A fact from Interim Government of India appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 25 August 2009 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
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Latest comment: 2 years ago6 comments2 people in discussion
Independence word is mentioned in a similar context in the lead section. As per Britannica - "decolonization, process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country". I don't know what's your concern.Chanchaldm (talk) 03:05, 7 March 2022 (UTC)Reply
Well, the British Raj (or the British Indian Empire) = British India + Princely states, did not become independent; the British partitioned British India in two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan and the British revoked their treaty rights with the princely states advising them to join either dominion. (See the lead of Dominion of India.) So, you can say, "X was the government of British India from Y September 1946 to 15 August 1947, when British India was partitioned into two independent dominion states, India and Pakistan." But you can't say "until British India became independent, because there was no independent entity called British India." You could say until "British India decolonised." (without mentioning the dominions if space is at a premium.) Please see the language of the Indian Independence Act, 1947. Fowler&fowler«Talk» 22:49, 7 March 2022 (UTC)Reply
This sort of problem arises all the time because of the confusion between the (informal) use of "India" for the British Raj, pre-1947, but also for the Dominion of India, and later the Republic of India. In some ways, had independent India been called Hindustan, as Jinnah wanted, this issue would not have arisen. People would have said the independence of Hindustan and Pakistan. Alternatively, if by common consent, India was reserved for the post-1947 entity, and the "British Raj" for the polity which lasted from 1858 to 1947. You could then say, India and Pakistan became independent, but not "the British Raj became independent." Fowler&fowler«Talk» 22:52, 7 March 2022 (UTC)Reply
I just the lead. The phrasing is incorrect. Will fix it later. Fowler&fowler«Talk» 22:55, 7 March 2022 (UTC)Reply
Yes you're right, I agree on most points. "British India got Independence" isn't accurate; India was partitioned and got Independence in August 1947. Thank you.Chanchaldm (talk) 03:53, 11 March 2022 (UTC)Reply
