • When the revolt in Delhi had been crushed, the British army occupied the Red Fort and the officers drank to their Queen’s health in the Diwan-e-Khas, where the Mughal emperors had held court.
    • It was in this same hall that Bahadur Shah was put on trial, convicted, and exiled.
    • Nearly ninety years later, in 1945-46, the memory of that trial foreshadowed another historic trial in the fort.
    • The personnel of the Indian National Army were tried there, which generated an immense wave of nationalist sentiment in the run-up to Independence.

    Symbol of the nation, now

    • With the coming of Independence, it was necessary that the site of the Red Fort, over which the British colonial government had sought to inscribe its power and might, be symbolically reclaimed for the Indian people.
    • It was for this reason, that after the first hoisting of the national flag at India Gate on August 15, 1947, the next day, the PM hoisted it on the ramparts of the Red Fort.
    • This was to then become India’s lasting Independence Day tradition.