Ten Words from NY Times History: India and Pakistan Gain Independence - August 15, 1947

India achieved her long sought independence today through the transfer of British power to the two dominions into which that land of 400,000,000 persons has been divided, India and Pakistan.

While the ceremonies marking this major historic event were taking place communal strife continued to cast a grim shadow over future.

In London King George conferred an earldom on Viscount Mountbatten for his role in solving the Indian problem and the Government £ 35,000,000 of India's sterling balance.]

The Dominion of India reached the goal of freedom here at midnight with minimum celebration and a few speeches that stressed the gravity of the tasks ahead of the new nation.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, the real hero of the New Delhi ceremony, was absent from the capital of his country in its triumphant hour.

At the moment his great dream came true -- though not precisely in the form he wished -- Mr. Gandhi was in humble surroundings of his own choosing among the Moslems of Calcutta, where he felt he was needed more.

The other -- a peculiarly Hindu thing that the West might mistakenly underestimate in importance -- was the fact that astrologers, on whom millions of Hindus place great dependence in all matters discovered an inauspicious mating of the stairs on Aug.15.

Dr. Prasad paid tribute to Mr. Gandhi whom he called "our beacon light, our guide and philosopher during the last thirty years or more."

"And now the time has come when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially," Pandit Nehru began, "At the stroke of the midnight hour when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom."

He was seconded by a Moslem, Chaudry Khaliquzzaman, leader of the Moslem League party in the Constituent Assembly who promised the fealty for India's Moslems to their state.