The RED FORT SCRIPT: 1998-2008

2006: Domestic matters: The prime minister focused on three key concerns : farmers8217; suicides, price rise and internal security. Foreign policy occupied a mere three out of 45 paragraphs, as Singh held forth on farmers8217; suicides, the Mumbai blasts and Naxalite threats.

2005: Second tryst with destiny: The PM reminded India of its historic opportunity, outlining his plans of a 8216;government wedded to welfare8217;. He outlined schemes like the national rural employment guarantee bill, the impending bill to restore forest rights to adivasis, the Bharat Nirman infrastructure programme and measures to benefit workers in the unorganised sectors.

2004: 8216;A government-people partnership8217;: 8220;I have no promises to make, but I have promises to keep8217;, said Manmohan Singh in his maiden I-Day speech. Rather than unveiling grand schemes, he stressed the role of a compassionate and accountable government, and iterated the goals of the common minimum programme.

2003 Bumpy path to peace: Prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee asked Pakistan to walk 8216;together with India on the road to peace8217;, one that would clear up 8216;once we start walking8217;. In the aftermath of the Gujarat riots, he made a commitment to protecting India8217;s minorities, claiming that 8216;it is against both its nature and culture to practise discrimination or to do injustice to anybody on the grounds of faith8217;.

2002: 8216;Kashmir: a test case of secularism8221; Vajpayee took his two-year long Kashmir initiative further, offering to 8216;make amends8217; for any past mistakes and promising great devolution of powers, and a free and fair election. He also hit back at Musharraf, who had the previous day called the elections a 8216;farce8217;; reminding him not to lecture India on farcical democracy.

2001 The Kashmir block: Vajpayee condemned 8216;Pakistan-sponsored terrorism8217; in Kashmir and underscored India8217;s altered status in the world, following nuclear tests. 8220;We invited Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf for a dialogue8230; I told my guest that if we have to wage a war, why don8217;t we fight against poverty, unemployment, disease and backwardness?8221; he said.

2000 Woh waqt gaya: Warning Pakistan that 8216;the clock cannot be turned back8217; and that Kashmir was an integral part of India, Vajpayee quoted Sahir Ludhianvi 8212; 8220;Gone is that time, gone is that age; when 8216;two nations8217; was the slogan; gone are those people whose purpose was partition! One, now, are all Indians; One, now, is India!8221; The PM also made an impassioned case for greater economic reform, striking out at the swadeshi lobby and vowing to double the country8217;s per capita income in the next ten years.

1999 8216;We fought a war and won it8217;: Caretaker prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee made a speech that pounded home the victories of Kargil and the Agni-II ballistic missile. Listing the achievements of the past 17 months, he underscored his party8217;s commitment to national security, and contrasted Pakistan8217;s international isolation over Kargil with India8217;s 8220;overwhelming global support8221;.

1998: Fighting words: Heading a fragile, five-month-old government, Atal Behari Vajpayee announced that he would 8216;not make any compromises to stay in power8217;, even as he plaintively asked his allies if frequent lections were good for the country. Referring to the Cauvery water accord that threatened to topple the coalition, Vajpayee said that maturity, harmony, tolerance, patriotism and willingness to keep others8217; interests in mind were necessary.