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Journalism of Courage
India is set to mark its 79th Independence Day on August 15 (Friday), with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the celebrations with his early morning address to nation from the Red Fort in Delhi. Like every year, the event will start off with the unfurling of national flag, followed by the PM’s address from the ramparts of the iconic monument.
As India awaits PM Modi’s 12th I-Day speech, let us have a look at the key I-day speeches by former Prime Ministers of India
In his first ever Independence Day speech as a Prime Minister in 2014, Modi, who had recently taken charge of India, spoke of taking India to newer heights. Referring to the 68th Independence Day, he said: “This National festival inspires us to resolve ourselves to lead a life where our character gets refined further, to dedicate ourselves to the nation and our every activity is linked to the interest of the nation and only then this festival of freedom can be a festival of inspiration to take India to newer heights.”. Watch Video
Dr Manmohan Singh, who was sworn in as a Prime Minister in 2004, addressed his first Independence Day speech in that year, where he emphasised the need for good governance and “code of conduct for political parties and everyone in public life” to uphold the “values enshrined in the constitution”. He underlined that the power of the people is greater than the power of any government. “But, it is by combining the two that we can make our nation truly great,” he said. Watch Video
Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s first I-day speech as PM in 1998 came just a few months after the Pokhran tests. Crediting former PM Indira Gandhi for laying the foundation for these tests, Vajpayee reiterated that nuclear tests were not meant for war. He also spoke about resolving all issues with Pakistan and China through discussions. Watch Video
Inder Kumar Gujral’s first and last address as India’s Prime Minister coincided with India completing 50 years of Independence on August 15, 1997. Gujral used the occassion to call for a ‘satyagraha’ against corruption. He admitted the ‘hesitation’ in Indian politics to give equal space to women and advocated for equal rights to men and women thereby making gender equity a key theme of his speech. Watch Video
In his first I-day speech ad PM, Rajiv Gandhi spoke on poverty and the government will put al its power and resources to eradicate poverty from India. He spoke of using modern scientific technology to do this job. He also spoke of development of villages. “India will develop when its villages will make a progress.” Watch Video
In 1966, Indira Gandhi delivered her first I-Day speech as the first and, so far the only, woman Prime Minister of India. In her address, she spoke of poverty and accepting the path of socialism to eradicate poverty in India. She also touched upon casteism that exists in India and said the government had drawn up programmes for the welfare of sections of the society that suffered from neglect for centuries. Watch Video
Lal Bahadur Shastri in his 1965 I-Day address hailed the farmers and soldiers of the country, coining the popular slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ which later became symbol for India’s self-reliance and unity. Watch Video
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, addressed the nation on August 15, 1947, marking the end of British rule in India. In this famous speech, Nehru spoke about the new-found freedom the India woke up to: “A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” He also spoke of the responsibility the freedom and power bring. “The responsibility rests upon this Assembly; a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India.” Watch Video
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