| Main Performers | Sir Stafford Cripps,
Lord Mountbatten of Burma,
Mr Will Lather (President of the National Union of Mineworkers),
Mr V K Krishna Menon (Indian High Commissioner) |
| Performance Notes | This event was to celebrate the first anniversary of India's Independence.
"Sir Stafford Cripps said that the first 12 months of independence had placed a tremendous task on those who carried responsibility for Indian Affairs, but the statesmanship and wisdom of the two peoples overcame difficulties and out of potential chaos, hatred, and ill-will brought order, friendship, and a smooth transition. Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhad Patel showed themselves great statesmen and leaders of their people, and on the British side Lord and Lady Mountbatten interpreted to the Indian people that insistent determination of the British people to carry through the policies which had been decided upon, and by their frankness and most patent honesty of purpose made misunderstanding impossible.
Today there was an almost universal feeling of good will towards India in Britain, and that same feeling was reciprocated by the Indian people. There were a few regrettable exceptions. A few dyed-in-the-wool Blimp-like reactionaries still looked back with nostalgic regret to the earlier epochs of British imperialism, failing to appreciate or wilfully closing their eyes to the fact that civilisation had advanced."
(The Times, 16 August 1948) |
| Related Archival Material | Handbill (RAHE/6/1948/2) |