Indians blared patriotic songs Thursday and planned gala celebrations to mark five decades of independence from Britain, although a touch of ambivalence hung over the festivities.
As its 50th birthday approaches Friday, India can point to its accomplishments with pride, but it also faces massive problems ranging from poverty to political corruption to ethnic, class and religious tensions.A train bombing blamed on tribal rebels in the northeast killed at least seven people Thursday morning - a reminder of the tensions straining modern India.
A number of groups are fighting for independence in the region, which is virtually cut off from the rest of the country and riven by ethnic clashes and by poverty. Similar insurgencies are burning in Kashmir in the north, Tamil Nadu in the south and Punjab in the west.
Poor relations with neighboring Pakistan, which gained independence a day before India in 1947, are another source of concern.
British India was divided into Islamic Pakistan and largely Hindu India. Partition was marked by religious riots, and the two nations have fought three wars in 50 years.
In his independence day speech Thursday, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif suggested the two neighbors celebrate their 50th anniversaries by finding peace. Peace talks repeatedly have stalled over the years.
Pakistan's problems - extreme poverty, malnutrition, and religious and political violence - are mirrored in India. In a departure from the official ceremonies, social workers brought thousands of young Indians shouting "this independence is false" to Parliament to protest child labor practices.
"Fifty years of independence means nothing to me," said one of the marchers, who gave his name only as Govind. "My parents' life was difficult and mine is difficult, too. Freedom has made no difference at all."
Govind, 15, said he was able to attend school for only two years before starting work as a domestic servant because his family is poor.
But the spirits were higher in the crowded lanes of the ancient city around which New Delhi is built, where children flew paper kites of saffron, white and green - the colors of India's flag.
The owner of a music shop, Abedin, who uses one name only, blared patriotic songs from cheap amplifiers and vowed that would be the program all day Thursday and Friday.