Man who witnessed first I-Day festivity
   Date :15-Aug-2022

Man who witnessed

 
 
By Vikas Vaidya
“Excitement was in the air. The faces of people were bright with joy. Happiness knew no bounds. People poured on to the streets and raised the slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. I can never forget that momentous moment,” said Purushottam Satfale, a prominent citizen of the city who was witness to the celebrations as India won her Independence on August 15, 1947.
Purushottam Satfale is father of Narendra Satfale, Secretary of Vigyan Bharati. Speaking to ‘The Hitavada’ on the eve of 76th Independence Day, Purushottam Satfale shed light on the memories of the first Independence Day festivity. He is now 90 years old. Born in 1932, Satfale was with Adult Education Department during 1947. Later on, he joined 118 Infantry Battalion in 1954.
According to Satfale, he and may others did not sleep the whole night when India won her freedom. There was crowd all over. “We tried to catch every moment so as to preserve it forever. We stayed near Seva Sadan in Sitabuldi. Me and some of my friends started walking with the crowd around noon. The crowd reached Sitabuldi Fort with everybody holding national tricolour. People tried to enter the fort. When we saw a large number of people gathered near the main gate, we jumped into the fort premises from over the compound,” he recalled. There, he said, they met four/five British officers who greeted them. One of the officers said to Satfale and others, “Congratulations to people of Independent India”. “We also greeted each other. There was fervor, enthusiasm all over for next two days,” said Satfale, with a sparkle in eyes and youthful enthusiasm in his voice.